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Orlando wishing for Lewis and Darko offseason
Topic Started: Jun 26 2007, 07:52 AM (1,395 Views)
gomagic33
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Mr. Anderson
The Magic's move to begin the FA is strange indeed. Even if they have no intention to eventually sign Darko, they should still have contacted him or his agent. He should have been their number 2 call (after Lewis).

There is absolutely no excuse for not doing it.

In the Magic official website http://www.nba.com/magic/news/Magic_Tend_Q...230377-800.html

It mentions that we have in fact offered qualifying offer to Darko.

Which info correct?
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iceveins333
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Rocks blocking shots on guys with dreadlocks
even if we offer darko a deal that he likes he is going to say no to it and make other teams give him a more lucrative contract in the end trying to drive up the magics price by himself, otis might just be waiting to see what kind of offer sheets he is can match those instead of having darkos agent try to use the magic to drive up his price

that being said i think we still probably should have called him, his feelings might be hurt now :lol:
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TheFalcon
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Air Gortat
I agree. Nobody is complaining because we didn't throw a bunch of money at him, people are complaining because we didn't even call him. It definitely wouldn't hurt to call and tell him we want him back, even if we don't have a contract to offer at the moment.
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TheFalcon
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Air Gortat
I'm seeing some speculation, in message boards and other equally non-credible sources, that the Magic may be willing to let Milicic walk if they are able to get both Rashard Lewis and Gerald Wallace.

While it's far from being confirmed, it's an interesting idea. Essentially, we could sign the two of them for the same price as signing Lewis and Darko. Then, hopefully make a move to ship Turkoglu out in exchange for another big man, leaving the Magic with a lineup of...

PG - Nelson/Arroyo
SG - Redick/Dooling (or vice versa)
SF - Wallace/Ariza
PF - Lewis/Battie
C - Howard/(player aquired via trade for Turkoglu)

I didn't include Bogans, Hill, Deiner, Outlaw, Garrity, etc. but they could all play a factor (excluding Garrity) depending on how things shake out.

It would probably make the Magic the most athletic team in the league, it would fit in with Van Gundy's "fast offense, tough defense" system, it would work financially, it preserves the core of the team, it adds veteran leadership without making us "old," and it provides us with outside shooting and versatile offensive players. That lineup would give the Magic shooters, slashers, and dominant low-post players, all on the court at the same time.

And this would help explain why Orlando hasn't contacted Milicic and seems content on waiting for him to show up with another team's offer sheet.
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Magic Buddy
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Legend
The Finish Line on 740the team, the hosts stated that Magic is allowing Darko to see what his market value is since they could match any offer. That is why all the attention is on Rashard Lewis instead of Darko.
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True Magic
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The Franchise
Now that we pretty much have Lewis, I don't mind Darko departing at all to be honest. He's going to want a ton of money and we just dished out a bunch. I'll take a big guy who hustles and plays defense, WITH the addition of Rashard Lewis.
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Black and Blue
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Have You Hugged Your Van Gundy Today?
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I am okay with Darko leaving now that we have Rashard too. We can find someone to fill that backup PF role, possibly Marcin Gortat, and got a proven scorer.

As for the Rashard-Wallace rumors, I think that is going to be super tough to pull off. On top of that, that is a LOT of SFs to have on one team. We already have to unload Turk or Ariza (please let it be Turk)
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Ben Q Rock
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It'll be Turk. Apparently, Otis has told other teams that Dwight and Trevor are absolutely untouchable.
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Black and Blue
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Ben Q Rock
Jul. 3 2007 11:24 AM
It'll be Turk. Apparently, Otis has told other teams that Dwight and Trevor are absolutely untouchable.

I pray that you are right. Otis has said a LOT of things this offseason.

If Turkoglu goes for cap relief or another player, suddenly this is the best offseason I have experienced in a long while.
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True Magic
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The Franchise
I will flip if Ariza goes before Turk.
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Ben Q Rock
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3QC
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Jul. 3 2007 04:34 PM
I will flip if Ariza goes before Turk.

Me too. :@
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The Archduke
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Sixth Man
So, who on this roster do you guys expect we'll lose??

Darko? - I wouldn't have wanted to see that, but if he's the force behind his agent's rants (and I don't truly think he is) then let the headcase go. Try to develop Augustine or Gortat behind Battie.

Battie - if Darko goes, I just can't see Tony going, unless they manage to reel in another PF through a S & T or FA. He's their only other experienced big.

Arroyo - I am probably in the minority, but I think Arroyo is a GOOD backup PG. That said, if the Sonics offer Earl Watson in a S&T deal, I could deal with Boricua leaving.

Dooling - I'm probably the only Magic fan I know that doesn't like this guy. His ties with SVG are the only thing that make me want to keep him around. He took too many silly shots that just destroyed momentum. If he gets dealt, no biggie.

Garrity - I'll miss the days when Pat was killer from beyond the arc. I think it may have only been one season, though. Bye.

Turkoglu - I can say, without reservation, I love Turk. The guy's defense stunk, sure, but he was, at times, the best scorer on the team. That said, I don't think he can be in the plans.

