Official 2009-2010 NBA Thread

[DBAHO]

Ha maybe that's why David Kahn took Johnny Flynn;

 

Ricky Rubio doesn't sound too excited about being drafted by the Timberwolves, moving to a cold-climate city, or by the fact they drafted another point guard just after taking the Spanish sensation.

 

After saying he and his mother dislike cold weather, Rubio said he was unsure about playing in the NBA this season. "I don't know yet," he said. "I have to think about that," while his father told media outlets that he would likely stay overseas for another year or two. David Kahn said he has no intention of trading Rubio, but it looks like there's a good chance they could be forced to, as Minnesota was clearly not on the list of teams he, and agent Dan Fegan, wanted to sign with.

 

Could be very interesting going forward.

[Kyyle23]

http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/orlando-guts...rter-o-no-24670

 

One of the most remarkable aspects of this year’s Orlando-Los Angeles NBA Finals wasn’t that it only took five games for the Lakers to dispathc the Magic, but how very close Orlando was to having their own 3-1 lead going into Game 5. Twice, Orlando had shots to win a game before it went into overtime. Twice, the shots missed, and twice, the Lakers prevailed in OT. Not bad for a team that was given utterly no shot to so much as make the Finals, much less win the whole thing.

 

So considering the bevy of mostly-young talent in place in Orlando, it seemed like the only thing the Magic really needed to do was get back Hedo Turkoglu (who was absolutely indispensable in the playoffs), then keep the rest of the nucleus together and let them continue to improve. Turkoglu’s an unrestricted free agent, so that means throwing money at him, but considering his performance and how well he complements the team, a good offer seems like a foregone conclusion.

 

Wait, what’s that? Do you hear something? Good lord… it’s the EPIC FAIL FAIRY! And she’s bringing good news!

 

Okay, it’s actually Adrian Wojnarowski of YAHOO! SPORTS, who is in no way fairylike, but this sounds like a truly horrendous trade:

 

The New Jersey Nets have agreed in principal to send Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson to the Orlando Magic for Rafer Alston, Tony Battie and Courtney Lee, two league executives told Yahoo! Sports.

 

Sweet bearded Moses, that’s awful. Here was Orlando’s relevant lineup last year:

 

PG: Jameer Nelson, Alston

SG: Lee, J.J. Redick

SF: Rashard Lewis

“PF”: Turkoglu (usually the second-biggest guy on the floor, but in no way a true power forward), Battie

C: Dwight Howard, Marcin Gortat

 

Now, if Gortat runs off to the Knicks, who are going to throw a lot more money and playing time at him than Orlando’s planning to, and if Turkoglu sees his role effectively replaced by Carter and goes elsewhere, here’s the new Magic lineup:

 

PG: Nelson

SG: Redick

SF: Carter (if he’s healthy and motivated, which is practically never), Lewis

PF: Unicorns, Wishes

C: Howard, Anderson

 

Yes, they’ll have cap room to make some replacements and there’s no law that says Carter and Lewis can’t be on the floor at the same time, of course, but that’s a vastly weaker team, and we don’t see where the big splash of a free agent signing is coming from.

 

Meanwhile, the Nets have a truly sick backcourt of Alston, Lee, and Devin Harris, and their plans to draft Terrence Williams with the 11th pick should bolster their scoring even further. Honestly, do you really pick Orlando over New Jersey after this deal?

 

Orlando, guys, you were so close to the championship… why blow up the framework of the team like this in order to make room for “Vinsanity”? It’s not 1998, you know. He’s just a chucker, just Rashard Lewis with less motivation or spring in his step. Good lord.

[Balta1701]

I'm real worried that Portland and Sacramento are going to offer him $10M a season, and if they do, I don't think we'll match.

I'll be shocked if Sacto is spending money this offseason. Absolutely shocked.

[DBAHO]

Gortat wasn't likely to be re-signed even if we didn't trade for VC.

 

The Magic can also start Mickael Pietrus if Hedo bolts (which I don't think he will).

 

I can tell you now that J.J Redick certainly won't be starting, so that's a poorly written piece to begin with.

[DBAHO]

I'll be shocked if Sacto is spending money this offseason. Absolutely shocked.

Hedo's basically Geoff Petrie's favorite player in the league though.

 

If they were going to spend money on anyone this off-season, my guess is that it would be him.

 

I hope Portland does a sign a trade for David Lee so that takes them out of the race.

[DBAHO]

Although reading this from the Orlando Sentinel doesn't make me confident bout Hedo;

 

The Orlando Magic's blockbuster formula for winning the NBA Finals now involves shooting guard Vince Carter as the go-to-guy and very likely not small forward Hedo Turkoglu, who probably will move on after turning down an offer from the club.

 

Magic General Manager Otis Smith told the Sentinel that he made Turkoglu a "decent" initial offer before receiving Turkoglu's official letter this week notifying the team he had opted out of his contract.

