Orlando Magic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Timberwolves Targeting Richardson

March 13th, 2012 at 8:46pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Jarred Rudolph of RealGM says that according to league sources, the Magic are having discussions with the Timberwolves regarding shooting guard Jason Richardson. (Twitter link)

After being drafted by the Warriors and playing in Oakland for six years, Richardson had stints in Charlotte and Phoenix before being included in the blockbuster deal that sent reunited him with Gilbert Arenas in Orlando.

Richardson had signed a four-year deal worth approximately $25MM with the Magic during the offseason.

Odds & Ends: Cavs, Chandler, World Peace, Ellis

March 13th, 2012 at 2:20pm CST by Luke Adams

No trades have been agreed upon yet, but with less than 48 hours remaining until Thursday's trade deadline, it shouldn't be long before we see our first deadline deal of 2012. In the meantime, let's round up a few odds and ends from around the NBA:

The Cavaliers have expressed interest in former Blazers guard Armon Johnson, tweets Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge. Johnson was waived by Portland to make room for Joel Przybilla.
Wilson Chandler and agent Chris Luchey are meeting with Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri and team president Josh Kroenke today to discuss a contract for Chandler, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Chandler's self-imposed deadline to work out a deal is Friday.
Metta World Peace is researching retirement, according to Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld. Pincus clarifies that World Peace would be using the threat of retirement as leverage if the Lakers amnesty him next season, so he wouldn't be claimed by a team he didn't want to join.
It doesn't look like a deal will happen, but Zach Lowe of SI.com explains why acquiring Monta Ellis could have been a good basketball move for the Magic.
ESPN.com's John Hollinger (Insider link) and NBA.com's Shaun Powell provide buyer's guides for the trade deadline.

Nets Remain Offseason Frontrunner For Howard

March 13th, 2012 at 1:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Whether or not the Magic decide to trade Dwight Howard this week, Howard himself still intends to sign with the Nets this summer, says Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. According to Wojnarowski, Howard's desire to avoid confrontation and to be liked have led Dwight to let the Magic believe they have chance to re-sign him.

"Dwight’s gone, and [Magic CEO] Alex Martins is the only person who doesn’t believe that," a source with knowledge of Howard's intentions told Wojnarowski.

While Howard has privately been telling people he could be convinced to stay if the Magic bring in help around him, Wojnarowski calls that possiblity a long shot. As the Warriors' stance on Monta Ellis exhibits, any team that believes it may have a chance to sign Howard in free agency won't be inclined to agree to a trade that improves the Magic's chances of keeping him.

Wojnarowski also points to a growing belief that Howard doesn't want to push for a trade that would force his new team to give up core assets for him. One official who has talked with the Magic, Nets, and agents involved in the process told Wojnarowski: "Dwight is going to [expletive] them (the Magic), and that will be especially true if he doesn’t even ask for the sign-and-trade on July 1st, because he wants Brooklyn to keep assets."

According to Wojnarowski, the Nets are confident enough about signing Howard this summer that they won't feel pressured to make an aggressive trade offer for D12 this week. New Jersey has reportedly expressed interest in Boris Diaw's $9MM expiring contract as a way of clearing cap space to sign Howard, Deron Williams, and Brook Lopez this offseason.

For the rest of today's updates on Howard, check out our complete round-up.

Warriors Owner Wants Howard In Ellis Deal

March 13th, 2012 at 12:11pm CST by Luke Adams

12:11pm: The Warriors have turned down the Magic's various trade proposals and talks have ended for now, tweets Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com. Presumably if the Magic put Howard on the table in the next couple days, the Warriors would be interested in reopening discussions.

11:16am: Monta Ellis was at the center of a major trade rumor yesterday, as reports suggested the Warriors were engaged with the Magic and Hornets about a possible three-way deal that would have sent Ellis to Orlando. However, multiple outlets, including ESPN.com and the Bay Area News Group, reiterated what's been an ongoing stance from the Warriors in recent weeks — Golden State isn't interested in trading Ellis unless it gets Dwight Howard in return.

Ken Berger of CBS Sports expands on this stance, noting that Warriors owner Joe Lacob has no desire to send Ellis to Orlando for non-Howard assets (Twitter link). The hope on Orlando's part is that acquiring Ellis would mean Howard commits to at least one more season with the Magic. But Lacob, who would badly like to acquire Howard himself, wants to preserve the Warriors' chances of acquiring D12, however slim those chances may be (Twitter link). Golden State is highly unlikely to participate in any deal that would improve the Magic's odds of retaining its star center.

While I tend to believe Ellis could still be had in the right deal that doesn't involve the Magic and Howard, it appears the Warriors aren't expecting to make a major trade before Thursday's deadline.

