<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">At 27, Jamaal Magloire should be entering the prime of his NBA career, a time-hardened veteran who knows the intensity of the playoffs and the glamour of an all-star game, a big man in a big man's game who yearns for a return to the spotlight and the starring role he once had. And while he is respected and admired in his own community ? proof coming yesterday when he was surrounded by fans, friends and family at a ceremony honouring him in his native Scarborough ? Magloire is at something of a career crossroads, as much the doing of others as himself, and can't even be sure where he'll be in training camp come October. The 6-foot-11 Magloire is in the centre of swirling trade talks involving the Milwaukee Bucks, for whom he played last season in something of a secondary role and a team poised to hand the centre's job to second-year former No.1 draft pick Andrew Bogut. It is an unfamiliar situation for Magloire, one he knows is likely to be resolved this summer. "Once July 1 comes around and teams are starting to make moves, (Milwaukee general manager) Larry Harris has some decisions to make," Magloire said yesterday after unveiling his star on the newly opened Scarborough Walk of Fame. "If that's with me staying in Milwaukee, that's fine; if not, I'll be able to do my work wherever I am." The Bucks moved Bogut out of position to power forward last season, to let him learn the ropes from Magloire, but Harris said after Milwaukee's first-round playoff exit that Bogut will be at centre next season. And while it's conceivable Milwaukee would use Magloire in a backup role, it's unlikely to sit well with the veteran, who is entering the final year of a contract that will pay him $8.3 million (U.S.) next year. An effective rebounder, an intimidating presence in the paint and a veteran of six NBA seasons, Magloire is too good to play second string. "I think everybody aspires to be a feature player," said Magloire, whose average of 9.5 rebounds per game last season was 13th in the NBA. "I know I have been in the past in New Orleans and I aspire to get back there. If that's in Milwaukee, that's good; if not, I know wherever I end up, that's fine."</div> Source
