Bianchi: Stan Van Gundy makes magic with Hedo Turkoglu

[Versubio]

But what about Turkoglu? He's in his eighth season and never has been close to being this good. Van Gundy has turned a career role player into a Middle Eastern Magic Johnson.

How many 6-foot-10 players do you know who can shoot the ball, pass the ball, handle the ball? Turkoglu is coming off his second triple-double of the season and is averaging 19.6 points per game -- 6.3 more than last year and 9.1 more than his career average.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orl-bianchi1208mar12,0,3269856.column

[Versubio]

The Magic need to extend Hedo as soon as possible!

[NEM]

agreed

[drsd]

Hedo signed a five year contract with a player option for a sixth year. This contract is in fact eligible for an extension. Further, that he signed his last contract before 2005 makes the coming off-season the first time he would be eligible.

But what are the rules?

Here's the killer:

For all other extensions (not rokie extensions), the salary in the first year of the extension is limited to 110.5% of the salary in the last year of the existing contract. However, it also can't exceed the maximum salary the player can receive if he were to sign a new contract that year as a free agent...

Thus, the extension in its first year would pay just north of $7 million.

At this point, one would think on the free agent market that he would command much more money. In fact, the mid-level exemption itself might be near that number after 2010.

Financially, Hedo will not liekly be offered, nor would he accept, an extension.

Salary Cap FAQ

[OMPunk]

He doesn't come across as a selfish, money hungry player...but who knows. I think there is a chance he gets a new 4-5 year extension starting at a little over 7 million a year. That would still pay him around 10 million when he is getting ready to end his career.

He may take the security that only the Magic could offer.

[lovehoops01]

That's not money-hungry. That's just business.

[Bensational]

The Magic need to extend Hedo as soon as possible!

where will we find another 17 million dollars though?

[paperboymafia]

That's not money-hungry. That's just business.

theres a difference?

[Typhoon20]

Hedo should hire Shards agent !

[UCFJayBird]

-= original quote snipped =-



theres a difference?

yea. A player demanding more money when they don't deserve it, ala Darko Milicic, is money hungry. A player deserving of more money and wanting to test free agency to see if he can get more is business.

Now if the Magic offered Hedo pretty much the same deal, but just a little less per year and he bolted (say we offered 9 mil per, and someone else offered 10 mil per), than you might make the case he got a little money hungry. Then again, can you really get mad at a player who hasn't had a huge contract chasing the last big one he'll get in his career?

Hedo's next contract will take him out of his prime. So he's going to try and get the most he can, even if it's not with the Magic.

[damo[23]]

Think thats honestly the first time I've enjoyed a Biatchi article.

Good job Mike, you get a gold star for effort.

[szimab01]

they should trade him this off-season for a true pg and or a pf. Turk has had a great year but, i think we need to cash in while his value is good. We wont be elite until we have a good pg running the show..

[mhectorgato]

where will we find another 17 million dollars though?

We have his rights, so would could offer him the max, as I think you're implying. But I think we'd "only" be able to offer starting at 14.9 based on his tenure in the league.

[Magicalltheway]

Think thats honestly the first time I've enjoyed a Biatchi article.

Good job Mike, you get a gold star for effort.

Took the words right out of my mouth damo. This was truly the best article I read of Biatchi. very humble and unbiased article. Gave me the warm fuzzy feeling inside.

[lapassione]

He would stay pat this offseason and not sign an extension, taking his option out of the contract next offseason, only to sign again with us. Holding full bird rights, we can give him any money we see fit (of course subject to maximum).
I dont see us trading him or letting go unless we get/find a real good PG and a real good 4th quarter finisher (preferably in the same person). He is main part of the system right now, we wouldnt crash the working system.

[leventuysal]

"It would be one thing to show his people a memento symbolizing his immense improvement as a player. It would be even better to show them the man who made it all possible."

That's emotional. I like this Bianchi guy.

[Optimus_Steel]

I was one of those who believed Hill did about as well as he could with the roster he had last year, but Magic GM Otis Smith thought differently -- and correctly. Which is why he fired Hill and hired Van Donovan, er, Van Gundy, who took over a team that was two games under .500 last year and now has it 17 games over.

Yes Biatchi, we know you had man love for Brian Hill.

[Big A All Day]

The Magic need to extend Hedo as soon as possible!

+1

[Versubio]

He would stay pat this offseason and not sign an extension, taking his option out of the contract next offseason, only to sign again with us. Holding full bird rights, we can give him any money we see fit (of course subject to maximum).
I dont see us trading him or letting go unless we get/find a real good PG and a real good 4th quarter finisher (preferably in the same person). He is main part of the system right now, we wouldnt crash the working system.

That's my whole point behind resigning him asap.

[drsd]

We have his rights, so would could offer him the max, as I think you're implying. But I think we'd "only" be able to offer starting at 14.9 based on his tenure in the league.

There seems to be some confusion. The Magic have right to both resign Turkoglu, at Bird levels, AND the Magic have rights to sign him to an extension. It is an extension that simply cannot happen. 110% of his last year won't get it done.

As for going for a mega deal, there's no problem to the coming off season as those new years extend beyond his contract. And, the Magic are capped out anyhow.