FL TODAY: Magic looking for another big body

[lovehoops01]

Matty Boi clearly has absolutely zero understanding of the salary cap and the rules required regarding adding players. He just thinks you can add whoever you want regardless of how much they make. And that young guys making $8 million a year all of a sudden will agree to change teams and get paid $3 million a year less.

[Det the Threat]

Nick Collison would be perfect..

Wilcox is also a nice option...

Neither of those guys are coming your way, for the package you're willing to offer.

Though, Thomas could be a possibility, if you'd take on Watson or Ridnour as well.

[lovehoops01]

Maybe that is why JJ got min last night. Maybe they are showcasing him to trade him for Haslem.... Thought it was kind of weird that he got in the game in the second quarter after that Denton article came out.

If the Heat actually would agree to send Haslem to the Magic in a trade, I would send him to about 50 of the best doctors in the world (none in Orlando) to have him checked out first. He hasn't played in a while now, after all, and has missed more games this season than I can remember him missing. I like Udonis, and if he is right, he definitely would be an upgrade. But I don't trust Pat Riley. I just cannot believe that he would send the Magic a player who he thnks might help beat the Heat. I can't help believing that it would be some kind of a trick by Riley.

[OrlandoMagic]

Looks like AK47 might be on the block. Jazz are going to have to sign Williams to a long term max contract, so it appears they might need to free up some salary cap. Does he play PF at all? Or is he just a SF?

[Bigmagicfan82]

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Neither of those guys are coming your way, for the package you're willing to offer.

Though, Thomas could be a possibility, if you'd take on Watson or Ridnour as well.

I think Wilcox could be had for a deal involving young talent and expiring contracts. The team owners in Seattle are trying to cut payroll and move the team to Oklahoma City. At the same time they are trying to rebuild the team. A deal involving JJ, Garrity, Arroyo, and Augustine satisfies those needs. You get young talent to play around with and the expirings will help you to get under to cap enough to be a player in the free agency market.

[spinedoc]

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I wouldn't. Wallace is on the decline and you think Lewis is over paid.

You have a point, but the problem is that too many people think we can get anything we want with expiring contracts alone, Ben is at least a realistic option. Don't you think that if the deal really was Haslem for JJ, Pat, and a pick, it would be done already? How does Riley trade away a starting big man for a seldom used sg and a low first rounder? Either Haslem is hurt worse than we think, like lovehoops suggests, or they are insisting that we take on Blount too. Well, taking on Blount with Haslem is the exact same salary as getting Ben, and it would cost us JJ and a first round pick, as well as Battie's contract. Ben might be declining, but he's still got plenty left in the tank and would give us a huge lift in the playoffs. He won't have to do the heavy lifting that he does in Chicago with Dwight at his side. I believe it could work.

One other thought about getting J.O., he's making 20M and out for the season. We'd have to give up all our expirings and Battie to make it work financially. We wouldn't be able to fill a full roster, down to only one pg, and also throw away this season. It would make us better in the long run, but its disastrous in the short term. Also, this recent rumor has got to mean that Battie isn't going to make it back this year. If he's close to returning, why the need to go shopping for a big man? Someone somewhere is lying to us. Its wouldn't be the first time.

[Tommy Udo 6]

A few comments on Bulls players already mentioned.

Tyrus Thomas is not being shopped & will not be traded unless a mega deal for a genuine star becomes available. Bulls drafted TT as a project & they are bringing him along slowly.

Joe Smith is the best performing player on the Bulls at this time. If Bulls trade him, they are cashing in this season. He may be available but he will not come cheap.

Ben Wallace is definitely available & being shopped. Ben has been disappointing on Bulls. Ben is a natural PF based on size & excels when there is good Big Man along side him. He does not have that on the Bulls since the Bigs are both rookies (Noah & Gray).

Ben is still active on defense. Last season he led Bulls in steals. Being short, Ben tips lots of balls rather than grabbing them, making his rebound numbers lower.

Ben is on a reverse contract so he only has 2 years left after this at $28.5 million total. Definitely overpaid - but since Ben plays 35-40 minutes a night, he is not worthless. He's earning some of that money.

Getting Wallace would have 2 advantages for Magic: 1) they can move Lewis to his natural SF position; 2) Ben can come cheap in terms of trade. Battie & a couple of reserves is basically all that it will take. Magic would add insurance for playoffs without spending any key players

[theTHIEF]

i think what Bucher was saying is that Otis had been considering things prior to the Lakers game, but that game was the breaking point maybe? that's what i got from it...

[Det the Threat]

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I think Wilcox could be had for a deal involving young talent and expiring contracts. The team owners in Seattle are trying to cut payroll and move the team to Oklahoma City. At the same time they are trying to rebuild the team. A deal involving JJ, Garrity, Arroyo, and Augustine satisfies those needs. You get young talent to play around with and the expirings will help you to get under to cap enough to be a player in the free agency market.

Tells you what?
That we took on that extra money of Kurt Thomas before this season started?

Of course the Sonics are trying to unload some contracts but this doesn't includes Wilcox and his $6.5 mil per season. It's Szczerbiak's, Ridnour's and Watson's deals that we'd be OK with to deal for expiring contracts.

We're rebuilding and the only way you are able to do this successfully is by upgrading your team and not by throwing away usefull players for next to nothing, cause it would save you a couple of dollars.