Redick - I might potentially cry. I love the swagger he brings. He could be instant offense. I probably stand alone on this, but I think he has to be in the list of untouchables.

Ariza - See Redick, minus the "instant offense".
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TheFalcon
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The Archduke
Jul. 3 2007 08:45 PM
So, who on this roster do you guys expect we'll lose??

Darko? - I wouldn't have wanted to see that, but if he's the force behind his agent's rants (and I don't truly think he is) then let the headcase go.  Try to develop Augustine or Gortat behind Battie.

Battie - if Darko goes, I just can't see Tony going, unless they manage to reel in another PF through a S & T or FA.  He's their only other experienced big.

Arroyo - I am probably in the minority, but I think Arroyo is a GOOD backup PG.  That said, if the Sonics offer Earl Watson in a S&T deal, I could deal with Boricua leaving.

Dooling - I'm probably the only Magic fan I know that doesn't like this guy.  His ties with SVG are the only thing that make me want to keep him around.  He took too many silly shots that just destroyed momentum.  If he gets dealt, no biggie.

Garrity - I'll miss the days when Pat was killer from beyond the arc.  I think it may have only been one season, though.  Bye.

Turkoglu - I can say, without reservation, I love Turk.  The guy's defense stunk, sure, but he was, at times, the best scorer on the team.  That said, I don't think he can be in the plans.

Redick - I might potentially cry.  I love the swagger he brings.  He could be instant offense.  I probably stand alone on this, but I think he has to be in the list of untouchables.

Ariza - See Redick, minus the "instant offense".

Darko - He's probably gone, and unfortunately for us, it doesn't appear we'll get any sort of compensation.

Battie - I sure hope we don't lose him. I'm a big Battie fan. His hard work and consistency is unparalleled on this team. Without him, our front line begins and ends with Howard.

Arroyo - I completely agree with you. He's a good backup, and I'd be satisfied with him in the same role next year. I think he could play much better under Van Gundy, but if the right deal came up (i.e. Earl Watson), I'd ship him out.

Dooling - I like his energy and his hustle. He likes Van Gundy and Van Gundy likes him. He'd be nice to have around, but if a deal comes up (see above), I'd bid him farewell.

Garrity - If any deal came up, I'd say goodbye.

Turk - A good, but streaky, scorer. With Rashard in town, Turk becomes both overpriced and expendable. I would like to send him out in exchange for some front-line help.

Redick - I wouldn't have a problem adding him to the "untouchable" list. He's too young, too talented, and just too damn cool to be sent packing already. He can be a huge factor in our new revamped offense, and I can't wait to see it.

Ariza - Way too much potentioal to deal away. Also, as our best defensive player, he would be espescially hard to part with. And, if I'm not mistaken, Otis has stated publicly that he is completely off-limits.

For the most part, I agree with your analysis. Stick around Duke - you're a very interesting poster... :yes:

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gomagic33
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Mr. Anderson
ESPN Link

Quote:
 
Go early or go late.

When it comes to free agency, it seems that's the best way to win. Successful teams either jump right in with both feet and make the best offer to the top guy on their list, or hang tight until mid-August and start picking off the leftovers at below-market prices.

Monday, we had a big winner in the "go early" department. Orlando raised eyebrows around the league by agreeing with Rashard Lewis on a max contract that could end up being worth roughly $80 million over five years depending on what the league's new salary cap number is (that figure will be determined July 11).

Here's where it gets really interesting: Not only are the Magic going to pay Lewis the maximum salary, they're also effectively giving up on Darko Milicic to make the deal. The only way the Magic can fit a maximum deal under the salary cap is by renouncing their rights to Milicic, making him an unrestricted free agent.

But first things first. Let's deal with the big questions from this signing one by one and then work our way down to its impacts:

Is Lewis worth the money?

If you accept that winning any bidding war for a free agent involves a certain degree of overpayment, especially for one as coveted as Lewis, the answer seems to be yes. He's played at something approaching an All-Star level the last three seasons, his PER has risen slowly every year he's been in the league, and he's young enough (28 in August) that he should play at this level for a couple more years.

Additionally, the back end of the contract shouldn't get too ugly because players like Lewis tend to age well. His two best assets -- his height and shooting ability -- won't diminish much as he gets older, and clearly he takes care of himself. By the time the contract ends he'll be almost 33 -- a bit troubling, perhaps, but certainly nowhere near the risk involved with older players such as Chauncey Billups and Vince Carter.

Plus, with Billups and Carter intent on re-signing with their respective teams, Lewis was the single best "portable" free agent available. Getting the No. 1 guy rarely fails as a free agent strategy; even if Lewis somehow fails to live up to his Seattle numbers, the Magic still are getting a quality player.

So the Magic might have overpaid a little, but they didn't waste their money. And with Dwight Howard about to sign a huge extension, this was their last shot to play the market for a long time.

Why wasn't he worth it for Seattle?

