Official Speculation & Free Agency Thread (Part VIII)

[rcklsscognition]

I was watching Baumann's live stream from media day and at one point he went up into a scrum of Magic reporters, BS and Ping were in there. They were saying how Howard was gone and it was just a matter of time. You could sense it they said.

[Tayswagzzz]

If all this is true, Dwight is playing us worst than any of the other Free Agents have to thier teams. Melo said flat out he would not sign. Bosh made it clear he would explore also. I do believe Lebron considered returning to the Cavs, he just handled leaving very poorly. Dwight has told the Media/Fans he loves Orlando and might stay, and then goes behind the scenes and demands to be traded over and over. DWIGHT BE A MAN AND TELL THE FANS WHO HAVE WATCHED YOU GROW UP THAT YOU WANT OUT.

IF It's true then yes...we're being treated horribly.

[MagicMan89]

Send him to New Orleans for Kaman and the Minny 1st!

[MagicFan41]

There must be something big behind close doors for this to happen. I mean this isn't the same Dwight that used to look at the photo in his locker of Lakers beating them in the Finals...Never once thought Dwight would be a "quitter" it really sounds like he is bailing Orlando..

With that said we can't listen to the media, it's there job to make US feel like this..

Well he keeps saying something "happened this summer" and that once this was all settled we would find out what happened. Which BTW is VERY odd to me, because he was forbidden from talking to the Magic, but he said himself a few days ago, something about "we talked all summer" (him and the Magic). Ummm, you did?

I still think that was in reference to the players and owners in the CBA negotions. He said we talked all summer and nothing's changed. It got really ugly this summer, and the person who repped the Magic in all of that was BVW. Coincidence that he is now retired? Maybe. Maybe not. Just a theory though.

I don't think that had anything to do with the CBA negotiations. Why would them "talking" all summer have anything to do with that? Dwight wasn't even involved in the negotiations....didn't go to one meeting I believe. He said himself he was staying out of it basically. Somebody asked him about his relationship with the Magic and he said something like "we've been talking all summer, about things I wanted to change, things I wanted to get done, and none of it has been done, nothing's changed". That can't mean the CBA.

[woosah]

What does Fegan get, 10%? That's a few mil he stands to lose if we don't agree so he is working for it. Not sure about this story though. This could end up like Arod's last negotiation. It got so contentious with the agent and the Yanks, that Arod had to call the Yanks back and tell them he would take their deal after the agent said he would walk if he didn't get his demanded salary. They don't always get their way.

[eyriq]

Play out the season with him and make him walk away from the money. Bring over Fran Vasquez and usher in the Fran/Anderson/Harper era. Or something.

[magic_turk]

If all this is true, Dwight is playing us worst than any of the other Free Agents have to thier teams. Melo said flat out he would not sign. Bosh made it clear he would explore also. I do believe Lebron considered returning to the Cavs, he just handled leaving very poorly. Dwight has told the Media/Fans he loves Orlando and might stay, and then goes behind the scenes and demands to be traded over and over. DWIGHT BE A MAN AND TELL THE FANS WHO HAVE WATCHED YOU GROW UP THAT YOU WANT OUT.

IF It's true then yes...we're being treated horribly.

Keyword is "IF"..

There's a reason why I bought a D12 jersey a few years back (something I never do lol), I would feel sorely betrayed if we are being treated like that.

[G-Heel]

Do you think Atlanta would be interested in taking Bynum for JSmoov? They are def looking for a true center so they can slide Horford to the PF slot.

http://basketball.realgm.com/tradecheck ... de/5951143

We would be log-jammed at the 2 and 4-spots....but maybe if we could swing JJ/JRich+Ryan+Jameer for a legit PG or C....could be quite a nice lineup.

As is in this trade:

Meer/Dragic
Martin/JRich
JRich/Jsmoov/Q
JSmoov/Scola/BBD/Ryan
Zaza/BBD/Ryan

With a trade....maybe GSW would still be interested in JRich at trade deadline...maybe JRich+Ryan+Meer for Ellis/maybe Biedrins


Ellis/Dragic
Martin/JJ
JSmoov/Q
Scola/BBD
Biedrins/Zaza

Atlanta would bend over if anyone offers Bynum for Smith. We'll be better off keeping Bynum if we trade for him. He may be injury prone, but he got too much values to trade for trashes like Smith and Zaza.

[magicman123]

Play out the season with him and make him walk away from the money. Bring over Fran Vasquez and usher in the Fran/Anderson/Harper era. Or something.

yea take the cap room instead of getting back crap anyways

[MagicMan89]

Play out the season with him and make him walk away from the money. Bring over Fran Vasquez and usher in the Fran/Anderson/Harper era. Or something.

Im not sure I want Fran anymore. Trade him for cash and a 2nd rounder.

[TSKD000]

Don't we have to use like 85% of cap space?? If he walks in the summer, what other potential players will be FAs that we can sign to be in compliance with CBA???

[MagicFan41]

Don't we have to use like 85% of cap space?? If he walks in the summer, what other potential players will be FAs that we can sign to be in compliance with CBA???

