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Happy trails, Hedo.

So long, Turk.

Farewell, Hedo Turkoglu — one of the greatest and most beloved players in Orlando Magic history.

Amid the ongoing "Vinsanity" of the Magic trading for Vince Carter and the accompanying hype and hoopla of bringing in one of the NBA's most electrifying players, can we take just a few minutes today to give H-Turk the goodbye and Godspeed he deserves?

I know, the free-agency period just started at midnight Tuesday and it's not yet official that Turk will sign with another team. I read the article where Magic General Manager Otis Smith hasn't completely shut the door on bringing back Turk. I even spoke with Turk's agent, Lon Babby, who also left the door cracked when he said, "I'm not ready to talk about Hedo and the Magic in the past tense."

Come on, can we stop kidding ourselves? The chances of Turk re-signing with the Magic are about the same as Bernie Madoff getting elected banker for the Monopoly tournament during board-game night at the federal pen.

Let's face it, when Smith pulled off the trade for Vince Carter, Turk immediately became expendable. Yes, we could continue the endless debate whether the Magic — who were within a missed layup and a missed free throw of perhaps beating the Lakers in the NBA Finals — should let their second-most important player walk away after the greatest season in franchise history (I would have taken a pass on Carter, re-signed Turk, tweaked the roster and taken my chances). But what's the point? The Carter trade is done, and who really can argue with Smith's personnel moves in recent years?

This column is not meant to criticize Smith but to celebrate Turk — a player who always will occupy a prominent place in Magic lore.

You know what's strange and wonderful? The eerie silence that is accompanying Turkoglu's likely departure. There is no real fan outrage — at least not any I have sensed. And isn't that a nice change?

Too many times in recent years — from Shaq to T-Mac to Grant Hill — there has been bitterness and animosity when the Magic break up with one of their stars. Magic fans almost always end their love affairs feeling like Mia Farrow after Woody Allen dumped her to marry her daughter.

It's different with Turk, who is being cheered instead of booed on his way out of town. When Turk leaves, there will be a soft spot in Magic hearts instead of a gaping hole.

Maybe this is because Magic fans know Turk doesn't really want to leave; it's just part of the business of sports. There's nobody to blame. As a 30-year-old veteran, Turk wants to make as much money as he can for as long as he can. As financially astute business people, the Magic front office wants to pay a 30-year-old veteran as little as possible for as briefly as possible.

Sadly, there is no room for loyalty in professional sports. Just ask the New England Patriots or the Pittsburgh Steelers, who commonly and coldly let go of star veterans when they feel a lucrative, long-term deal is not beneficial to the overall health of the franchise.

Nobody owes anybody anything here. The Magic and Coach Stan Van Gundy helped Turkoglu become the elite player he has become. And Turkoglu helped the Magic become the elite franchise they have become.

Time now to say goodbye and good luck to Hedo Turkoglu.

Thanks, Turk, for never quitting on the team or second-guessing the coach.

Thanks for never being a cancer during the bad times or a prima donna during the good ones.

Thanks for never cursing a reporter or kicking a photographer.

Thanks for the buzzer-beating 3s and the dribble-drives among the trees.

Thanks for always embracing the fans and never disgracing the franchise.

Thanks, most of all, for displaying grace on the court and class off of it.

Mike Bianchi's Open Mike blog can be read at OrlandoSentinel.com/openmike, and his radio show can be heard every weekday from 9-11 a.m. on 1080 AM.

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Free agent Hedo Turkoglu(notes) has backed out of his commitment to the Portland Trail Blazers and could be signing with the Toronto Raptors, a source close to the talks told Yahoo! Sports on Friday night.

Turkoglu had agreed on a five-year, $50 million deal with the Blazers, but changed his mind and could be headed for a five-year, $56 million deal with the Raptors. Toronto would have to renounce three free agents – Shawn Marion(notes), Carlos Delfino(notes) and Anthony Parker(notes) – to create the cap space for Turkoglu.

Apparently, the Blazers are already busy exploring other free-agent options for the $9 million in salary-cap space.

