And Darko is gone. I'm pissed at this. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">WKMG Channel 6 - Orlando television station WKMG Local 6 is reporting that Rashard Lewis has agreed to sign with the Orlando Magic on July 11. The deal is reported for 5 years and $75 million. Sports anchor David Pingalore also reported the Magic will allow restricted free agent forward Darko Milicic to become an unrestricted free agent. </div> It's on RealGM wiretap.
Wow, nice. I really hoped for Shard to come to Houston, but I guess not. He was dying to come Houston when he was getting drafted, but for some reason doesn't want to be here anymore. Good luck in Orlando. I hope he sucks here.
Well done. That was a great quick snap up of one of the better free agents on the market. This really puts you ahead of the charge towards the playoffs again. Nelson, Rashard and D12 really are a good nucleus!!!
Pat Garrity is currently our backup PF/C and if these numbers are right, then we wouldn't have any more money to sign any other big for more than the minimum, so it's not like we could actually upgrade it. Hopefully we can put together a sign and trade with Seattle and give them a couple of picks and a couple of salaries, enough to where we can keep Darko or at least give us enough to go after another big. Personally I'd rather just keep Darko for a starting of 7-8 mil and go after Noiconi or Gerald Wallace or a PG with the remaining money.
A lot of big name players have all been sent East thus far. Ray Allen to Boston Rashard Lewis to Orlando Zach Randolph to New York Jason Richardson to Charlotte There's been some recent reports Fran wants to play in Orlando next year. Maybe this made it easier for the Magic to let Darko walk? I also remember one of the posters in here mentioning Darko was always partying late at clubs. I'm sure his lack of commitment factored into Otis Smith not wanting him back. If a player can't focus solely on his game during a contract year, he's likely not going to change once he gets a guaranteed long-term deal in place.
<div class="quote_poster">shapecity Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">A lot of big name players have all been sent East thus far. Ray Allen to Boston Rashard Lewis to Orlando Zach Randolph to New York Jason Richardson to Charlotte</div> Agreed. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">There's been some recent reports Fran wants to play in Orlando next year. Maybe this made it easier for the Magic to let Darko walk?.</div> That was a thought that I had too. J_Ray was joking about it with me on AIM.
ESPN is now reporting it, so it now has now reached the national spotlight..... <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Top free agent Lewis to leave Sonics for Magic By Marc Stein ESPN.com (Archive) Updated: July 3, 2007, 1:30 AM ET The NBA's most sought-after free agent is going to the Magic Kingdom. Rashard Lewis has given the Orlando Magic a verbal commitment to leave the Seattle SuperSonics and sign a max contract on July 11, according to NBA front-office sources. That's the first day free agents are allowed to officially sign new contracts. Unless a sign-and-trade arrangement is worked out with Lewis' old team or unless it can otherwise shed payroll between now and July 11, Orlando will have to renounce the rights to restricted free agent Darko Milicic to create the salary-cap space needed to sign Lewis to a deal believed to be in the $15 million-a-year range.</div>
Fran coming to play for us would definitely make losing Darko a lot easier on the team. I would be happy to have him play alongside Dwight, I'd prefer Darko over the guy who abandoned us, but he wouldn't be bad. PG Jameer SG Ariza SF Rashard PF Vasquez C Dwight
Don't the Magic have the bird rights to Darko? Unless they dont want to pay luxury tax can't they still resign him?
<div class="quote_poster">Phreeze Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Don't the Magic have the bird rights to Darko? Unless they dont want to pay luxury tax can't they still resign him?</div> Nope, will explain after I get off the phone.
I'm not sure why some of you guys are against the signing. He's just getting into his prime and will add 20+ppg right off the bat. He's an all-star, kiss the ground he walks on.
Yeah I wouldn't be against it either. Darko, whilst a good prospect showing promise may never reacch the heights of Rashard. This signing instantly gets you out of the first round!!!
I'm pretty sure it is Grant Hill's destiny to come to Phoenix now, I'm just a true believer. Oh, and bad signing. Clogging up cap space after Howard gets extended. Can't add front court depth. Sure you get another scorer but I still don't see Orlando doing better than: Detroit Toronto New Jersey Cleveland Chicago Milwaukee Washington New York is bound to win more games with a healthy Lee and an offense boost with ZBo, Boston improve with Ray Allen, etc. Basically I don't think there's really room for Orlando even in the East.
