The Orlando Magic Thread

[bobbarker]

You guys bring up great points. However, I believe between the Steve Francis trade and various others we have enough cash to get a player such as a Bryant. Add to that the possibility of Grant Hill being forced into retirement and we would be more than fine.

In any case, the Magic have made it quite clear that they have little interest in more young players. That having been said, Who do you guys think they should go after this summer?

The Magic have about $16 million in cap room this off season. Kobe has 4 years and something like $136 million left on his contract. You would be hard pressed to find any team in the league that would be willing to take on that contract.

[sunshine]

I do not want Kobe to play for the Magic and I do not think he will come here anyway. We have nothimg to offer to recruit Kobe but Dwight Howard. We certainly do not want to loose another great player to Lakers again.

As far as I concern, we still have JJ Redick to be developed into a great player. Darko is demanding to play more outside shoot like he used to do in Europe and he is capable of doing that. With the management wanting to play up tempo game which might relite the fire of Jameer since he used to play up tempo game. I do not know why Brian Hill doesnt play more of Travis Diener. We should have get Iverson when he is available.

[orlandonative]

It seems just a bit ironic that the number of players we would like to see here have at one point sported a Magic jersey.

As far as the $16 million is concerned, if you say thats what it is than I believe you. I was under the impression that the Magic had a bit more money than that. Any idea what the remaining option on Hill's contract is?

Speaking of Hill. Have you guys caught any of his commentary work during the playoffs? Seems like a natural fit for him. It's definetly easier on the body. I imagine him "getting his feet wet" might be a good first step in initiating his retirement. That is unless he would like to coach the Magic.

[sunshine]

It is official, Magic making an offer for Billy Donovan.

BIG MISTAKE!!!!

[GRS328]

It is official, Magic making an offer for Billy Donovan.

BIG MISTAKE!!!!

Well, we now know the Magic are definitely interested in selling tickets. Interested in building a contending franchise?? Mmm, not so much.

[GRS328]

As far as the $16 million is concerned, if you say thats what it is than I believe you. I was under the impression that the Magic had a bit more money than that. Any idea what the remaining option on Hill's contract is?

Speaking of Hill. Have you guys caught any of his commentary work during the playoffs? Seems like a natural fit for him. It's definetly easier on the body. I imagine him "getting his feet wet" might be a good first step in initiating his retirement. That is unless he would like to coach the Magic.

Hill's salary is completely off the books, no options. As far as the $16 mil in cap space, that is accurate, though I believe it could increase if Dooling and/or Garrity opt-out of their contracts and sign elsewhere. Here's a decent article detailing the Magic's cap situation.

As for Hill, you're right, he is a natural on tv. He's such a classy guy. I truly would love to see the Magic resign him (at a greatly reduced salary) because he clearly has game left and he is such a positive influence on the team in so many aspects. And if the brought in a guy like Carter or Wallace, Hill could come off the bench and be a big contributer. If he truly wants to play again, I could see him taking a small salary to stay with the Magic... unless a title-ready-now team offers him a similar or higher deal, I couldn't blame him for trying to win a title before it's all said and done.

[bic]

As far as the $16 mil in cap space, that is accurate, though I believe it could increase if Dooling and/or Garrity opt-out of their contracts and sign elsewhere.

I'd say that there is pretty much no chance that Garrity opts out. He's a one trick pony, whose specialty is shooting spot-up 3's...except he can't even do that anymore. He's lucky to even be on an NBA roster much less get playing time. There's no way that another team will offer him equal or greater value than he already gets with the Magic contract, so he'll probably be around for another year. Unless, that is, the Magic decide to buy him out and promote him to a front office position which seems likely (fingers crossed!).

[Dale]

The Magic have a new coach - Billy Donovan. $27.5 million over five years.

http://www.gatorcounty.com

Paying someone $27.5 million to coach the Magic is like paying an astronaut $27.5 million to explore a blackhole.

[Dale]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if this alone were enough to push the new arena over the top.

[bic]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if this alone were enough to push the new arena over the top.

But that wouldn't have anything to do with why we overpaid, would it? Naaaah...

By the way, the NBA's coach of the year, Sam Mitchell, recently resigned with the Raptors for $4 million a year.

[Whipp]

The Magic have a new coach - Billy Donovan. $27.5 million over five years.

http://www.gatorcounty.com

Paying someone $27.5 million to coach the Magic is like paying an astronaut $27.5 million to explore a blackhole.

must be a bittersweet day for gator fans in orlando

[Dale]

must be a bittersweet day for gator fans in orlando

Yep.

