Orlando Magic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Howard, Lin, Butler, Belinelli

May 22nd, 2012 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

A few Tuesday afternoon odds and ends from around the NBA:

After reporting yesterday that Dwight Howard still wants to be traded out of Orlando, Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com outlines why the Nets and Knicks may be the most logical trade partners for the Magic.
If Howard is dealt this summer, it's probably bad news for the Mavericks, writes Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com. The Mavs could have the cap space for Howard next summer, but don't have the trade chips to get him right now.
In an Insider piece for ESPN.com, David Thorpe examines some potential landing spots for Jeremy Lin, concluding that the Raptors, Nets, and Suns might be the best fits besides the Knicks.
Rasual Butler has heard from several teams and plans to be ready to sign in July, according to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. The Raptors released Butler in March, in time for him to catch on with another team for the postseason, but the 33-year-old didn't sign another contract before season's end.
In an interview with Gazzetta.it, Marco Belinelli said he expects to receive offers from the Hornets and other NBA teams, and wants to determine where he'll sign before trying to join the Italian national team for the Olympics. Hat tip to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando for the translation.

Jerry Sloan Interested In Coaching Magic, Bobcats

May 22nd, 2012 at 3:29pm CST by Luke Adams

As I noted this morning when I rounded up a few coaching rumors, the Magic and Bobcats are currently the only two NBA teams searching for a new head coach. While more desirable positions may open up in the next few weeks, former Jazz coach Jerry Sloan expressed his interest in the two current openings to Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida.

Sloan told Tomasson that the job in Orlando would be "very intriguing" and that the Bobcats' opening interests him as well, since "it's not always about starting at the top." However, he acknowledged that neither team has contacted him. For the Magic, who only let go of Stan Van Gundy about 24 hours ago, that's hardly a surprise, but the Bobcats have been conducting interviews for weeks — I wonder if they've decided to go in a different direction or simply weren't aware of Sloan's interest.

When Sloan left the Jazz last season, he wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to coach again, but his desire to return to an NBA bench has resurfaced over time.

"I felt like I needed to get away from basketball," Sloan said. "I worked (26) years (as a head coach). It was time for me to move on and see what was going in the world. That’s been kind of interesting. But I still have that void of basketball."

Whether it's the Magic, the Bobcats, or another team that inquires on Sloan at some point this summer, he intends to keep an open mind.

"I don’t have an agent," Sloan said. "I don’t need for anybody to talk for me. If somebody calls me, I will listen."

Coaching Rumors: Woodson, Del Negro, Magic

May 22nd, 2012 at 9:44am CST by Luke Adams

Another job on an NBA bench opened up yesterday, when Orlando officially fired long-time coach Stan Van Gundy. The Magic and the Bobcats are now the only two clubs searching for a new head coach, but there's no guarantee they won't be joined by another couple teams as the offseason progresses. Here are the latest updates on the NBA's coaching carousel:

After a report yesterday indicated that Mike Woodson and the Knicks were nearing an agreement, Marc Berman of the New York Post says the deal should be announced sometime "this week."
Clippers GM Neil Olshey hasn't committed one way or the other to bringing back Vinny Del Negro for next season, as Billy Witz of FOX Sports writes. However, a source tells Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld that he believes the Clips will explore other coaching options.
Van Gundy will be in demand, and the next team to hire him will be very lucky, writes Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. Schmitz adds though that Van Gundy is leaning toward sitting out next season.
Charley Rosen of HoopsHype examines some potential candidates to replace Van Gundy in Orlando, noting that Nate McMillan could be the best fit for the Magic.

Magic Rumors: Malone, Shaw, Morway, Bower

May 21st, 2012 at 8:37pm CST by Zachary Links

Big news out of Orlando today as the club has fired coach Stan Van Gundy and agreed to part ways with GM Otis Smith. The latest on the Magic..

Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld tweets that plenty of executives are interested in the Magic GM job, and they aren't scared away by the Dwight Howard saga.
David Baumann of Bright House Sports Network says that Lakers assistant Chuck Person is on Howard's list of preferred coaches, noting D12's preference for candidates with no head coaching experience (Twitter links, and a hat tip to Sam Amick of SI.com). That might be moot, however, if Howard still wants to leave the Magic.
Warriors assistant Michael Malone and Pacers assistant Brian Shaw are candidates to replace Van Gundy, tweets Sam Amick of SI.com.
Amick also tweets that many of the same candidates for the Blazers GM job will be in the running for the same post in Orlando, and links to a story from earlier this month specifying Pacers GM David Morway and former Hornets GM Jeff Bower as candidates for the Portland gig.
Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio says that the Magic had interest in signing Greg Oden, but that's likely changed in the wake of today's news (Twitter link).
Orlando Sentinel columnist George Diaz encourages the Magic to be "creative, aggressive and different" with their GM and coaching hires.

Dwight Howard Still Wants Out Of Orlando

May 21st, 2012 at 7:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

Despite the exit of coach Stan Van Gundy and GM Otis Smith today, Dwight Howard "desperately" wants to be traded before next season, a source tells Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com. While it seemed the moves were made with Howard in mind, the superstar center wants out of Orlando now more than ever, according to the source.

Sheridan says Magic execs are expected to meet soon with Howard in Los Angeles, where he's recovering from back surgery. If he reiterates then that he wants out, Sheridan says the team is expected to try to trade him to "the highest bidder." The source says the Nets are still the frontrunner for his services, but the Mavericks, Knicks and, to a lesser degree, the Clippers and Lakers, are destinations that also appeal to Howard.

