Suns Trade Rumor: Hedo On His Way Back to Orlando?
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The word on the street is that the Suns could be part of the Gilbert Arenas to Orlando Magic trade.
From Ken Berger, CBS Sports:
UPDATE: League sources say a third team is involved, with the Suns possibly contributing Hedo Turkoglu to the equation. The Magic, trying to make a bold move to close the gap with Boston and Miami, would wind up with Arenas and Turkoglu, who would return to the team he led to the NBA Finals before a frustrating year in Toronto. Magic center Marcin Gortat is “100 percent involved,” though it’s unclear whether the Magic would be sending out Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter, or both.
From Evan Dunlap at Orlando Pinstripes Reporting On Alex Kennedy’s Story (Hoopsworld):
Kennedy says Orlando has engaged teams including the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, and Portland Trail Blazers to make a second deal, perhaps involving the aforementioned package of Carter and Gortat. Among the players discussed is Phoenix forward Hedo Turkoglu, who spent five seasons with Orlando, only to sign with the Toronto Raptors in the 2009 free-agency period. “Lon Babby, the president of basketball operations in Phoenix, allegedly didn’t make the trip to Dallas recently so that he could continue working the phones,” according to Kennedy.
Orlando Pinstripes Reporting
Ken Berger (CBS)
Alex Kennedy (Hoopsworld)
Obviously the Hedo experiment did not work out as planned, so Turk seems to… Continue reading
Source: Rashard Lewis Possibly Included in Orlando Magic Trade for Gilbert Arenas with Washington Wizards
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The Orlando Magic’s trade discussions with the Washington Wizards regarding point guard Gilbert Arenas may involve the Magic sending more back to Washington than first thought. A source advised Orlando Pinstriped Post that combo forward Rashard Lewis, who owns the league’s second-largest salary, is “being discussed” in this potential trade, with shooting guard Vince Carter also headed to the nation’s capital.
Lewis’ potential inclusion in the trade changes its dynamics entirely, as it’d signal a clear signal that Orlando intends to trim salary. Such a development corroborates an earlier report by CBSSports’ Ken Berger. He quotes “a source familiar with the Magic’s plans as saying, “they’re not in the same class as Boston or Miami. With a $ 94 million payroll, they didn’t do that to get out of the first round. The window has closed up a bit.”
Lewis and Carter combine to earn over $ 37 million this season, according to ShamSports, so if the Magic were to send them both to Washington, the Wizards would have to include more than Arenas’ $ 17.7 million salary to make the trade work under the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. My source did not know which players Orlando would receive in this scenario, but did say it’s “unlikely” that veteran combo guard Kirk Hinrich would be in their number.
It’s important to note that trade discussions often include mentions of players who do not ultimately change sides when a… Continue reading
Berger: Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers Should Trade Marcin Gortat, Andre Miller
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The latest Orlando Magic trade rumor making the rounds comes from CBSSports.com’s Ken Berger, whose track record suggests he’s pretty well plugged-in in Orlando. The veteran scribe suggests the Magic and the Portland Trail Blazers should discussing a trade involving Magic backup center Marcin Gortat and Blazers point guard Andre Miller. Berger says Portland is motivated to make a deal:
Miller, with a fully non-guaranteed $ 7.8 million in 2011-12, has off-the-charts trade value — especially for a contender in need of a steadying force at point guard.
Sources continue to tell me that Orlando, which is concerned about not measuring up to Boston and Miami in the East, would be the perfect fit for Miller. The Magic are not going to accept carrying a $ 94 million payroll into the playoffs, only to lose in the conference semifinals — which seems to be their fate as currently constructed.
Berger goes on to say that Miller could be the Magic’s “elixir,” the sort of difference-making point guard who could boost Orlando back to the NBA’s elite. He also reports of Portland GM Rich Cho’s interest in Gortat dating to “his days working as Sam Presti’s right-hand man in Oklahoma City.”
To be clear, Berger does not say explicitly that Orlando and Portland are discussing this trade, but merely that it’s one that’d benefit both parties.
Gortat is arguably the Magic’s best trade chip, as he’s young, on a… Continue reading
Source: Trade Rumor Linking Monta Ellis to the Orlando Magic is False
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Over the weekend, the Golden State Warriors blog Chris Cohan Sucks reported, citing an unnamed source, that the Warriors and the Orlando Magic were close to completing a trade that would send scoring guard Monta Ellis and perhaps center Andris Biedrins to Orlando, with Orlando shipping Vince Carter’s semi-expiring contract, as well as Marcin Gortat, to the Bay Area. Readers of this site sent some Twitter messages my way asking if I had heard anything about the rumor. I hadn’t, but I checked with a trusted source about it.
My source literally laughed the suggestion off, unable to see the appeal for either side.
Golden State, the person said, could get far more in return for Ellis than Carter’s semi-expiring contract. The 25-year-old is averaging 24.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 2.3 steals, to go with 47.4 percent shooting from the field and a respectable 35.6 percent from three-point territory, so far this season. On the Magic’s side, the source said Ellis would not be “a fit.” The latter point, about Orlando’s lack of interest, seems to jibe with Chris Cohan Sucks’ original description of the trade as a “Warriors-end proposal,” which I take to mean Golden State initiated the discussions, if they ever indeed took place.