[Dale]

There is a dedicated Orlando Magic thred, the Magic have just hired the hottest coach on the planet ... and there's virtually no discussion.

[GRS328]

I am intrigued by the whole situation. I have no disdain for Donovan and generally like him as a coach, despite not being a Florida fan. I truly hope he succeeds, for the team's sake as well as his. I'm just not so sure he will. The list of successful college coaches who flop in the NBA is long and distinguished. And for those who say Donovan will be different, they said that about all the others as well. I really think whether he succeeds or not will depend on how he and his staff work to improve Dwight's game. If they can help him gain a consistent offensive arsenal that is more than just put-back dunks and help him become a better passer, as well is bring a free-agent perimeter scorer, he may well succeed. Refining Howard's talents is something that either Brian Hill and his staff either a) just didn't do, or b) failed to do well. I really don't see how Darko would fit in any Donovan style of play. It will be an interesting season, that's for sure.

[bulldogger]

Let me preface by saying that I can't stand anything UF. Gator Nation commercials just annoy the hell out of me.

I have a strong background in b-ball. The only truly good player from UF is Brewer. He will make it in the NBA. The rest of them, including Noah, will be role players at best.

Donovan took an average team with one really good player and formed a national title team out of it. Orlando has Howard and the potential of Nelson (speed up their tempo and this guy rules). D has the ability to take this team and shape the role players into a great team. Fingers crossed on this guy.

[Dale]

Let me preface by saying that I can't stand anything UF. Gator Nation commercials just annoy the hell out of me.

I have a strong background in b-ball. The only truly good player from UF is Brewer. He will make it in the NBA. The rest of them, including Noah, will be role players at best.

Donovan took an average team with one really good player and formed a national title team out of it. Orlando has Howard and the potential of Nelson (speed up their tempo and this guy rules). D has the ability to take this team and shape the role players into a great team. Fingers crossed on this guy.

I agree with you as to Donovan's coaching acumen. However, your Gatorphobia has unbalanced you. Brewer is quite the athlete - and a tenacious defender - but he really needs to hone his fundamentals. Horford, on the other hand, is a beast. He is the complete package. Indeed, both Horford and Noah are better ballhamdlers than Brewer.

[bulldogger]

I agree with you as to Donovan's coaching acumen. However, your Gatorphobia has unbalanced you. Brewer is quite the athlete - and a tenacious defender - but he really needs to hone his fundamentals. Horford, on the other hand, is a beast. He is the complete package. Indeed, both Horford and Noah are better ballhamdlers than Brewer.

Noah is too nervous. He gets frazzled at the NCAA level. I can just see him getting flustered in the NBA, too. When he does this, he gets exhausted too quickly and has to sit down and that will make him a bench player in the NBA. It will take him a long time to mature if he ever does.

Horford is a role player and that is what he always will be. He is a rebounder. That's pretty much it. He may have done well at the NCAA level, but I don't see any more at the NBA level. He may score a little inside, but he is too big to do anything unless the ball is handed to him (or he gets an offensive rebound) near the basket. He probably will have a longer career than the others, because every team is always looking for a good rebounder.

Brewer can hit from outside, he can dribble penetrate with his speed, and he will be taller than most of his opposing shooting guards. He reminds me of Jalen Rose. Brewer will probably do well early, but time will tell if he can keep it up for a whole career.

[Dale]

Noah is too nervous. He gets frazzled at the NCAA level. I can just see him getting flustered in the NBA, too. When he does this, he gets exhausted too quickly and has to sit down and that will make him a bench player in the NBA. It will take him a long time to mature if he ever does.

Horford is a role player and that is what he always will be. He is a rebounder. That's pretty much it. He may have done well at the NCAA level, but I don't see any more at the NBA level. He may score a little inside, but he is too big to do anything unless the ball is handed to him (or he gets an offensive rebound) near the basket. He probably will have a longer career than the others, because every team is always looking for a good rebounder.

Brewer can hit from outside, he can dribble penetrate with his speed, and he will be taller than most of his opposing shooting guards. He reminds me of Jalen Rose. Brewer will probably do well early, but time will tell if he can keep it up for a whole career.

As regards Noah, what do you mean at the NCAA level ? He was the MVP of the Final Four last year. This year, he struggled with the lingering effects of a respiratory infection.

Horford is not only a rebounder, he's also developed a reliable jumper to fifteen feet, and he has the ballhandling skills of a much smaller man. He'll go in the top five. The general consensus from the scouts is that he'd become the most NBA-ready of the three this year.

[Dale]

HOLD THE PRESSES:

ESPN News and Foxsports are both reporting that Donovan is trying to get out of his contract.