The Sonics obviously were interested in keeping Lewis, otherwise they wouldn't have flown to Houston this week to woo him. The key here is that Orlando's number was bigger than Seattle's number. With Kevin Durant and Jeff Green already in the fold, Lewis replicated some skills the Sonics already had, so while the Sonics probably would have been OK with something less generous, they weren't going to make a bid in Orlando's range.

And by not maxing out Lewis right now, the Sonics are better poised to add players later. Removing Lewis' cap hold puts Seattle $3.8 million under the salary cap right now, if we assume a $56 million cap for this season (again, the final number won't be known until July 11).

But the big splash is two years down the road. At that point, the expiring deals of Wally Szczerbiak and Chris Wilcox will take roughly $20 million off the Sonics' books. While extensions to Robert Swift and Delonte West are likely to eat up a portion of that, it still leaves Seattle with more than enough dough to chase a superstar in the summer of 2009.

What about a sign-and-trade?

A sign-and-trade deal conceivably could have benefits for all sides. Orlando possibly could unload contracts and make room to keep Milicic. Seattle could gain assets in return for Lewis. And Lewis could get an extra year on his deal and command larger annual raises, though Orlando might balk at the additional risk without a sizable sweetener.

The problem is making it work. Although Seattle and Orlando have eight days to work out a deal, there isn't a great chance of this happening. Seattle reportedly isn't enamored of anyone on the Orlando roster (well, except Howard), so at best it would need to be a three-way deal. Those types of swaps are notoriously complex and difficult to pull off, especially because other teams covet few of Orlando's assets.

What Seattle might find more alluring is the prospect of a trade like Indiana made a year ago with the Hornets when Peja Stojakovic left. That swap gave the Pacers a $7.5 million trade exception that they turned around to acquire Al Harrington. In this case, the Sonics would get a $9.35 million trade exception (again, assuming a final cap number of $56 million) if they took nothing back from Orlando.

But this works only if Seattle can offer Orlando a little something for the trouble -- a draft pick being the most likely bait. And the trade exception might not mean as much to the Sonics as a draft choice at this point in their rebuilding process -- especially because trade exceptions can be difficult to use and expire in 12 months.

What about Darko?

The most interesting question involving the Lewis signing is how it affects Milicic. It appears the Magic will have to renounce his rights to fit Lewis under their salary cap. Considering the Magic sent Detroit a first-round pick for Milicic a year and a half ago, it's surprising that they seem so willing to let him go.

However, they still can make some moves in the coming days to try to squeeze in Darko. The most obvious trade target is Hedo Turkoglu, who has three years remaining on a deal for the full midlevel exception. Turkoglu is a 6-10 small forward who likes to shoot from the corners; as you might have noticed, Lewis is also a 6-10 small forward who likes to shoot from the corners, making Turkoglu utterly redundant.

The other candidate would be Carlos Arroyo, the flashy point guard who fell out of favor in the second half of last season. Because the Magic have two other candidates to back up Jameer Nelson (Keyon Dooling and Travis Diener), it would seem his $4 million per year is highly expendable.

Together, dealing those two players would trim $10 million from the payroll, leaving more than enough space to re-sign Milicic. Finding a taker is the problem. They'd have to be dealt to a team under the cap, or in exchange for players with non-guaranteed contracts (Houston's Bob Sura, who has limited salary protection, is the only substantial one that comes to mind). It probably would cost the Magic a draft pick just to get rid of them, too.

Unfortunately, those teams that are under the cap are the same vultures who will begin circling once Orlando has to renounce its rights to Milicic. So don't expect Memphis or Charlotte to come riding in to save the day here. Those two teams all have obvious needs in the middle and enough cap space to make Milicic a wealthy man.

Additionally, the Magic might not be terribly motivated to keep Milicic in any scenario. As our Chris Sheridan reported earlier this week, Orlando didn't even put in a courtesy call to Darko when free agency opened on July 1.

Does this make Orlando a contender?

Goodness no. The Magic still have a ton of weaknesses to address, most notably a glaring hole in the frontcourt (Howard and Tony Battie are the only viable frontcourt players on the roster right now) and an open spot at shooting guard if one presumes Grant Hill leaves. Much like the Ray Allen deal with Boston, the Magic still need one more big gun to make the Clevelands and Detroits of the world start sweating.

The difference is that Orlando is starting from a much younger base. With Lewis turning 28 next month and Howard a pup at 21, the Magic still have a couple years to get things figured out. This is much less a win-today scenario than it is in Beantown, which is why the deal works out so much better for Orlando.

Additionally, adding Lewis and renouncing Milicic is a clear upgrade. While Milicic's potential is notable, few would ponder a Milicic-for-Lewis trade for long before pulling the trigger.

That's why the deal ends up being a winner from Orlando's end. This team still has plenty of work to do to separate itself from the East's huddled masses, but between the hiring of Stan Van Gundy and the impending signing of Lewis, nobody has had a better start to their offseason than the Magic.

John Hollinger writes for ESPN Insider.


It's a little long, but interesting piece.
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True Magic
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The Franchise
Looks like Darko is a goner anyway, and I'd like to see Turk get shipped out.
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