What the source did confirm, however, is Gortat’s strong value on the trade market, which should come as no surprise: a sought-after commodity in the 2009 free-agency period, Gorat ranks as among… Continue reading
Trade Machine: Lou Williams to the Magic
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We’ve been beating the dead horse that is the Andre Iguodala trade dilemma for the last year, so I’m going to give it a rest until after the upcoming road trip. Instead, I’ve turned my attention to another ill-fitting piece with trade value, Lou Williams.
Lou’s been a solid player during his tenure in Philadelphia, and exceeded all expectations the franchise had for him when they selected him 45th overall in the 2005 draft. Although undersized, he’s an extremely talented scorer and gets to the free throw line at an absurd rate. The problem is – much like Evan Turner and Jrue Holiday – Lou needs the ball in his hands to be effective, and he’s currently blocking Turner from playing and developing.
Another problem with Lou’s fit on the Sixers is, although he’s shooting a respectable 35% from beyond the arch, he doesn’t stretch the floor like a Jodie Meeks or Kyle Korver. He has a relatively slow release and often hesitates when a playmaker sets him up for an open three.
The Sixers have enough guys who need the ball to be effective. What they need are guys who play off the ball, stretch the floor, and are willing to take and make open threes. Lou’s not that guy.
Lou is a fringe starter in the NBA since he’s not a true point guard and too small and defense-less to play shooting guard. His value is maximized when he’s the… Continue reading
Andre Iguodala: Still Want to Trade Him?
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The last time we asked this question on November 14th, the Sixers were a miserable 2-8 and 87% of you voted that it was time. A few days later, when I wondered aloud when that time would be, 39% said “Before New Year’s” and all but 8% said during the season. Andre Iguodala had been nursing his Achilles and his shooting was wildly poor — having only one game at that point where he was over 50% from the floor.
Now, spurred by the insertion of Jodie Meeks, a new haircut for Spencer Hawes, and a relatively soft schedule, the Sixers have won 7 of their last 9, and sit a half-game behind Milwaukee for the 8th seed in the East. MissionBJ, as I examined a few days ago, may have to be put on hold for a team that had a fire lit under them by Doug Collins. While eighth seed in the East gets them a quick trip to the TD Garden and the rest of the summer off, they’re not far away from the Pacers and Knicks at 6/7, which presents a much more manageable matchup with a team like the Bulls. Though I still believe losing out and netting a better draft pick would be better for the team long-term, Doug has his boys playing quality basketball and it doesn’t look like they’re a top 5 lottery team anymore.
BUT, as Jordan foreshadowed… Continue reading
Schmitz: Orlando Magic Trade Partners Calling to Ask about Ryan Anderson, Brandon Bass, Marcin Gortat
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Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel caught up with Orlando Magic President of Basketball Operations Otis Smith recently and learned the three players potential trade partners call to ask the Magic about are power forwards Ryan Anderson and Brandon Bass, along with center Marcin Gortat. “Teams need bigs,” Smith said. Orlando’s mired in a four-game losing streak and may need a roster upgrade to regain its footing, and Schmitz says the Magic should look into dealing Gortat if they “could pick up another scorer or perimeter defender and an inexpensive big man in a deal.”
Anderson fell out of coach Stan Van Gundy’s playing rotation a month ago after a poor 90-second stint starting a game against the Utah Jazz and has yet to return to it, playing only mop-up minutes in blowouts. He had an opportunity to showcase his skills last week, when a stomach virus sidelined four of his teammates, but sprained his right mid-foot. He’s averaging 4.7 points in just 8.6 minutes this year, but has shot 38.5 percent from the floor and 27.3 percent from three-point range.
Bass, a six-year veteran, struggled in his first year with Orlando but has come on in a big way this season. He’s set career-best marks in several important statistical categories, leads the team in True Shooting, and just made his first start of the year Friday night. His value, on the court and as a trade asset,… Continue reading
Five Orlando Magic Trade Targets as Team Continues Losing Skid
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The Orlando Magic have lost three straight games for just the third time in Stan Van Gundy’s tenure as head coach, and given how poorly they’ve played at both ends in each outing, it’s fair to wonder a few things: first, if the team can win a championship as presently constructed. TNT broadcasters Mike Fratello and Steve Kerr discussed this topic at impressive depth and length during Orlando’s disappointing 97-83 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers last night, and I actually found myself starting to agree with Kerr when he asserted that a devastating injury would need to befall the Boston Celtics or Miami Heat for Orlando to escape the Eastern Conference this season. I argued against this point a few months ago, as you may recall.
The second question extends logically from the first: is Magic President of Basketball Operations Otis Smith even inclined to make a change this early in the season? Smith’s reputation as a patient personnel man precedes him, and he’s nothing if not supportive of the team he’s helped build. Yet with the losses mounting, it’s fair to wonder if Orlando’s recent play has him beginning to think about working the phones, looking for help where he can get it.
I’ve come up with some trade targets Orlando might consider. None of these guys is a superstar who can vault the Magic over the top, which may disappoint some of you; I won’t discuss Gilbert Arenas,… Continue reading
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