[bulldogger]

As regards Noah, what do you mean at the NCAA level ? He was the MVP of the Final Four last year. This year, he struggled with the lingering effects of a respiratory infection.

Noah got that award because they won. That doesn't mean that he is the best player in the NCAA that year. That means he was the best player from the 4 teams that made it that far. This year, he was dogged, as were his couterparts, by Oden in the championship game. Oden doesn't have much of a team to support him. THAT guy will make an impact at the NBA level from the start.

Sometimes, players from championship teams aren't as good as they seem since they are surrounded by a quality team and the unit works great. You could be right and Noah and Horford can make an impact on the NBA. I didn't think Tim Duncan was going to be that great in the NBA and he has turned into one of the best.

You can listen to the reports all you want. According to them, Brad Daugherty was better than Michael Jordan.

[bic]

WKMG is reporting that Rashard Lewis has agreed to sign with the Magic on July 11 for $75 million over 5 years. They are also reporting that the Magic are going to let Darko become an unrestricted free agent.

[Dale]

Noah got that award because they won. That doesn't mean that he is the best player in the NCAA that year. That means he was the best player from the 4 teams that made it that far. This year, he was dogged, as were his couterparts, by Oden in the championship game. Oden doesn't have much of a team to support him. THAT guy will make an impact at the NBA level from the start.

Sometimes, players from championship teams aren't as good as they seem since they are surrounded by a quality team and the unit works great. You could be right and Noah and Horford can make an impact on the NBA. I didn't think Tim Duncan was going to be that great in the NBA and he has turned into one of the best.

You can listen to the reports all you want. According to them, Brad Daugherty was better than Michael Jordan.

How did I miss this ? I didn't say Noah was best in the nation last year. I merely pointed out that he was the Final Four MVP. And he dominated.

WKMG is reporting that Rashard Lewis has agreed to sign with the Magic on July 11 for $75 million over 5 years. They are also reporting that the Magic are going to let Darko become an unrestricted free agent.

Things are heating up. Can you imagine Lewis and Howard together ?

[GRS328]

WKMG is reporting that Rashard Lewis has agreed to sign with the Magic on July 11 for $75 million over 5 years. They are also reporting that the Magic are going to let Darko become an unrestricted free agent.

Wow. Well, if true, Orlando snagged the prize of the free agent class by most accounts. Then again, they did that as well in 2003 X2, and we all know how that worked out. I like Lewis, but he's not the answer. I still say Gerald Wallace could have had a bigger impact on the Magic, and he would've been cheaper meaning the team would have had a better shot at keeping Darko. And, Wallace plays defense! That concept is foreign to Lewis.

Oh well, we shall see how this plays out. I would like to point out though that in my post on 5/31, I did state I thought Lewis was the player "most likely to end up wearing a Magic uniform" Now if I only played lotto as well....

Things are heating up. Can you imagine Lewis and Howard together ?

Will definitely be exciting on the offensive side of things.

[bic]

The main thing to keep in mind is that there are a lot more moves to be made and nothing is certain until contracts are signed, which would be on July 11 at the earliest.

Here are a few things to consider:

-Paying Rashard an average of $15 million a year over 5 years is definitely overpaying. Yes, sometimes you have to overpay to get who you want but keep in mind that Vince Carter just resigned with the nets for $15 million a year also, except for 4 years instead of 5. Rashard's a very good player but he's not exactly multi-dimensional or a leader/proven winner.

-The Magic have to renounce Darko in order to sign Rashard for $15 mil a year outright. By having Rashard agree to this offer before July 11, it puts Seattle into panic mode because now they are in the position of losing a star player for nothing. The Sonics most likely realized that Rashard would be on the outs this summer (see: drafting Jeff Green) but they probably figured it would be via a sign-and-trade. The only real threat was the Magic, who could sign Rashard without having to conduct a trade. So now Seattle realizes that the Magic are holding the cards and will likely make an offer to Orlando to make a sign-and-trade involving Rashard. This would help out Orlando too by allowing us to move contracts, thus freeing up cap space that would allow us to resign Darko or pursue other free agents (i.e. Gerald Wallace).

-With Lewis coming to Orlando and Ariza firmly cemented in Orlando's future plans, our SF position is pretty much locked up. Lewis is too soft and undersized to play PF for significant minutes and Ariza doesn't fit the mold of a SG on offense, so they will both see most of their minutes at the 3. Where does that leave Turkoglu? Odds are he will be traded before the start of next season. Could be involved in the Lewis trade, perhaps a Gerald Wallace trade, or maybe for a veteran big.