Andrew Bogut Rumors: Tuesday

March 13th, 2012 at 9:50am CST by Luke Adams

Ken Berger of CBS Sports reported last night that the Rockets, Warriors, and Wizards were all pursuing an acquisition of Andrew Bogut. The Rockets have since backed off, according to Berger, but the Bucks still seem to be talking Bogut, with a decision on the big man potentially affecting Brandon Jennings' future as well. Let's track today's Bogut updates here, with the newest items up top:

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld explains that Jennings' future could be tied to Bogut's because one offer for Bogut has the Bucks getting a "solid" point guard in return. However, Milwaukee is asking a lot for both players, and most teams aren't interested at the Bucks' price (Twitter links).
The Warriors aren't expecting to make a blockbuster deal this week, reports Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group. While Golden State is considering making a play for Bogut, his ankle injury and the potential inclusion of Stephen Jackson in any deal diminishes the Warriors' interest.
Berger's Bogut-to-the-Warriors scenario had Monta Ellis heading out of Golden State in any deal, but Thompson and Peter Vecsey of the New York Post both suggest that may not be the case. Thompson says the Warriors still don't want to trade Ellis for anyone besides Dwight Howard, while Vecsey says it's Stephen Curry, not Ellis, who is being discussed in a potential Bogut trade.
Meanwhile, a source tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (Twitter link) that the rumored Warriors/Bucks/Magic talks never even took place.

Magic, Warriors, Hornets Discussing Ellis Deal

March 12th, 2012 at 6:13pm CST by Luke Adams

6:13pm: According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, Golden State has moved away from talks of a three-team deal that would send Monta Ellis to Orlando. In a tweet, Stein says the Warriors are far more interested in assembling a package to offer Milwaukee for Andrew Bogut. Stein went on to say that the Warriors would be unwilling to part with Ellis, even if it meant getting rid of Andris Biedrins' contract, one of the worst in the league. According to an ESPN report by both Stein and Chris Broussard, the Magic will continue to spend the next 48 hours seeking various options on how they can add an enticing player to keep Dwight Howard happy. If they can't make a splash, they'll then spend the last 24 hours before the deadline looking at all their trade options.

1:57pm: The Magic, Hornets, and Warriors are discussing a three-way trade that would send Monta Ellis to Orlando, multiple league sources tell Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com. According to Rudolph, Warriors players being discussed include Ellis, Andris Biedrins, and Dorell Wright, while Magic players mentioned include Ryan Anderson, J.J. Redick, Hedo Turkoglu, Quentin Richardson, and Daniel Orton. Taking into account the Warriors' reported interest in Chris Kaman, the Hornets' involvement likely means Kaman would be going to Golden State if a deal was reached.

Although nothing is imminent, talks are ongoing, says Rudolph. I'd be surprised to see the three clubs work out an agreement, given all the moving parts involved, not to mention the presence of the league-owned Hornets — with David Stern still acting as the team's de facto owner, he'll have the opportunity to turn down any trade he doesn't feel benefits the team.

Reports in recent weeks have also indicated that the Warriors aren't looking to move Ellis unless they can acquire Dwight Howard. So it would be unexpected to see them move the Western Conference player of the week to Orlando for non-Howard assets. As Sam Amick of SI.com tweets, Joe Lacob seems unlikely to help the Magic keep Howard, since the Warriors owner covets the star center himself.

Dwight Howard Rumors: Monday

March 12th, 2012 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

It may seem like we're only a few days away from getting closure on the Dwight Howard saga, but as Magic coach Stan Van Gundy points out, only one scenario results in real closure for the Magic.

"There's closure, I guess, if he goes," Van Gundy said (via Tim Bontemps of the New York Post). "If he stays [past Thursday], it just starts all over again. You just start the clock again. Then we're right back to where we were when the playoffs ended last year. Everybody will be talking about, 'OK, what's going to happen in the summer? And what's going to happen next year?'"

Still, Thursday should provide at least some hint of what Howard's future holds, and Van Gundy doesn't expect resolution before deadline day. Here are today's updates on Howard, with the latest up top:

