Official Speculation & Free Agency Thread (Pt X, Mods close)

[Magic12ball]

Shawn Kemp on coke I could deal with as a fan. It was Shawn Kemp on cholesterol that pissed me off.

[Nemesis21]

Shawn Kemp on coke I could deal with as a fan. It was Shawn Kemp on cholesterol that pissed me off.

[JBSouthpaw]

K Mart signed with the Clippers.

I grew up in Central Florida (Melbourne) and have been and will be a Magic fan for life, but now that I am in LA I find myself really enjoying Clipper basketball. Other then the game they lost last night (due mostly to the schedule) they are looking tremendous, and now with K Mart they no longer have to play Solomon Jones and Reggie Evans extended minutes. Watch out for this team. Del Negro doesn't know what he's doing, but Chris Paul and Billups pretty much coach the team. God would I love to see the Cips send Blake and DJ to Orlando for Howard. No way they go for it, Griffin is an animal with a much higher ceiling the Dwight. He is the reincarnation of Sean Kemp.......without the coke problem

Not too sure about that. Just look at the guy the Clips just signed. K-Mart had springs just like Griffin..... 2 leg injuries latter - Griffin better learn to get a Jump shot like K-mart did. Did you see the fall Blake took last night??

[PeePee la Fritz]

K Mart signed with the Clippers.

I grew up in Central Florida (Melbourne) and have been and will be a Magic fan for life, but now that I am in LA I find myself really enjoying Clipper basketball. Other then the game they lost last night (due mostly to the schedule) they are looking tremendous, and now with K Mart they no longer have to play Solomon Jones and Reggie Evans extended minutes. Watch out for this team. Del Negro doesn't know what he's doing, but Chris Paul and Billups pretty much coach the team. God would I love to see the Cips send Blake and DJ to Orlando for Howard. No way they go for it, Griffin is an animal with a much higher ceiling the Dwight. He is the reincarnation of Sean Kemp.......without the coke problem

Not too sure about that. Just look at the guy the Clips just signed. K-Mart had springs just like Griffin..... 2 leg injuries latter - Griffin better learn to get a Jump shot like K-mart did. Did you see the fall Blake took last night??

Ya, It's crazy how high he gets. You half close your eyes every time he gets fouled mid dunk attempt. He has started taking a lot more jump shots, he is nowhere near consistent, and he releases his shot on the way down. But its something he is working on. I can see Blake averaging 30 points a game in a few years, its his defense he has to work on, he has the athleticism and lateral quickness to be a lock down defender. Also he will never be a dominant rebounder or shot blocker with DJ next to him but if he can get that 15 ft game down and focus a little more on the defensive end he will be really special.

[PeePee la Fritz]

Shawn Kemp on coke I could deal with as a fan. It was Shawn Kemp on cholesterol that pissed me off.

Touche

[arkknight1988]

yeah blake griffin is a reckless player and may pay the price for it soon but he is by far the most explosive player in the league.

[The Real Dalic]

Shawn Kemp on coke I could deal with as a fan. It was Shawn Kemp on cholesterol that pissed me off.

[The Real Dalic]

Using the term title contender "this year" is a bit slanted.

What is the one surefire way, in the NBA to be good?

a superstar to build around

What's the easiest way to get one? Usually thru the draft.

You have to hope you get a high pick in a year, with a strong class.

This year is a VERY strong class.

We have to blow it up, unless as I said we can work magic and somehow grab Bynum AND a wing.

NJ presents the best scenario for long term success, in all likelyhood, screw Dwight he doesn't wanna be here and has acted a fool. Maybe we get a couple lotto picks, Brooks, Lopez and jump up in the draft. It's better for us to suck now, trade D12 at deadline to NJ and hope they lose and miss playoffs.

Maybe we get lucky and win the lotto? then we have Brookz and Lopez to put with either Drummond, PJ3, Or Davis. All of a sudden u have a great young core and TONS of capspace for the next few seasons.