Five years ago, Turkoglu was close to signing with the Phoenix Suns that now-Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo was running, but changed his mind and went to the Orlando Magic.

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An already crazy free agent period in the NBA got downright bizarre on Friday, with the supposed sure deal between Orlando free agent forward Hedo Turkoglu and the Portland Trail Blazers falling apart late in the afternoon, and the veteran, late Friday evening, making a verbal commitment to the Toronto Raptors on a five-year deal that will pay him in excess of $60 million, according to league sources.

Turkoglu's change of heart--he was in Portland Thursday and Friday, meeting with team officials along with his agent, Lon Babby--came after the Raptors decided to do what they had been reluctant to do until then--renounce their rights to several of their own free agents, including forward Shawn Marion and guards Anthony Parker and Carlos Delfino, in order to create the more than $10 million in cap room necessary to make a superior offer to Portland's.

A league source divulged late Friday that Portland's offer to Turkoglu was actually $57 million over five years, not the $50 million that has been reported. But by deciding to renounce their rights to the free agents, the Raptors can give Turkoglu a deal averaging more than $12 million annually. They only have a little more than $48 million committed for next season, including the first-year salary of rookie swingman DeMar DeRozan, taken ninth overall.

The final amount of the deal won't be known until the league officially sets the salary cap figure for the 2009-10 season. The cap is expected to drop from its current $58.7 million, though perhaps not as much as teams had initially feared. A source with knowledge of the auditing process currently underway between the league and the Players' Association that will determine next year's cap figure said this week that the cap make fall by less than $1 million.

Earlier Friday, ESPN.com reported that Turkoglu had reached verbal agreement on a deal with the Blazers, and numerous other media outlets reported the same thing within minutes. But a Portland team official cautioned TNT's David Aldridge later in the day that a deal was not yet done, and after several hours of discussions between the team, Turkoglu and Babby left the Blazers' facility. Within a couple of hours, Turkoglu had committed to Toronto.

In the end, Turkoglu, who spent the last two days in Portland, seemingly with every intention of agreeing to terms on a deal, simply changed his mind, deciding that he and his family would be more comfortable in Toronto, with its international makeup and large Turkish population. When the Blazers realized that Toronto had a superior offer on the table, they didn't try to change Turkoglu's mind, disappointed that Turkoglu didn't want to take a little less money in order to play with a better team.

"He won't be coming" to Portland, a league source said late Friday, closing all doors to a potential revisiting of the issue after the Fourth of July weekend. The Raptors looked into keeping Delfino, the guard who left Toronto last summer to sign a lucrative deal with a Russian team. But Delfino wants to come back to the NBA, and Toronto had a strong interest in bringing him back; he was considered a key part of the team's attempt to bring more talent to surround All-Star forward Chris Bosh. Bosh can terminate the last year of his contract next summer and become an unrestricted free agent. But Delfino had to go, too, though a source indicated late Friday that the Raptors may explore a sign-and-trade deal with Orlando that would send Delfino to the Magic.

Before Turkoglu's change of heart, numerous league sources believed early Friday afternoon that the Raptors had reached an agreement on a three-year extension worth $24 million with Marion, who was acquired from Miami in February in a package for forward Jermaine O'Neal. But a Raptors source categorically denied that Friday afternoon.

The Blazers had cleared a little more than $8 million in cap space to sign Turkoglu, whose veteran presence and outstanding playoff performance for Orlando this year was exactly what Portland management thought could most help its core of young, talented--but inexperienced--players. The Blazers made the postseason this year for the first time in six years, falling in the first round to Houston. But their future is bright, with All-Star guard Brandon Roy, forward LaMarcus Aldridge and center Greg Oden all under 25.

Now, Portland will have to go in a different direction. The Blazers could, potentially, become players for another multiple-use forward like the Lakers' Lamar Odom, who has been expected to ultimately re-sign in Los Angeles. Or they could try to sign one of several veteran free agent point guards, from Dallas' Jason Kidd--whom Portland has long coveted--Philadelphia's Andre Miller or Atlanta's Mike Bibby. Bibby was, according to league sources, close to re-signing with Atlanta on Friday, and Kidd was taking the weekend to decide between three-year offers from the Mavericks and the Knicks, with Dallas in the driver's seat.