 

Smith didn't go into details, but said that Thursday's acquisition of Carter — an eight-time all-star — will make re-signing Turkoglu something of a long-shot.

 

"It would be hard," Smith said.

 

Carter, 32, is two years older than Turkoglu, who can be courted by teams as a free agent beginning July 1.

 

The Magic believe Carter is an upgrade over Turkoglu as a one-on-one player who can create his own shot, any time, any where, especially at the end of games.

 

They traded starting shooting guard Courtney Lee, point guard Rafer Alston and power forward Tony Battie to the New Jersey Nets for Carter and power forward Ryan Anderson, a rookie like Lee.

 

The Magic will have a distinctively different look next season, changing starters at shooting guard and (probably) small forward.

 

Smith said the gap in salaries between Carter ($16.3 million) and the rest of the players involved in the deal was bridged by a $3.2 million trade exception that the Magic secured in a sign-and-trade deal that sent point guard Keyon Dooling to the Nets last summer.

 

Smith said giving up Lee, a promising rookie, held up the trade a various times. "That was a big hang-up," Smith said. But the Magic were also enthralled with getting the 6-10 Anderson in the deal because center Marcin Gortat — who the Magic made a qualifying offer June 15 — will become a restricted free agent.

 

"This was a whirlwind day for us,' Smith said. "We were trying to figure out a way to get our team better and keep us in the hunt for a title."

 

Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy called the move a "statement to our players" that management was intent on winning a championship, not just paying lip service.

 

Carter, who attended Daytona Beach Mainland High School and has owned a house in Isleworth, said the trade was a dream come true but also a shock. He was teaching at his basketball camp in Orlando when the news broke.

 

"This is a wonderful opportunity for me," he said. "When I found out I got traded I was like OK, great. Then I said, 'OK, where?' And they told me 'back home,' which is a dream come true. I am excited, proud and just ready to represent my hometown well."

 

Carter said he just hoped to "fit in" and "help a great team go further."

 

The Magic made a surprise run at the title this season, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals, but Smith said the club was determined to do everything possible to win the trophy.

 

With only eight players on the roster — including Turkoglu — they almost certainly will now go into the punitive luxury tax to sign more players, specifically another big man. Teams must pay a dollar-for-dollar amount if they go into the tax, whose threshold this season is expected to be about $69 million.

 

Team President Bob Vander Weide said the club's payroll would be likely about $75 million, meaning the team will be taxed anywhere from $5 million to $7 million, and it could rise to as much as $10 million in the next few years. Vander Weide said the franchise's new arena, expected to open in 2010, will generate enough extra revenue to allow them to venture into the tax.

 

The Magic could have signed and traded Turkoglu to receive some compensation, but his opting out now makes that process difficult.

 

Lon Babby, Turkoglu's agent, confirmed that the Magic made an initial proposal to Turkoglu, adding that Smith characterized it as a "jumping off point."

 

Babby said Turkoglu will evaluate the free-agent market and continue talking with the Magic.

[Balta1701]

Hedo's basically Geoff Petrie's favorite player in the league though.

 

If they were going to spend money on anyone this off-season, my guess is that it would be him.

 

I hope Portland does a sign a trade for David Lee so that takes them out of the race.

When the Maloof brothers are flying coach to try to get by...they don't have the money to spend right now. That's just how it is.

[DBAHO]

When the Maloof brothers are flying coach to try to get by...they don't have the money to spend right now. That's just how it is.

Well I certainly hope so.

 

I don't know which other teams out there would make a run at Hedo who have cap room.

 

He won't go to the Grizzlies because they suck.

 

He won't go to the Thunder because they have 2 very similar players in Green and Durant.

 

Phoenix may have some cap room now after the Shaq trade and if they trade Amare, but the owner Sarver is very much like the Maloof's and cutting payroll.

 

 

[MHizzle85]

But I also love the Shaq trade as a Magic fan. Why? Because I don't see him and LeBron co-existing for a whole season because their ego's are too damn big. This deal could blow up real big time for them.

Shaq knows who the man is on this team. He's there strictly to get another title. More importantly, one more than Kobe.

[DBAHO]

Shaq knows who the man is on this team. He's there strictly to get another title. More importantly, one more than Kobe.

That wasn't the case in Phoenix.

 

I see Shaq complaning that he's not getting the ball enough down low about 20-30 games in.

[SoxFan1]

That wasn't the case in Phoenix.

 

I see Shaq complaning that he's not getting the ball enough down low about 20-30 games in.

And he'll probably have a great point. Who's going to stop Shaq down low?

 

[rangercal]

The way I look at it is this;

 

1 - SVG plays his starters 35 mins a night anyways, so he doesn't need a big bench. Plus we have Pietrus and J.J Redick to back up at 2-3 spots.

2 - With Anthony Johnson exercising his player option, we have our backup PG. So Alston wasn't needed, and he's a bit of a cancer and not good enough of a shooter for my liking (I was pretty critical of him in the playoffs).

