Orlando Magic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

J.R. Smith Rumors: Wednesday

February 15th, 2012 at 10:13pm CST by Luke Adams

9:56 p.m.: Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports (via Twitter) that Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro has reached out to Smith.

1:00 p.m.: J.R. Smith's Chinese team played its final game today, which means Smith's should be returning to America any time now. While he still needs a letter of clearance from FIBA before he can become an unrestricted free agent and sign with an NBA team, Smith figures to make his NBA debut shortly after the All-Star break at the latest. Yesterday, Chris Paul expressed confidence in the Clippers' chances of signing Smith, while Lakers coach Mike Brown confirmed he and Smith had talked. Here's the latest on the CBA's scoring champ:

The Bulls aren't in the mix for Smith, according to Larry Coon of HoopsWorld and ESPN.com (via Twitter).
It's anyone's guess how much we should trust Smith's Twitter feed, but for what it's worth, he tweeted yesterday that he hasn't been in contact with the Timberwolves at all.
Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel doesn't expect the Magic to sign Smith (Twitter link).

Dwight Howard Rumors: Wednesday

February 15th, 2012 at 9:55am CST by Luke Adams

We're exactly a month away from this season's trade deadline, and it's looking more and more like there won't be any major developments on the Dwight Howard front until after the All-Star Game in Orlando. That doesn't mean the rumors don't continue to swirl though. We'll keep tabs on today's Howard updates right here….

ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (Insider link) disregards Howard's list of preferred destinations and explains why hypothetical trades to the Heat, Knicks, Hawks, Lakers, and Bulls could make sense.
The Magic appear content to play out the month and reassess the situation on March 1st, says Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. The team believes there's no rush to make a decision and that Howard will still be in high demand at the deadline.
A pair of TNT personalities, Shaquille O'Neal and Steve Kerr, weighed in on Howard yesterday, according to the Associated Press (ESPN.com link). Kerr said he'd play out the season and try to keep the star center if he were running the Magic, while Shaq said it would be a "travesty" if D12 leaves Orlando, pointing out differences between his situation in 1996 and Howard's this season.

Pacific Notes: Smith, Brown, Arenas, Howard

February 14th, 2012 at 7:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Chris Paul is confident about the Clippers' chances of landing J.R. Smith when the former Nugget returns from China, but Smith's Twitter profile suggests a number of teams are in play, including one he hasn't been linked to yet. Smith's Twitter bio simple reads: "NYK? LAL? LAC? CHI? ORL? iNDI?" While there's no guarantee the 26-year-old is deciding between just those six teams, the Magic are an interesting inclusion, given the uncertainty surrounding Dwight Howard. Hoops Rumors readers voted the Clippers as the frontrunner for Smith yesterday.

Here are a few more items out of the Pacific Division:

Lakers coach Mike Brown confirmed that he spoke with free agent guard J.R. Smith today over the phone, tweets J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today.
Shannon Brown signed a one-year deal with the Suns prior to the season because he thought he'd get a chance to play and increase his value, but it hasn't been working out that way, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
In a series of tweets, Ramona Sherburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com explains why she thinks the Lakers should sign Gilbert Arenas, assuming he's healthy.
Looking at a few realistic trade destinations for Dwight Howard, ESPN.com's John Hollinger (Insider link) evaluated how Howard's potential teammates would complement the star center. Hollinger determined that the Clippers' Chris Paul would be the best partner for Howard, while the Lakers' Andrew Bynum would be the worst.

Dwight Howard Rumors: Monday

February 13th, 2012 at 6:50pm CST by Chuck Myron

Dwight Howard felt excluded from the offense in the fourth quarter of Saturday's game against the Bucks. That's prompted coach Stan Van Gundy to reiterate his confidence in the big man, saying, "I don't know if there's anything stopping him," as Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports. Van Gundy also said there are plenty of players on the Magic who want the ball late in games, and that it's up to the coach to decide who gets it.

Here's the rest of what's happening around D12 and the Magic City:

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld spotted a Pacers scout in Orlando tonight, which is striking considering the Magic has already played the Pacers three times, and the teams don't meet again until March 11. The Pacers haven't been a part of Howard rumors so far, so they may be looking at other players in case the Magic want to make a separate move.
If the Magic decide to trade Howard, the Nuggets and Jazz provide a blueprint of what to do when dealing away a superstar, while the Hornets demonstrate the opposite, writes Austin Link of ESPN Chicago.