However, the Blazers feel that consistent perimeter shooting is a must for whomever they add, which would eliminate all the point guards other than Bibby, and make Odom less of a fit. That was why they quickly zeroed in on Turkoglu, a career 38.5 percent shooter from three-point range who shot almost 39 percent behind the arc in this year's postseason. Almost none of the remaining significant free agents available are great shooters; among the better ones is Denver forward Linas Kleiza--whom, ironically, Toronto has been working hard on signing.

Turkoglu opted out of the final year of his six-year, $36 million deal with the Magic, which would have paid him $7.34 million in 2009, after the Finals. While the Magic said it would pay luxury tax in order to keep the team together, Turkoglu's desire for $10 million annually was far too much for Orlando to bear, and the Magic quickly went to work, acquiring Vince Carter from the Nets on draft day. Carter's remaining three years and $51.9 million in salary precluded any hope of a Turkoglu re-signing in Orlando.

Signed by Orlando as a free agent in 2004, Turkoglu had gradually assumed a leadership role on the Magic, winning the league's Most Improved Player award last season. This past season, he averaged 16.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists, and after Jameer Nelson was lost for four months with a shoulder injury, Turkoglu assumed much more command of the ball. Down the stretch of games, it was Turkoglu who ran screen-and-roll plays with Dwight Howard, either taking last-second shots himself or creating for others.

He hit the game-winning against the 76ers in the first round, in the key Game 4, with Orlando down two games to one. Against Cleveland in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, he temporarily gave the Magic a lead with one second left after hitting a jumper, only to see LeBron James knock in a three-pointer at the buzzer. He had more good moments against the Lakers in the Finals.

Along with possibly losing Turkoglu, the Magic may lose backup center Marcin Gortat, who has agreed to an offer sheet with the Dallas Mavericks. The sheet can't officially be delivered until next week, and Orlando would have seven days to match it upon receipt. But general manager Otis Smith told the Orlando Sentinel Friday that he did not think he'd be inclined to match an offer to Gortat for the full mid-level exception.

Sori4Mvp

Jul 4 2009, 02:07 AM

Not worth it, glad we traded for VC.

Venom

Jul 5 2009, 03:30 PM

Sori4Mvp

Jul 4 2009, 02:07 AM

Not worth it, glad we traded for VC.

Stop it.

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Hedo Turkoglu was three wins away from securing a championship ring less than one month ago.

Now, he's headed to a team that won only 33 games last season. A team that is in jeopardy of losing their franchise player, Chris Bosh, one year from now. A team that has failed to win a playoff series since 2001.

On Friday, Turkoglu agreed to terms with the Toronto Raptors, a move he will surely regret at some point over the next five years. Trading away the chance to play alongside four potential All-Stars and contend for the rest of his career, Turkoglu took Toronto's offer of $53 million over five years and ran with it.

But was the extra $8 million dollars really worth it?

When you factor in that the state of Florida has no income tax, plus all of the excess money that players make in the playoffs and Finals, the financial differences between the Raptors' contract and Orlando's $45 million offer are next to nothing.

But the same cannot be said for what Turkoglu is leaving behind. Things like friendships, most notably with Dwight Howard. The familiarity that comes with being on the same team, in the same city, with many of the same players for five years. The fan base that supported Turkoglu for so long, through the good times and bad. The $2 million home that Turkoglu owns in Isleworth.

But most importantly, the chance to compete for a title.

The addition of Turkoglu may give the Raptors a versatile scorer that can contribute right away, but outside of Bosh, the team still has many holes that could grow even larger with Shawn Marion and Anthony Parker likely on their way out. If Bosh does indeed leave next summer as reports indicate, Turkoglu will be forced to spend the next five years of his career, and prime, with a perennial cellar dweller.

At least Portland made sense.

Like Orlando a year or two ago, they are an up-and-coming team that can contend in the near future. But Toronto? Clearly money is Turkoglu's priority, and it's a shame because many never expected it out of him.