BTW: Free agency isn't really a good thing to look at, cause you most likely have to horribly overpay(just look at what you pay Shard) and in most cases, you aren't signing someone, you just do a sign and trade and something like this can be done with expiring contracts, as well as with cap space.

So no, Wilcox is still not available for the pieces you're willing to trade.

[craig01]

Ben is on a reverse contract so he only has 2 years left after this at $28.5 million total. Definitely overpaid - but since Ben plays 35-40 minutes a night, he is not worthless. He's earning some of that money.

Getting Wallace would have 2 advantages for Magic: 1) they can move Lewis to his natural SF position; 2) Ben can come cheap in terms of trade. Battie & a couple of reserves is basically all that it will take. Magic would add insurance for playoffs without spending any key players

But are the Bulls that desperate to move him?

I could see Wallace filling a Charles Oakley type role for several more seasons. Clearly, he is not the player he used to be, but motivated, and not forced to produce, he may have a longer value on the right team.... especially if used as a defensive enforcer.

Interesting.

[Tommy Udo 6]

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But are the Bulls that desperate to move him?

I could see Wallace filling a Charles Oakley type role for several more seasons. Clearly, he is not the player he used to be, but motivated, and not forced to produce, he may have a longer value on the right team.... especially if used as a defensive enforcer.

Interesting.

Bulls are not desperate - but they really do not need Ben. They are not title contenders - and want to give their young bigs some floor time (Noah, Gray, Thomas). Bulls also do not have a tall post player who Ben thrives next to - and they have little chance of getting one now that Gasol was shipped to LA

That is why a Beattie & filler trade would make sense to Bulls. They are looking to free up playing time for the young guys. Ben plays 35-40 minutes every night. He would not need to play that much in Orlando.

Magic know they would not be getting the DPOY - but they certainly can get a decent player who still has his defensive skills in exchange for spare parts

[Just Plain Mark]

I don't see how Ben Wallace can be an option since Otis specifically said he was looking for a big who could add some offense and since the Magic would be extremely hamstrung by his contract.

The difference in leverage between the other teams and the Magic is that at worst the Magic's expirings merely expire, but the other teams may miss an opportunity to move an undesireable contract and/or acquire talent/draft picks. So in that sense, the Magic have a little leverage.

Also, while the Magic do want to improve the team this season, they're pretty much assured home court advantage in the playoffs already, so they aren't trying to make a playoff push and there aren't really any players that the Magic could get that would make them competitors with Boston and Detroit for this season.

[heatwillbeback]

idea here

Mark Blount for Garrity and Dooling

Heat want the expiring contracts

or even better

Haslem and Blount for Dooling, Garrity, Arroyo and your late 1st round pick

Heat want to get rid of the contracts, and Haslem and Blount are solid bigs. Haslem would be great next to Dwight like he was Shaq.

[miamiballer]

you guys can have haslem but youll have to take on mark blount to do so...blount is a really good center and can be a great backup for a champinship contending team

haslem, blount for arroyo, dooling, garrity...your team will def improve leaps and bounds

Unfortunately, Haslem for exprings and a draft pick doesnt do anything for us since it doesnt give us enough cap to sign another impact player...wed rather keep haslem if you guys dont take blount as well

[Optimus_Steel]

LOL the Magic arent going after Ben unless he gets bought out.

[Optimus_Steel]

i think what Bucher was saying is that Otis had been considering things prior to the Lakers game, but that game was the breaking point maybe? that's what i got from it...

What did Bucher say?

[magicfan4life05]

^ i know can you imagine the amount of smack talk we'd get about having lewis and wallace and their contracts

[magicman123]

that is a big negative for jermaine o'neal and his $20+ mill contract...the last 4 seasons he has been injured...he only played 44games, 51games, 69games, and 33 games this year..if he is healthy you look at it, but he hasnt been lately and isnt right now...wallace is on the decline, the last 3 seasons his performance is dropping...i dont see trading for a guy thats always inured or a guy making $15 quickly on the decline..if we are looking for a quick fix, we can find another vet making no-where near this much money

[KoolMikeSkii]

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One other thought about getting J.O., he's making 20M and out for the season. We'd have to give up all our expirings and Battie to make it work financially. We wouldn't be able to fill a full roster, down to only one pg, and also throw away this season. It would make us better in the long run, but its disastrous in the short term. Also, this recent rumor has got to mean that Battie isn't going to make it back this year. If he's close to returning, why the need to go shopping for a big man? Someone somewhere is lying to us. Its wouldn't be the first time.

JO is not out for the season hes hurt but we can let him heal because were playing well without any of the people in this trade (Trade ID #4487367) then this year and next we can do like Boston and fill the roster will low contracts that wont play much anyway or vets that want to try to win. It would be a 2 - 3 year experiment that if it doesn't work we can try something else it wont handicap us forever.

[CoreyVillains]

I can't blame Otis for Pau, to me it clearly reeks of West trying to help his old team. Isn't it weird how for so long they demand deng and/or Gordon from the bulls yet take this?

Anyways in order for us to have any chance vs Detroit or Boston we have to have a guy capable of making a mid range J and grabbing boards...Joe Smith, Kurt Thomas, Nick Collison, Udanis Haslem amongst others would be sweet.

I would stay away from Reggie Evans, he's basically like Foyle minus shot blocking and better rebounding.

West isnt the GM of the Griz anymore.