I swear to god, if the Magic make a short sided trade, they will set themselves back 5 years.

I agree. but, for whatever reason, I think the Magic are gonna wait until AFTER the ASG, which sucks.

Yeah, the wait sucks, but I think that's what we need to do.

We need to hold off on sending Howard to the Nets for as long as we can, so that their record doesn't improve too much.

Someone needs to tell Deron to calm the f*ck down, though. They need to be in tank mode for one more month.

I know it's benefits us more if we wait, but, it sucks. I just want to know which direction we're headed, rebuild? or Compete?

[cb1115]

League sources maintain one of the biggest hangups in the Dwight Howard saga is that Howard has yet to fully commit to a destination. "Dwight can't make a decision," a person briefed on the situation said. "If he'd make a decision, he'd be out of there." Meanwhile, despite the Magic's recent struggles, GM Otis Smith has shown no inclination to soften his stance on trying to play out the season with Howard and persuade him to stay. But once Howard's hometown All-Star obligations are fulfilled later this month, rival executives believe the pressure will mount on Orlando to seriously engage teams in trade discussions leading up to the March 15 deadline.

Despite assertions to the contrary, the Lakers remain firmly on Howard's list of three teams he's asked to be traded to, along with the Nets and Mavericks, multiple people familiar with the situation said. The Lakers' clear preference is to trade Pau Gasol in a Howard deal and not Andrew Bynum, who was elected as an All-Star starter for the first time this week. League sources say Nets officials have remained in constant communication with Deron Williams and are encouraged by the All-Star point guard's improved take on the franchise's outlook. Though everyone involved acknowledges the Nets' dilemma: If New Jersey is unable to land Howard, it will be difficult to persuade Williams to join the team in Brooklyn next season. One league front-office source described the Nets as being in wait-and-see mode. "If Orlando said to the Nets, 'Go get this player [to complete a Howard trade],' they'd go get that player," the person said.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/story/17112337/postups-recent-coach-changes-may-foreshadow-ouster-of-some-gms

Great news! We still have some leverage.

[rcklsscognition]

League sources maintain one of the biggest hangups in the Dwight Howard saga is that Howard has yet to fully commit to a destination. "Dwight can't make a decision," a person briefed on the situation said. "If he'd make a decision, he'd be out of there." Meanwhile, despite the Magic's recent struggles, GM Otis Smith has shown no inclination to soften his stance on trying to play out the season with Howard and persuade him to stay. But once Howard's hometown All-Star obligations are fulfilled later this month, rival executives believe the pressure will mount on Orlando to seriously engage teams in trade discussions leading up to the March 15 deadline.

Despite assertions to the contrary, the Lakers remain firmly on Howard's list of three teams he's asked to be traded to, along with the Nets and Mavericks, multiple people familiar with the situation said. The Lakers' clear preference is to trade Pau Gasol in a Howard deal and not Andrew Bynum, who was elected as an All-Star starter for the first time this week. League sources say Nets officials have remained in constant communication with Deron Williams and are encouraged by the All-Star point guard's improved take on the franchise's outlook. Though everyone involved acknowledges the Nets' dilemma: If New Jersey is unable to land Howard, it will be difficult to persuade Williams to join the team in Brooklyn next season. One league front-office source described the Nets as being in wait-and-see mode. "If Orlando said to the Nets, 'Go get this player [to complete a Howard trade],' they'd go get that player," the person said.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/story/17112337/postups-recent-coach-changes-may-foreshadow-ouster-of-some-gms

Great news! We still have some leverage.

They want to trade Pau, not Bynum? Howard and Bynum? Or are they going to deal Bynum to NJ?

[rcklsscognition]

From the article

5. Magic: With the departure of CEO Bob Vander Weide under unexplained circumstances and the elevation of president Alex Martins to CEO, the Orlando power structure is in flux. "Dysfunctional" is how one rival executive described the Magic's management team. I think that's a bit of a stretch.