Sure, he wanted to get his big payday and that's understandable. But leaving Orlando for an extra one or two million dollars? It just doesn't make sense.

While Turkoglu may regret signing with Toronto, the Raptors may look back on this acquisition years from now and wince as well. In Orlando, Turkoglu was an excellent scorer, there's no doubt about that. He expanded his game and hit the big shots that helped the Magic be successful.

But how much of his success was a result of the system he played in? Prior to the Rashard Lewis signing, Turkoglu was a role player in Orlando. It wasn't until he was surrounded by other stars, Lewis and Howard, that he was able to step his game up. It wasn't until Stan Van Gundy's offense spread the defense and allowed him to shoot first and ask questions later. It wasn't until the pick-and-roll became a constant in Orlando's offense. In Toronto, will he be the same player without all of these things?

He is coming off of a season that could be best described as inconsistent. One night, he was the Magic's best scorer and passer on his way to a triple double. The next night, he would disappear. His best season was in 2007 -- he averaged 19.5 points and 5.0 assists per game -- and came when he wasn't expected to dominate the ball or be the main option offensively.

If Toronto is paying Turkoglu nearly eleven million dollars each year, won't they expect his averages to increase as well as his role in the offense? Other players making around the same amount include Chauncey Billups, Carlos Boozer, and Steve Nash. Would their respective teams be satisfied if they couldn't rely on them to dominate each and every night?

Toronto may question the large contract and production they receive from the Turkoglu, but nothing tops the regret Hedo will feel for leaving Orlando and throwing away any chance he had at a ring. If during the next five years Orlando is playing into June, he will be stuck watching his former teammates from home in Toronto.

But hey, at least he'll be able to afford a really nice television.

Sori4Mvp

Jul 5 2009, 07:01 PM

Turk peaked two years ago when he averaged around 19.5 points per game and his FG percentage from outside the arc and overall were at career bests pretty much. This year he was back to normal, points were down percentages were down overall. Turk can take a ton of bad shots and make careless plays with the ball. I think overall we are getting what we lacked in a true go to scorer who can create shots for himself as well as others. Don't get me wrong, Turk could handle the ball well and run the offense well at times, but he could also do a lot of stupid things with the ball and I thought was a big cause of some of our collapses when we had big leagues.

VC is an upgrade over Turk, no question in my mind. We were losing Turk anyway, we weren't going to go that deep into the luxury tax to sign Turk, he obviously went to the highest bidder as he could have went to a better team in Portland and choose to go after a little bit more money.

Venom

Jul 5 2009, 09:15 PM

Sori4Mvp

Jul 5 2009, 07:01 PM

Turk peaked two years ago when he averaged around 19.5 points per game and his FG percentage from outside the arc and overall were at career bests pretty much. This year he was back to normal, points were down percentages were down overall. Turk can take a ton of bad shots and make careless plays with the ball. I think overall we are getting what we lacked in a true go to scorer who can create shots for himself as well as others. Don't get me wrong, Turk could handle the ball well and run the offense well at times, but he could also do a lot of stupid things with the ball and I thought was a big cause of some of our collapses when we had big leagues.

VC is an upgrade over Turk, no question in my mind. We were losing Turk anyway, we weren't going to go that deep into the luxury tax to sign Turk, he obviously went to the highest bidder as he could have went to a better team in Portland and choose to go after a little bit more money.

:sunshine:

moomoo24

Jul 6 2009, 10:34 AM

Playing Lewis at the 4 is also what helped Orlando beat Cleveland because they didn't have two guys that could cover both Hedo and Lewis. With Boston signing Rasheed Wallace and possibly Grant Hill and the Cavs trading for Shaq I think the Magic have taken a slight step back in the East.

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The Toronto Raptors and Dallas Mavericks agreed in principle Wednesday night to a complicated four-team sign-and-trade deal including the Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic that will land Shawn Marion in Dallas and Hedo Turkoglu in Toronto, sources close to the process told ESPN.com.

The teams have scheduled a trade call for Thursday.