<div class="quote_poster">Phreeze Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Don't the Magic have the bird rights to Darko? Unless they dont want to pay luxury tax can't they still resign him?</div> Basically right now since we offered Darko his qualifying offer(6.8 mil) for him to become a restricted FA, he has a large cap hold(double the QO). So right now he is counting for 13.6 mil in salary for us, until a) he resigns with us or we renounce his rights. So it is impossible to sign Shard without losing Darko's restricted rights UNLESS we somehow get some takers on Hedo and our expiring deals without having to take in as much salary and deal with Darko first. It is possible that on July 11th we sign and trade Darko first(but we basically are only allowed to take in a couple million of contracts so we still have enough cap to sign Shard) and then sign Shard. It should be an interesting couple of days to see what the Magic ultimately do. <div class="quote_poster">Shard Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I'm not sure why some of you guys are against the signing. He's just getting into his prime and will add 20+ppg right off the bat. He's an all-star, kiss the ground he walks on.</div> Don't get me wrong I love how Shard fits on our team. I just don't want to see Tony Battie starting and Pat Garrity being our backup PF/C. We would have ZERO cap to sign a legit big man. We would have to trade Turkoglu or Battie to get an upgrade in big and what could we really get for either of them? I'm ecstatic that we convinced him to come to Orlando, I'm just hoping that Seattle will get involved and get a sign and trade so that the Magic can either a) get enough cap to resign Darko or get enough cap to sign someone else. I just feel we are better off with Hedo and Darko with Battie off the bench then Battie and Shard and a minimum salaried big or Pat Garrity first big off the bench. I just feel that another move needs to happen to improve our bigs for me to be completely satisfied in signing just Shard instead of Darko and someone else(Gerald Wallace/Andres Nocioni type players) <div class="quote_poster">sunsfan1357 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I'm pretty sure it is Grant Hill's destiny to come to Phoenix now, I'm just a true believer. Oh, and bad signing. Clogging up cap space after Howard gets extended. Can't add front court depth. Sure you get another scorer but I still don't see Orlando doing better than: Detroit Toronto New Jersey Cleveland Chicago Milwaukee Washington New York is bound to win more games with a healthy Lee and an offense boost with ZBo, Boston improve with Ray Allen, etc. Basically I don't think there's really room for Orlando even in the East.</div> I agree with you, I think we can kiss Grant Hill goodbye after this signing. btw, how did Milwaukee get on this list? We were better than them last year and us adding Shard will make more of an impact in them adding Yi and they likely will lose a more productive player last year in Mo Williams then Darko was for us. I still think something else has to happen and I'm going to refrain from making anymore comments about how we stack up, but I could see us jumping Milwaukee, Washington, and New Jersey depending on our next move. Not to mention that with Detroit seemingly actively shopping Rip Hamilton, does that mean that Detroit's done being a top team?
I'll take Arenas, Butler, and Jamison (when healthy) over Shard and Dwight. I don't see you guys jumping the Wizards quite yet.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Brian Schmitz | Sentinel Staff Writer July 3, 2007 Dwight Howard's enthusiasm on Monday reflected the Orlando Magic's feeling about how their visit with Rashard Lewis is going. Lewis, the free agent whom the Magic covet, has been in town since Sunday talking with the club about a contract and getting acquainted with management and some players. Early this morning, espn.com, quoting NBA front-office sources, reported that Lewis had verbally committed to signing a maximum contract with the Magic on July 11, the first day allowable under NBA rules. "I'm very excited we'd have a chance to play together. He's a wonderful athlete, great person and would help our team a lot," Howard said Monday. Howard said he already feels a "chemistry" with Lewis, forged through competition and Lewis encouraging him on his "gooseneck" free-throw-shooting form. "We'd joke a lot during some of the games," said Howard, after completing a community-service project for the Pine Hills Boys and Girls Club. "Actually one of the things I remember is that when we played them, he'd tell me to get my gooseneck going, so I was hearing it from another player. So we sort of got a little chemistry going. "Hopefully, he'll like it here." Howard said that he and teammate Jameer Nelson had planned to take Lewis out on the town Monday night. The Magic can't sign Lewis until next Wednesday, but clubs often establish a handshake deal with a free agent. The team, however, realizes nothing is given until it has Lewis' name on a contract. Tony Dutt, Lewis' agent, could not be reached for comment. Meanwhile, Magic power forward Darko Milicic's agent said Monday afternoon that the club had yet to make contact. Milicic is a restricted free agent, meaning Orlando can match any offer as long as he remains so. The Magic have told Milicic to bring back an offer. "We have lots of options," said Marc Cornstein, Milicic's agent. Cornstein said he has heard from <u>"25 teams"</u> since the green flag dropped on the free-agent courting period Sunday. "There's a lot of interest," he said. "We've had some real offers to sign-and-trade deals. . . everything across the board." Cornstein seemingly wondered if the Magic were truly committed to re-signing Milicic, a 7-foot power forward. "We want Darko to go to a team that believes in him and makes him a focal point," he said. "If it's Orlando, great. If it's one of the other 29 teams, then that's fantastic, too." Howard said he wanted both of his free-agent teammates -- Milicic and shooting guard Grant Hill -- to return. "I hope Darko stays," Howard said. "He's matured a lot. He was a big reason we made it to the playoffs." Howard, though, said if Hill signed elsewhere, he would understand. "If Grant decided to play, great. If he decided to leave, he's already done enough here," Howard said. Howard is set for a busy summer. He is expected to receive a five-year extension estimated at more than $80 million from the Magic -- and play for Team USA. But his focus was off basketball on Monday. While picking out toys at an Orlando Toys "R" Us for children from the Pine Hills Boys and Girls Club, he said, "It was cool. It's all about the kids. All about giving back. I enjoy it better than scoring 20 points." The Magic on Monday announced their roster for their summer-league team for games July 9-13 at RDV Sportsplex. Shooting guard J.J. Redick and forward James Augustine will play, along with Kevin Kruger. He played at UNLV for his father, Coach Lon Kruger, a former Florida Gators coach. This year's second-round draft pick, forward Milovan Rakovic out of Serbia-Montenegro, also is on the roster. </div> Source Brian Schmitz Orlando Sentinel
<div class="quote_poster">Mamba Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I'll take Arenas, Butler, and Jamison (when healthy) over Shard and Dwight. I don't see you guys jumping the Wizards quite yet.</div> As of now the Wizards are better than us, but I gotta think that Otis Smith has something else up his sleeve to get a legit big guy to come play in Orlando(or keep Darko) alongside Dwight and Shard(assuming this is true). Depending on the move, I could definitely see us passing the Wizards. If we somehow clear enough cap to resign Darko and sign Shard then I would put us over the Wizards.
I don't know what to say at this moment. My initial reactions is anger and frustration. Why sacrifice our future for the now, when even with this we won't be over the hump. Hopefully if we do sign him, it's a sign and trade, or we trade someone on our roster currently for someone else. Woohoo for Battie and Garrity being our starters/reserves.