-Fran Vazquez has said he's ready to come to the NBA. That's a nice big man addition we didn't really count on having a month ago. He could be traded (to Memphis, next to Gasol?), help to replace Darko, or back-up Dwight/Darko/Battie.

-We have expiring contracts in Garrity, Dooling, and Arroyo which could be used as trade bait.

-Whenever we conduct a trade, the opposing team is going to want some youth with potential. The most popular guys on our team besides Dwight are easily Darko and Ariza. It appears as if Ariza won't be involved unless it's for a HUGE name, leaving JJ Redick as pretty much our last unproven player. Look for his name to be involved in trade talks.

-We can also use Grant Hill in a sign-and-trade...although apparently the only other places he's considering going to are Phoenix or Detroit.

-Assuming Darko stays and we get Rashard, the Magic will still need a back-up big man (most likely a veteran), we need to clean up the SG and PG position, and probably trade Turk.

Basically, we need to give the Magic time to make all of these moves before we start judging the state of the team. Right now it looks like we could be overpaying Rashard and lose Darko (and GHill), thus making a sideways move in talent, but in the end we could come out way ahead. I have a lot of faith in Otis Smith to get things done.

By the end of this summer we could see a lineup that looks something like:

Dwight - Battie

Darko - Veteran Big

Rashard - Ariza

GWallace - JJ

Jameer - Dooling

* not sure where to put Turkoglue, Arroyo, Garrity, Bogans, or Vazquez. Free agents GHill and Diener (restricted) were left off, as well.

[drjnieto]

The main thing to keep in mind is that there are a lot more moves to be made and nothing is certain until contracts are signed, which would be on July 11 at the earliest.

Here are a few things to consider:

-Paying Rashard an average of $15 million a year over 5 years is definitely overpaying. Yes, sometimes you have to overpay to get who you want but keep in mind that Vince Carter just resigned with the nets for $15 million a year also, except for 4 years instead of 5. Rashard's a very good player but he's not exactly multi-dimensional or a leader/proven winner.

-The Magic have to renounce Darko in order to sign Rashard for $15 mil a year outright. By having Rashard agree to this offer before July 11, it puts Seattle into panic mode because now they are in the position of losing a star player for nothing. The Sonics most likely realized that Rashard would be on the outs this summer (see: drafting Jeff Green) but they probably figured it would be via a sign-and-trade. The only real threat was the Magic, who could sign Rashard without having to conduct a trade. So now Seattle realizes that the Magic are holding the cards and will likely make an offer to Orlando to make a sign-and-trade involving Rashard. This would help out Orlando too by allowing us to move contracts, thus freeing up cap space that would allow us to resign Darko or pursue other free agents (i.e. Gerald Wallace).

-With Lewis coming to Orlando and Ariza firmly cemented in Orlando's future plans, our SF position is pretty much locked up. Lewis is too soft and undersized to play PF for significant minutes and Ariza doesn't fit the mold of a SG on offense, so they will both see most of their minutes at the 3. Where does that leave Turkoglu? Odds are he will be traded before the start of next season. Could be involved in the Lewis trade, perhaps a Gerald Wallace trade, or maybe for a veteran big.

-Fran Vazquez has said he's ready to come to the NBA. That's a nice big man addition we didn't really count on having a month ago. He could be traded (to Memphis, next to Gasol?), help to replace Darko, or back-up Dwight/Darko/Battie.

-We have expiring contracts in Garrity, Dooling, and Arroyo which could be used as trade bait.

-Whenever we conduct a trade, the opposing team is going to want some youth with potential. The most popular guys on our team besides Dwight are easily Darko and Ariza. It appears as if Ariza won't be involved unless it's for a HUGE name, leaving JJ Redick as pretty much our last unproven player. Look for his name to be involved in trade talks.

-We can also use Grant Hill in a sign-and-trade...although apparently the only other places he's considering going to are Phoenix or Detroit.

-Assuming Darko stays and we get Rashard, the Magic will still need a back-up big man (most likely a veteran), we need to clean up the SG and PG position, and probably trade Turk.

Basically, we need to give the Magic time to make all of these moves before we start judging the state of the team. Right now it looks like we could be overpaying Rashard and lose Darko (and GHill), thus making a sideways move in talent, but in the end we could come out way ahead. I have a lot of faith in Otis Smith to get things done.

By the end of this summer we could see a lineup that looks something like:

Dwight - Battie

Darko - Veteran Big

Rashard - Ariza

GWallace - JJ

Jameer - Dooling

* not sure where to put Turkoglue, Arroyo, Garrity, Bogans, or Vazquez. Free agents GHill and Diener (restricted) were left off, as well.

Sounds good, but I would like to see GHIll retire with the Magic. Send this to Otis