Odds & Ends: Hornets, Clippers, Knicks, Magic

February 12th, 2012 at 7:14pm CST by Jesse Blanchard

The New Orleans Hornets are dropping like flies, reports John Reid of the Times Picayune. Chris Kaman is the latest casualty with a mysterious ankle injury. These injuries could hurt trade value for a Hornets team that needs as many assets as possible. Some other news around the NBA:

Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles reports the Los Angeles Clippers are pursuing J.R. Smith. Their sales pitch includes Chauncey Billups vacated starting slot, a chance to showcase his game on a contending team, and his familiarity with Chris Paul–and their shared agent, Leon Rose.
Also pursuing Smith, according to the same report, is Carmelo Anthony. The New York Knicks have slightly more money to offer with the prorated $2.5MM mini-mid-level exception, and Leon Rose likewise represents Anthony.
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel wonders if Jason Richardson can be a reliable go-to guy after a breakout game against the Milwaukee Bucks. If so, it would relieve a lot of the pressure for an immediate roster overhaul for general manager Otis Smith and the Orlando Magic.
Naturally after watching Richardson's performance over the Bucks comes reports from Schmitz that a disgruntled Dwight Howard would like to see the ball more in the fourth quarter.

Trade Candidate: Ryan Anderson

February 12th, 2012 at 3:12pm CST by Michael Pina

Should the Magic choose to keep Dwight Howard for the rest of this season and allow him to test the waters of free agency this summer, a massive domino effect involving several organizations and players will take place. Teams like the Rockets, Nets, Celtics, and Mavericks have all cleared cap space and will scramble for the perennial All-Star's services, but only one will be able to walk away with the number one prize.

If Howard does leave, which is likely, Orlando will be forced to come to terms with a roster that was built to accommodate its superstar's strengths. The stock for the team's three-point shooters and defensively liable swingmen who are enabled by Howard's presence may plummet. The most notable example would be the team's second best player, Ryan Anderson.

As we covered on Friday, the Magic chose not to offer Anderson a contract extension earlier this season—a decision that acknowledges the team's willingness to accept its unknown future—and right now he's playing to show the league his worth once he becomes a restricted free agent in the offseason. With the chances of Anderson accepting the team's qualifying offer of $3.23MM in the offseason nonexistent, the Magic could be wise to sell high and trade their best asset. Anderson is a young, improving sharpshooter having a borderline All-Star season, but his success may be predicated on the play of Howard. If he's going to walk anyway, why not get something for him while you can?

With the type of game to either come off a bench or start for a playoff team, someone like the Nuggets or Pacers would be wise to seek his services in a trade involving multiple draft picks.

Poll: When Will Dwight Howard Leave Orlando?

February 11th, 2012 at 1:57pm CST by Chuck Myron

This week's Jeremy Lin mania aside, Dwight Howard's impending free agency has been the dominant storyline of the NBA season so far. The Nets, Lakers and Mavs are the leading contenders for his services, along with his current team, the Magic. The Magic are considering fulfilling his request to be traded this season so they can get assets back in return, but may be hesistant to do so before the All-Star game, which is on Feb. 26 in Orlando this year. That leaves about a two-week window before the March 15 trade deadline to get a deal done. If that doesn't happen, and the saga continues into the summer, Howard could invoke a player option of more than $19.5MM to stay with the Magic for one more season before committing anywhere for multiple seasons.

So, with so much attention surrounding where Howard will go, the question of when is just as relevant.

When Will Dwight Howard Leave Orlando?

After the All-Star game, but before the March 15 trade deadline 54.30% (499 votes)

In the summer of 2012 30.36% (279 votes)

None of the above; Howard will re-sign and stay with the Magic for years to come 9.79% (90 votes)

Before the All-Star game 2.94% (27 votes)

In the summer of 2013 2.61% (24 votes)

Total Votes: 919

Anderson Shows Off For Potential Suitors

February 10th, 2012 at 9:13pm CST by Chuck Myron

There's plenty going on in Orlando this winter, with the All-Star game coming to town and the daily Dwight Howard rumors. Much less attention has been paid to power forward Ryan Anderson, whose 16.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG and 43% three-point shooting are all career highs. His 74 three-pointers made coming into Friday led the league. He'll be a restricted free agent at season's end.

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel takes a look at the development of the 6-foot-10 power forward in his fourth season.

He'll be showing off his long-distance shooting in the three-point contest at All-Star weekend, but Schmitz notes how he, at the behest of coach Stan Van Gundy, has become more of an all-around player.

Van Gundy laments not playing him more last season, when Anderson split time with Brandon Bass.