3 - Losing Lee hurts because he's the first draft pick the Magic have hit on since Howard. But his upside is probably only as a solid player who can average around 15PPG.

4 - With the Cavs acquiring Shaq, Otis Smith felt he had to make this move.

5 - Anderson gives you a nice young SF/PF who can space the floor.

 

But having a slasher who can create his own shot will be nice.

 

However, this deal rides on us being able to re-sign Hedo. I don't care how far into the luxury tax you go, if you can't re-sign Hedo, this deal isn't worth it, because you've given up 4 guys for him.

 

I'm real worried that Portland and Sacramento are going to offer him $10M a season, and if they do, I don't think we'll match.

 

But I also love the Shaq trade as a Magic fan. Why? Because I don't see him and LeBron co-existing for a whole season because their ego's are too damn big. This deal could blow up real big time for them.

 

But I also love what the Wizards did getting Foye and Miller for the 5th. With those 2 and getting Arenas back, that should be a playoff team.

 

So the East just got a whole lot deeper and harder.

The Bulls may not make the playoffs next season when it's all said and done.

 

How about a sig bet?

[nitetrain8601]

Bulls will definitely make the playoffs. The Magic were willing to go 8 million a year for Hedo. He didn't think it was fair. Good luck finding a better deal considering the salary cap is going down, and there are other FA's out there. If I'm the Magic, I sign a Rasheed Wallace or Antonio McDyess for the MLE. Also re-sign Gortat. Smith has gone on record saying it doesn't look like Hedo will be back. Carter is much better than him anyway, and he's actually been pretty healthy. VC was one of 3 players to average 20/5/5 last year which is saying something. He's a very underrated player not as well as a very underrated shooter. Very nice pickup for the Magic.

[Balta1701]

Sheed would be an excellent fit there if he could get along with Van Gundy.

[nitetrain8601]

http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/orlando-guts...rter-o-no-24670

 

Godawful article. Lewis would start at the 4. Magic fans, correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't he the one who usually started at the 4 anyway with Hedo at the 3? Regardless, Magic could shift their lineups around.

 

PG - Nelson/Johnson

SG - Pietrus/VC/Reddick

SF - VC/Lewis

PF - Lewis/Gortat/FA?

C - Howard/FA

 

Honestly, they're just as flexible if not more flexible with a guy who can create his own shot without a problem.

[Kyyle23]

I think it is a hilarious article more than anything. I still think the Magic are going to be very disappointed in Carter and have to watch Courtney Lee become an even better player in NJ

[nitetrain8601]

I think it is a hilarious article more than anything. I still think the Magic are going to be very disappointed in Carter and have to watch Courtney Lee become an even better player in NJ

 

I don't think they will. For the first time in his career, he's on a legit contending squad. Ever since he hit New Jersey though, he's been a very underrated player. The one thing I don't like about him is that he's getting to be more and more of a jump shooter which fits right in with Orlando. I wish he would just drive with reckless abandon like he used to, but he is older now.

[MHizzle85]

That wasn't the case in Phoenix.

 

I see Shaq complaning that he's not getting the ball enough down low about 20-30 games in.

That Phoenix trade was stupid from the jump, he never fit their offense.

 

In other news, Ricky Rubio appears to be staying in Spain. Looks like Minnesota knew what they were doing when they took 2 point guards.

[Steve9347]

I think it is a hilarious article more than anything. I still think the Magic are going to be very disappointed in Carter and have to watch Courtney Lee become an even better player in NJ

Dude, Vinsanity was awesome last year. I think they will be extremely happy with him.

[knightni]

http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/orlando-guts...rter-o-no-24670

Orlando's power forward is "Magically delicious", eh?

[knightni]

That Phoenix trade was stupid from the jump, he never fit their offense.

 

In other news, Ricky Rubio appears to be staying in Spain. Looks like Minnesota knew what they were doing when they took 2 point guards.

Trade him to Houston for future picks.

[rangercal]

I wish the NBA could somehow set an example of Rubio. Ban him from the league and give Min a Comp pick next year. This is bulls***.

[MHizzle85]

Trade him to Houston for future picks.

I wouldn't be surprised to see New York try & get in on him.

[rangercal]

I wouldn't be surprised to see New York try & get in on him.

 

I would think it would take either Jordan Hill, David Lee or Danilo Gallinari and Nate Robinson as a throw in.

 

I look at that roster and do not see anything else that is really worth a damn.

Edited June 26, 2009 by rangercal

[T R U]

I wish the NBA could somehow set an example of Rubio. Ban him from the league and give Min a Comp pick next year. This is bulls***.

 

How is that fair and how is this bulls***?

 

There is no law that says if you are drafted you HAVE to play for that team. Rubio doesn't want to play for Minnesota, so hes staying in Spain. I think Minnesota should have done some better research if you ask me and this is their own problem.