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The Raptors and Magic agreed to handle Turkoglu as a sign-and-trade for two reasons. First it allowed the Magic to acquire a significant $8 million plus trade exception. Second, it allowed the Raptors to retain their mid-level exception. The Raptors are now free to spend their full mid-level on another free agent.

Several other players including the Raptors' Kris Humphries and Quincy Douby, the Mavericks' Jerry Stackhouse, Devean George and Antoine Wright and the Grizzlies' Greg Buckner are part of the trade according to sources. The Grizzlies will be getting Stackhouse, Douby and cash, sources said. George and Wright will end up in Toronto, according to the same sources. Humphries and Buckner are on their way to Dallas.

Including Humphries, Wright and George in the deal gave the Raptors the financial incentive to do the sign-and-trade. Both George and Wright are in the last year of their contracts. Humphries has two years left on his current deal. In addition, the Raptors are in need of a two guard with the departure of Anthony Parker to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Adding Wright to the mix gives them a credible starter until rookie DeMar DeRozan is ready to contribute.

Dallas is hoping that the combination of Marion and Orlando restricted free agent Marcin Gortat -- along with the re-signing of Jason Kidd -- would greatly improve the depth and flexibility possessed by a team that won 50 games last season and advanced to the second round of the playoffs before losing to Denver.

Mavs owner Mark Cuban has said for months that he was prepared to be as aggressive as possible this summer as opposed to waiting for the free-agent bonanza of 2010, when Dallas was initially expected to have substantial cap space. Orlando retains the right to match any offer sheet to Gortat but the Magic are widely expected not to match.

Sources say that the Mavericks, meanwhile, are determined to keep Josh Howard even if a trade for Marion can be worked out, with Howard entering the final year of his contract. One potential drawback for Dallas is the fact that Marion would be yet another key member of their core over the age of 30, joining Nowitzki (31), Kidd (36), Jason Terry (31) and Howard (who turns 30 next April).

Sources say the Mavericks' plan is to play Marion at the three and move Howard to the two. The Mavs will also sport other looks with Howard at the three, Marion at the four and Nowitzki at the five.

Marion earned $17.8 million last season and was traded for the second straight February when Miami sent him to Toronto in a swap for Jermaine O'Neal. He went from Phoenix to Miami one year earlier in the Shaquille O'Neal trade.

The Raptors were intent on re-signing Marion if they couldn't win the Turkoglu sweepstakes, seeing late-season signs of promise in Marion's collaboration alongside Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani. Sources say that the Cavaliers, despite their recent pursuits of Trevor Ariza and Ron Artest and a well-chronicled need for a combo forward, were not making a hard push for Marion.

Sori4Mvp

Jul 9 2009, 01:47 AM

Magic do end up working out a sign and trade with Toronto for Turkoglu. This is a big one in my mind for the Magic. We are willing to go into the tax if need be and we just got a 10 million dollar trade exemption for Hedo. Now if need be during the offseason or at the deadline next year can take on more salary then we are giving back (10 million worth) Maybe we can search for our Power Forward that way, word is the Jazz would LOVE to trade Carlos Boozer. Hmmm....

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Another major multiteam trade might be looming in the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls having discussed a deal that would be headlined by Carlos Boozer and Kirk Hinrich, according to NBA front-office sources.

Sources stressed to ESPN.com that no deal was imminent Thursday and that both Portland and Utah are still evaluating multiple trade scenarios. But two sources with knowledge of the three-team proposal confirmed that there have been substantive talks regarding a trade that would land Boozer in Chicago, Hinrich in Portland and Tyrus Thomas in Utah.

moomoo24

Jul 9 2009, 10:56 AM

The Boozer for Rip Hamilton rumors are interesting. I think that works for both teams and would put the Pistons back in the discussion for the East.

Unfortunately Vin, I think the Magic took a step back this offseason. I don't see Vince Carter being significantly better than Hedo and Courtney Lee. Otis Smith could still have a move in mind but if Gortat goes too I think Orlando would be hard pressed to beat Cleveland and a healthy Boston.

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While the Jazz continue to shop Boozer, a high-ranking Bulls source remains unmoved in saying Chicago isn't in discussions about a deal.