The Nets aren't content to sit back and wait for Howard to come to them via free agency — New Jersey would give up assets at the deadline to ensure they land the big man, tweets Kyler. Kyler hears from Nets sources that the team's offer is better than Magic sources are claiming (Twitter link).
If he's going to change teams, Howard prefers free agency because he doesn't want a club to gut its roster to acquire him. And if he's a free agent, Howard's three-team list "goes out the window," according to SI.com's Chris Mannix (Twitter links). Mannix identifies the Clippers and Heat as two teams that would interest Howard in free agency, though there'd be cap obstacles in each case (Twitter link).
Mannix has been told "unequivocally" that Howard isn't interested in signing with the Bulls (Twitter link).
Magic fans may prefer a trade now rather than losing Howard for nothing this summer, but Orlando is receiving mostly lowball offers, reports Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Teams on Howard's list know he'll test free agency this summer anyway, while teams not on his list aren't inclined to give up a lot for a potential rental.
As Ken Berger of CBS Sports wrote last night, the Bulls are a preferred trade partner for the Magic. However, Chicago won't pursue Howard without assurances he'd re-sign, and Howard seems reluctant to add the Bulls to his list of desired destinations. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld says Howard would be Derrick Rose's sidekick, rather than the face of the franchise, in Chicago, an idea that doesn't appeal to D12 (Twitter links).
Magic sources still say they're not expecting a Howard trade, Kennedy adds in a separate tweet.
In their frequent meetings with Howard, the Magic aren't necessarily trying to convince him to sign in Orlando long-term, says ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (video link). The Magic would be happy if Dwight agreed not to opt out of the final year of his contract — that would give Orlando more time and assets to try to bring in help around Howard next season.
Broussard adds that he still believes the Nets are the most likely destination if Howard is traded this week.

Central Notes: Sessions, Bucks, Bulls

March 12th, 2012 at 3:01pm CST by Luke Adams

A few Monday afternoon items out of the Central Division:

Asked if he'd like to remain a Cavalier past the trade deadline, Ramon Sessions told Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, "Yeah, I like what we have going on. I like working with the Young Fella [Kyrie Irving]. The guys in here respect me a lot. I definitely like what we have going on."
Bucks players and coaches are talking as if they don't expect any changes to the roster this week. "The trade deadline, there is always going to be rumors for any team no matter what," Mike Dunleavy tells Stephen Brotherson of HoopsWorld. "So we’ll deal with those over the next few days, and once the deadline passes, I expect everybody to still be here and we will carry on as usual."
SI.com's Zach Lowe questions whether the Bulls are really the most logical match for the Magic in a potential Dwight Howard trade.

Aldridge On Howard, Kaman, Crawford, Nash

March 12th, 2012 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

In the latest installment of his weekly NBA.com column, David Aldridge runs through the notable names on the trade market, including the big fish, Dwight Howard. While Aldridge doesn't have any new updates for today's round of Howard rumors, the NBA.com scribe thinks the Magic will end up dealing D12 by Thursday's deadline. Aldridge predicts an offer of Brook Lopez, MarShon Brooks, and multiple first-round picks from the Nets will be the best deal Orlando sees this week.

Here are a few more items of interest from Aldridge's piece:

The Hornets are "determined" to move Chris Kaman by the deadline. There's no clear frontrunner, but Aldridge says not to rule out the Hawks or Mavericks.
Alridge hears from a source that the Bobcats and Trail Blazers could be discussing idea involving Jamal Crawford and D.J. Augustin.
Asked about his situation with the Suns, Steve Nash said that perhaps the team will have a change of heart on its stance this week, but "I don't feel like it's my place right now to kind of ask to be traded."

Bulls, Dwight Howard An Unlikely Match

March 11th, 2012 at 8:03pm CST by Jesse Blanchard

Part of the problem trading Dwight Howard is that the Orlando Magic remain largely underwhelmed with the trade offers presented by the teams on the list of Howard's preferred destinations. The Magic should be seeking a deal not unlike the ones made for Carmelo Anthony or Derron Williams a season ago. Howard is a far more impactful player than both Anthony and Williams so its understandable the Magic have a pretty high ceiling for where the market is set.

It's also understandable that, after watching the Knicks and Nets gut their respective teams, the team receiving Howard would want a long-term commitment. The problem is the teams Howard has said he would be willing to commit to do not have the assets to make the deal.

Ken Berger of CBS Sports reports that the Magic's preferred trade partner remains the Chicago Bulls. The deal listed by Berger would send a combinatino of Omer Asik, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, and the Charlotte Bobcats lottery-protected-through-2016 first round draft pick for Howard and Hedo Turkoglu.

A Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard pairing could make the Bulls and even more formidable duo than the Miami Heat's LeBron James and Dwyane Wade but there are several reasons preventing the Bulls and Dwight Howard from happening.

The first, as Berger points out, is that the Bulls are doing just fine without Howard and would never risk that without a long-term commitment.

The second: why would the Magic make that deal? Deng, Boozer, and Asik are all above average players. Boozer is a very good post option against certain matchups, Deng can provide a little bit of everything at a better than average level for 35-plus minutes a night, and Asik is one of the most underrated defensive players in the NBA.

But such a deal still leaves the Magic with many of the same problems, most notably lacking a perimeter player that can create shots for himself and others. Furthermore, Boozer and Deng have reached the extent of their talents and Asik is likely not too far from the ceiling of his.