"We didn't have any doubts that he could do what he's doing offensively. He's exceptional," the coach said. "The only other guy in the league that can stretch a defense and grab offensive rebounds like that is Kevin Love. Ryan has some unique abilities."

Anderson, making $2.24MM this season, would be unlikely to accept a qualifying offer of $3.23 million from the Magic this summer. It's more likely the Magic, who opted against signing Anderson to an extension before last month's deadline, will have to shell out significantly more to keep him. According to Basketball Reference, his career numbers coming into the season (which exclude his hot start this year) were similar to those of Al Jefferson, who's making $14MM this year, and Anderson Varejao, who's earning $7.7MM. Love, to whom Van Gundy compared Anderson, recently signed a four-year extension worth a total of more than $60MM.

Regardless of his precise market value, it's clear Anderson will be at or near the top of the list of free-agent power forwards come July.

Trade Candidate: Stephen Jackson

February 10th, 2012 at 5:48pm CST by Chuck Myron

It's been a rough few weeks for the Bucks, who've lost Andrew Bogut for most of the season with a broken ankle and now must deal with doubt surrounding Brandon Jennings' future plans. Plus, there's been debate about whether Stephen Jackson has or hasn't demanded a trade. For the record, Bucks GM John Hammond is declining comment on the issue. Suffice it to say, with Jackson's playing time in flux, there's plenty to suggest Captain Jack will soon be shipping out of Wisconsin.

Jackson, for the moment, seems to have found his way back into the Bucks rotation after Scott Skiles elected not to play him in four out of five games. That doesn't include the one-game suspension he received after missing the team bus. He admitted frustration with his lack of playing time, which isn't uncharacteristic. His tenure in Milwaukee seemed destined for trouble from the start, when the Bucks acquired Jackson from the Bobcats at the draft last year. Jackson said the trade took him by surprise, and insisted the Bucks extend his contract before tamping down his rhetoric.

Jackson is not the most attractive asset for the Bucks to dangle at this point in his career. He turns 34 in April, and his 12.4 PPG is his lowest since 2002/03, when he was a part-time starter for a title-winning Spurs team. That's due in part to his decreased playing time, but his rate of points per 36 minutes (14.5) is way down, too. His contract, which pays him $9,256,500 this year and $10,059,750 next season, makes him that much more difficult for the Bucks to unload. It's that long-ago experience with the Spurs, in addition to leadership roles on surprising playoff teams in Golden State and Charlotte, that may convince GMs he's worth still worth taking on.

Dwight Howard has apparently indicated he'd like to have Jackson as a teammate, so that could point to interest from the Magic, who sought Jackson on draft night before the Bucks got him. That means the Nets, Mavericks, Lakers and any other team that's in on the D12 sweepstakes could be after Jackson as well. The Nets, who say they don't want to sign anyone else this year, haven't closed the door on trading for another player, and with recent signee Keith Bogans done for the year, there's an opening for a swingman that Jackson could fill.

The Bulls, who haven't been mentioned in Jackson rumors but are one of the teams linked to Howard, present an intriguing scenario. Jackson could provide insurance if Luol Deng's wrist doesn't hold up and/or Richard Hamilton fails to round into shape. Jackson's contract would mean the Bulls would have to part with some of their depth and young assets, but if they're concerned about having a second scoring option after Derrick Rose and want to woo Howard, they may bite.

Dwight Howard Rumors: Friday

February 10th, 2012 at 3:22pm CST by Luke Adams

With less than five weeks until the trade deadline, the Magic still hope to avoid dealing their star center, preferring to build around him long-term. We heard as much yesterday from team owner Rich DeVos, who put the odds of Dwight Howard remaining with the Magic at about "50/50." Here are today's updates on Howard:

The Lakers are still on Howard's list, but he has some serious reservations about following Shaquille O'Neal's path to L.A., says Ken Berger of CBS Sports. "Dwight is very sensitive to people thinking that he is duplicating Shaq," a source tells Berger.
In ESPN.com's Weekend Dime, Marc Stein explains why most Howard suitors, with the exception of the Lakers, wouldn't mind if the Magic didn't trade D12 this season.
While they were surprised not to be on Howard's list of preferred destinations, the Bulls remain intrigued by the possibility of acquiring him, says Stein. Chicago prefers to play out this season with their current roster, but could be interested in making a play for Howard in the offseason, should he become more interested in Chicago. Since the Bulls won't have cap space to sign him as a free agent, they'd have to make a trade offer before July 1st.
In a piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler and Larry Coon set the record straight on some common misconceptions about Howard's future contract options.