Earlier today we heard that Magic CEO Alex Martins has called for Howard to make his decision regarding his future with the club. At the trade deadline this past March, Howard declined his early termination option for next season, committing himself to the last season of his contract with the Magic. The move appears only to have been a temporary stay of the drama surrounding his rumored departure. Howard missed the playoffs for the Magic this season after undergoing surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back more than a month ago. He has been rehabbing in Los Angeles and has not returned to Orlando since the operation. The Magic said earlier he's staying there because he requires frequent checkups from his doctors in L.A., but Howard's choice of locations nonetheless fueled speculation he's estranged from the team.

Reactions To The Shakeup In Orlando

May 21st, 2012 at 7:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

The news of the day has been that GM Otis Smith and coach Stan Van Gundy are out of their jobs with the Magic. We're keeping an eye on the moving pieces in the wake of the team's announcement, but there's also been a fair bit of criticism of the team, particularly over its firing of Van Gundy. Here's what NBA observers are saying:

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel takes Magic CEO Alex Martins to task for informing Van Gundy of his firing via cell phone.
Fellow Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi said the future of the franchise is up to Dwight Howard, now that the team has seemingly bent to his will.
Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today provides a dissenting voice, arguing that the time had come for the team to move on from Van Gundy and Smith. He also thinks the franchise might be better off moving on from Howard, too.
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com predicts that in six months, Howard will be gone, the Magic will have a coach inferior to Van Gundy, and the franchise will be starting over.
Zach Lowe of SI.com says the Magic just broke up a rare partnership of superstar player and elite coach.
Shannon J. Owens of the Orlando Sentinel follows along that same line, wishing the drama-filled relationship between Howard and Van Gundy had been more like the placid, successful partnership of Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich of the Spurs.
As we noted earlier, George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel wants to see the Magic make bold hires when they replace Smith and Van Gundy.

Categories:
Orlando Magic

Bobcats Notes: McMillan, Bickerstaff, Van Gundy

May 21st, 2012 at 5:50pm CST by Chuck Myron

Earlier today we heard that Nate McMillan is in the midst of a two-day interview with the Bobcats for their coaching vacancy. Here's more from the Queen City:

McMillan has an advocate in former Bobcats coach and GM Bernie Bickerstaff, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes.
Bonnell believes the Magic's firing of Stan Van Gundy today could harm the Bobcats' search, since the Magic job is probably more attractive (Twitter link).
Mike Tokito of The Oregonian seconds that thought, arguing that the Magic could be a more enticing destination for McMillan. He also speculates whether McMillan could wind up with the Clippers and Wizards.
One coach the Bobcats wouldn't have to compete over with the Magic is Van Gundy, and Bonnell looks at how the former Magic boss would fit in Charlotte. Bonnell hears that Van Gundy may prefer to sit out the coming season rather than take another job right away.

Magic Fire Van Gundy, Part Ways With Smith

May 21st, 2012 at 2:24pm CST by Zachary Links

Magic CEO Alex Martins announced today that coach Stan Van Gundy has been let go while GM Otis Smith and the club have mutually agreed to part ways.

"On behalf of the DeVos Family, we sincerely appreciate and thank Otis and Stan for all that they have done on and off the floor for the Orlando Magic,” said Martins. "These are the days you dread in this business, but we feel it's time for new leadership and new voices. "

Van Gundy was named head coach on June 7, 2007 and coached the Magic to a 259-135 record in five seasons. The charismatic coach led Orlando to five postseason berths, three Southeast Division titles, and the 2009 Eastern Conference crown, but could not survive the turmoil of the 2011/12 season. The Magic were surrounded by drama as Dwight Howard flip-flopped between remaining in Orlando and forcing a trade to the Nets. In April, Van Gundy told reporters that his star player was actively working to get him fired.

Meanwhile, Smith has been telling people that he was considering retirement and may have been fired by the club anyway, according to Sam Amick of SI.com (via Twitter). Smith's career in Orlando's front office began as the director of player development and in May of 2006 he was promoted to General Manager. In total, the Magic were 299-177 during Smith’s time as GM.

Categories:
Orlando Magic

Southeast Notes: Hawks, Wade, Heat, Howard

May 19th, 2012 at 8:21pm CST by Zachary Links

Links out of the Southeast division as the Heat get set for Game 4 in Indiana tomorrow afternoon..

Hawks General Manager Rick Sund’s contract expires next month but he has yet to commit to a return or publicly address his future, writes Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Sund may also retire, take a part-time role with the Hawks, or jump ship to another team.
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel wonders whether playing in the Olympics makes much sense for Dwyane Wade, who could use the rest for his 30-year-old body. Winderman notes the pressure that sponsors put on Wade and other superstars to play for their country.
If the Rockets take a stab at trading for Magic big man Dwight Howard, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel believes that the package would be centered around Kevin Martin and Luis Scola because the salaries match up. Even if Howard doesn't sign a long-term extension with Houston, they would at least have Martin and Scola off of the books for a proper rebuild.

Odds & Ends: Oden, Magic, Jones, Bucks, Bosh

May 18th, 2012 at 10:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Links from around the league..

Earlier today we learned that Greg Oden will be undergoing a radical knee procedure to revive his career, but Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge (via Twitter) points out that the Trail Blazers were considering the operation way back in February.
Some out of the box thinking from Alex Kennedy of Hoops World (via Twitter) as he suggests that the Magic look into trading for Dwyane Wade or LeBron James this summer. However, Kennedy doesn't envision the Heat being forced to blow everything up.
Kentucky's Terrence Jones would give the Bucks some badly needed toughness, writes David Thorpe of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required).
Chris Bosh may have seemed like a third wheel to some, but the Heat are really missing the forward now, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.