While agents and GM candidates are eagerly circling as the team continues to struggle under the weight of a brutal stretch in the schedule and the dark cloud cast by Dwight Howard, sources maintain Orlando is not contemplating any in-season front office changes. But the consistent outside perception of Orlando's management team is that GM Otis Smith has become increasingly isolated and doesn't have the help he needs in one of the thinnest front-office operations in the league.

One issue that has long been neglected requires immediate attention: finally persuading 2005 first-round pick Fran Vasquez to leave Spain and join the Magic. One respected international talent evaluator continues to believe Vasquez would be an impact player at the NBA level and should be a key piece of the team's plan to move forward after Howard's inevitable departure. But Vasquez turns 29 in May, and if he's ever going to wear an Orlando uniform, now is the time for the all-out push to bring him aboard next season. The Magic's current front-office structure, however, lacks the international reach and relationships to make that a reality.

[Reverse_Angle]

League sources maintain one of the biggest hangups in the Dwight Howard saga is that Howard has yet to fully commit to a destination. "Dwight can't make a decision," a person briefed on the situation said. "If he'd make a decision, he'd be out of there." Meanwhile, despite the Magic's recent struggles, GM Otis Smith has shown no inclination to soften his stance on trying to play out the season with Howard and persuade him to stay. But once Howard's hometown All-Star obligations are fulfilled later this month, rival executives believe the pressure will mount on Orlando to seriously engage teams in trade discussions leading up to the March 15 deadline.

Despite assertions to the contrary, the Lakers remain firmly on Howard's list of three teams he's asked to be traded to, along with the Nets and Mavericks, multiple people familiar with the situation said. The Lakers' clear preference is to trade Pau Gasol in a Howard deal and not Andrew Bynum, who was elected as an All-Star starter for the first time this week. League sources say Nets officials have remained in constant communication with Deron Williams and are encouraged by the All-Star point guard's improved take on the franchise's outlook. Though everyone involved acknowledges the Nets' dilemma: If New Jersey is unable to land Howard, it will be difficult to persuade Williams to join the team in Brooklyn next season. One league front-office source described the Nets as being in wait-and-see mode. "If Orlando said to the Nets, 'Go get this player [to complete a Howard trade],' they'd go get that player," the person said.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/story/17112337/postups-recent-coach-changes-may-foreshadow-ouster-of-some-gms

Great news! We still have some leverage.

posturing on lakers' part, an attempt to artificially raise bynum's value.

[ADRajX]

Pssh screw Vasquez... hate that guy for flaking on us and being scared to commit to the States... I'd prefer we bring in Milovan Raković... the "Rak Attack"

[Bensational]

League sources maintain one of the biggest hangups in the Dwight Howard saga is that Howard has yet to fully commit to a destination. "Dwight can't make a decision," a person briefed on the situation said. "If he'd make a decision, he'd be out of there." Meanwhile, despite the Magic's recent struggles, GM Otis Smith has shown no inclination to soften his stance on trying to play out the season with Howard and persuade him to stay. But once Howard's hometown All-Star obligations are fulfilled later this month, rival executives believe the pressure will mount on Orlando to seriously engage teams in trade discussions leading up to the March 15 deadline.

Despite assertions to the contrary, the Lakers remain firmly on Howard's list of three teams he's asked to be traded to, along with the Nets and Mavericks, multiple people familiar with the situation said. The Lakers' clear preference is to trade Pau Gasol in a Howard deal and not Andrew Bynum, who was elected as an All-Star starter for the first time this week. League sources say Nets officials have remained in constant communication with Deron Williams and are encouraged by the All-Star point guard's improved take on the franchise's outlook. Though everyone involved acknowledges the Nets' dilemma: If New Jersey is unable to land Howard, it will be difficult to persuade Williams to join the team in Brooklyn next season. One league front-office source described the Nets as being in wait-and-see mode. "If Orlando said to the Nets, 'Go get this player [to complete a Howard trade],' they'd go get that player," the person said.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/story/17112337/postups-recent-coach-changes-may-foreshadow-ouster-of-some-gms

Great news! We still have some leverage.

there's a lot of players i'd be telling them to get in that case...