Actually, Gil's $20 mil of amnesty salary counts towards that...so we actually only need about $35 on the books the next couple years. Which won't happen....but it is a HUGE advantage we own over most other teams, the ability to do that in terms of salary dumping.

[magicman123]

if dwight was telling people the trade was done, then that means otis accepted the trade, and than had to pass it on to ownership for approval....otis accepting that, and passing it for approval means he should of been fired hours ago, come on magic

[TSKD000]

Don't we have to use like 85% of cap space?? If he walks in the summer, what other potential players will be FAs that we can sign to be in compliance with CBA???

Actually, Gil's $20 mil of amnesty salary counts towards that...so we actually only need about $35 on the books the next couple years. Which won't happen....but it is a HUGE advantage we own over most other teams, the ability to do that in terms of salary dumping.

Oh wow, I didn't realize that part of it! That is a very nice advantage to have to wait it out to get players we want and not be forced into signing people.

[Darth Magic]

if dwight was telling people the trade was done, then that means otis accepted the trade, and than had to pass it on to ownership for approval....otis accepting that, and passing it for approval means he should of been fired hours ago, come on magic

The Otis hatred is strong with this one

[MagicFan41]

BTW.....doesn't anybody else feel like the Lakers WILL inevitably throw everything but the kitchen sink at us to get Dwight before the deadline? I mean, that's their ONLY chance of getting another superstar to pair with Kobe, or anytime soon given their insane cap situation (Kobe is making like $30mil - half the cap in a year or two). They can't even come close to signing anybody outright, and they definitely want to a) give Kobe a chance to win another championship before his career is dunzo (retirement, injury, age, etc) and b) have another superstar to carry the torch for the franchise once Kobe is gone? No WAY they don't make a huge play for Dwight. I mean, who else is even coming close to being available over the next few years??

Wade/Lebron/Dirk - all tied up for a long time
CP3 - committed for 2 yrs to Clips
Deron/Dwight - no way they can sign straight up with the Lakers
Blake - committed to Clips, plus he will be a RFA

I mean...if you go down the list of best players in the league, nobody good at all is going to be available soon - part of the reason I don't agree with this philosophy of letting Dwight walk and "rebuilding" or "clearing cap" to go after people in FA over the next couple years with our cap-room. I mean, who EXACTLY do you plan to go after? Plus, since teams will feel obligated to use their caproom, and since most of them (not us since we can count Gil's amnestied salary towards it) will be FORCED to overpay guys to meet the salary cap floor of 90%.

[woosah]

So much crap floating around.

Otis rep is already not good, and Fegan is putting stuff out that seem to all come back to making Otis look even worse. He knows it will cause the fans to react and call for Otis job. This has to be why ownership is standing with Otis. They have to know half or most of it is not true.

This next 2 weeks could get ugly.

[RookieStar]

^^^ Next 2 weeks? More like next 2 days

[warren4prez]

ORLANDO, Fla. -

Local 6 Sports Director David Pingalore has learned through two sources that Dwight Howard’s Californina-based agent, Dan Fegan, was at Amway Center Tuesday trying to get his client out of Orlando immediately.

The two sources do confirm that Howard wants out of Orlando — and staying is not an option. Sources do confirm his agent continues to make that point each time he talks with Magic General Manager Otis Smith.

Pingalore also learned that Howard’s flip-flopping of possibly staying with the Magic is a ploy to steer the criticism off of the All-Star center. The sources say Howard is growing tired of not yet being traded.

Pingalore’s sources used the term that Fegan is “strong-arming” the Magic to make a trade, with Howard’s first choice being the New Jersey Nets.

On Wednesday, a trade rumor on ESPN.com was nothing but a decoy stirred up by Howard’s agent, according to Pingalore’s sources. They confirm the so-called multi-team trade that would send Howard to New Jersey, and also involving Portland’s Gerald Wallace coming to Orlando, was made up by Fegan.

The sources believe that Fegan is trying to create a buzz for his client, Howard, in order to pressure a trade.

A report tonight on Yahoo! and ESPN.com said the Magic told teams they will not field anymore calls about trading Howard.

However, Otis Smith said after practice,“We’re going to continue to talk to every team out there and that doesn’t mean anything is going to happen.” Pingalore’s sources say the Magic are not happy with Howard’s agent and that the Magic put out the leak about no more calls from teams. The sources described the Magic as digging “their heels in.”
O
The sources also confirm that Smith has at least 15 trade requests he is dealing with from NBA teams.

Howard did not speak to the media Tuesday, sources say, because of the direction he was under from Fegan not to do so.

On Wednesday Howard spoke to the media, but did not want to talk about the drama surrounding the team.


The Lakers continue to be an option for Howard, however Pingalore’s sources confirm that the Lakers’ center, Andrew Bynum, may not be as attractive, because the Magic have learned Bynum’s knees are not healthy

[magicman123]

if dwight was telling people the trade was done, then that means otis accepted the trade, and than had to pass it on to ownership for approval....otis accepting that, and passing it for approval means he should of been fired hours ago, come on magic

The Otis hatred is strong with this one

hes one of the worst gm's in the nba, u agree?