[rcklsscognition]

League sources maintain one of the biggest hangups in the Dwight Howard saga is that Howard has yet to fully commit to a destination. "Dwight can't make a decision," a person briefed on the situation said. "If he'd make a decision, he'd be out of there." Meanwhile, despite the Magic's recent struggles, GM Otis Smith has shown no inclination to soften his stance on trying to play out the season with Howard and persuade him to stay. But once Howard's hometown All-Star obligations are fulfilled later this month, rival executives believe the pressure will mount on Orlando to seriously engage teams in trade discussions leading up to the March 15 deadline.

Despite assertions to the contrary, the Lakers remain firmly on Howard's list of three teams he's asked to be traded to, along with the Nets and Mavericks, multiple people familiar with the situation said. The Lakers' clear preference is to trade Pau Gasol in a Howard deal and not Andrew Bynum, who was elected as an All-Star starter for the first time this week. League sources say Nets officials have remained in constant communication with Deron Williams and are encouraged by the All-Star point guard's improved take on the franchise's outlook. Though everyone involved acknowledges the Nets' dilemma: If New Jersey is unable to land Howard, it will be difficult to persuade Williams to join the team in Brooklyn next season. One league front-office source described the Nets as being in wait-and-see mode. "If Orlando said to the Nets, 'Go get this player [to complete a Howard trade],' they'd go get that player," the person said.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/story/17112337/postups-recent-coach-changes-may-foreshadow-ouster-of-some-gms

Great news! We still have some leverage.

there's a lot of players i'd be telling them to get in that case...

Please share your scenarios.

[MagicFan32]

Ya I bet the Lakers wanna pawn of Gasol and his disgusting contact instead.

Instead of wasting money on Arenas, maybe the Magic should actually fill out a real front office? maybe they'd actually draft better? perhaps to many voices in the room thinking the same, and lacking differing opinions, leads to little objectivity

[rcklsscognition]

Ya I bet the Lakers wanna pawn of Gasol and his disgusting contact instead.

Instead of wasting money on Arenas, maybe the Magic should actually fill out a real front office? maybe they'd actually draft better? perhaps to many voices in the room thinking the same, and lacking differing opinions, leads to little objectivity

From all reports, there's too few voices, Otis is more and more isolated in his operations as President of Baskeball Operations and GM. The CBS article that was just out said "GM candidates are swarming around the Magic" or something to that effect, like they were waiting for a change or for them to add tot he staff in Orlando.

[Reverse_Angle]

Ya I bet the Lakers wanna pawn of Gasol and his disgusting contact instead.

Instead of wasting money on Arenas, maybe the Magic should actually fill out a real front office? maybe they'd actually draft better? perhaps to many voices in the room thinking the same, and lacking differing opinions, leads to little objectivity

From all reports, there's too few voices, Otis is more and more isolated in his operations as President of Baskeball Operations and GM. The CBS article that was just out said "GM candidates are swarming around the Magic" or something to that effect, like they were waiting for a change or for them to add tot he staff in Orlando.

Otis will be with the team until the end of the season. If you want to be a great organization with accumulated culture, if you want to be a winning franchise, you don't fire people mid season. It reflects very poorly.

It is not the championships that makes a franchise great, it is the greatness that wins championships.

[rcklsscognition]

Ish and Liggins have to survive Tuesday's 6PM deadline for roster cuts to get contracts for the rest of the season.

Ish and DeAndre's numbers:

DeAndre Liggins, ORL $473,604
Ish Smith, ORL $522,472

[BelgianMagic]

So the Lakers went from wanting a Bynum/Dwight swap to a Gasol/Dwight swap ..

For once, not everything they dream of will happen, and the NBA can be happy bout that