<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Cornstein said there's no chance. "There's no chance. Put it in big capital letters," Cornstein said. "You can say that as long as Otis Smith is the general manager of the Orlando Magic, there's no chance." Cornstein said that when the Magic did not contact him when the free-agency courting period began, "He didn't want to be here in the end. If Otis Smith had been a decent human and told us that Rashard Lewis was the player they wanted and would have to sacrifice Darko to get him, my reaction wouldn't have been happiness. But I would have said, 'I appreciate you telling me.' "Instead, the guy told us Darko was a priority, and he lied."</div> It adds this on to the ESPN article that Chutney posted. Source: Orlando Sentinel Here is a statement released by the Orlando Magic organization. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Magic Withdraw Qualifying Offer to Milicic July 3, 2007 ORLANDO, FL -- The Orlando Magic have withdrawn its qualifying offer to Darko Milicic, making him an unrestricted free agent, General Manager Otis Smith announced. With the move, the Magic have relinquished its right of first refusal, but retain the qualifying veteran exception (Bird Rights) and the rights to re-sign him. </div> http://www.nba.com/magic/news/Magic_Withdr...230661-800.html All we did was renounce his qualifying offer. He could have signed it and screwed up us signing Rashard Lewis. I still expect us to do a sign and trade and still go after Darko. Hopefully we will get enough cap space in the S&T that we can still at least offer a good enough amount of money to Darko that would make his agent change his mind. Memphis is really the only other team that would be interested in Darko enough to give over the MLE. This has been blown way out of proportion and doesn't mean too much. I think if Dwight calls Darko and tells him he wants him to stay and we offer a good chunk of money, I think he either makes his agent sign the deal or fires his agent.
You can take this with a grain of salt, but "Magic Confidential" has made a new post, here is what it said..... <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I am hearing iff there is a sign and trade, JJ or future pick(s) will probably have to be included in the deal. My sources told me today there are a lot of parts working with in a potential sign and trade deal. The sticking points have been on both sides of the table. From the Magic perspective they are reluctant to take Earl Watson in a deal and include JJ or a future draft pick. From the Sonics perspective Watson must go in a deal and they can not decide what it is worth for them to move themselves another $6+ million under the cap for next season. I am told the Magic will have close to $8 million in cap room if they sign and trade Lewis, just another reason Wallace may still be in the picture. That is a big MAY because I have not heard anything but the salary cap money would be used to make Darko a “healthy offer”</div> That makes a lot of sense though and trading JJ or future picks better not be the hold up because both are expendable to get more cap to give Darko or someone else an offer.
Wallace still on the table AFTER we signed Shard? That'd be a giant SF/SG jam of big money. I'm not sold on Wallace, or Shard for that matter, sharing the SG/SF positions, and if they're both signed for that much, they better be starters. I'm also not too ken on giving up ANOTHER pick for Darko. 15 + 44 + 54 + another pick? JJ I could careless about. He's expendable, but another pick? Sheesh. Whatever's clever, though. As long as we get Darko.
I remember hearing some time ago that Smith wanted J-Rich. I think he'd have been a better fit than Lewis...
<div class="quote_poster">The One & Only Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Wallace still on the table AFTER we signed Shard? That'd be a giant SF/SG jam of big money. I'm not sold on Wallace, or Shard for that matter, sharing the SG/SF positions, and if they're both signed for that much, they better be starters. I'm also not too ken on giving up ANOTHER pick for Darko. 15 + 44 + 54 + another pick? JJ I could careless about. He's expendable, but another pick? Sheesh. Whatever's clever, though. As long as we get Darko.</div> Gerald Wallace is actually so versatile he's played PF in Charlotte. A lineup of: PG-Nelson SG-Redick?? SF-Shard PF-Wallace C-Howard That lineup is insane. I'm over Darko now. The guy just wants money. He's already got a championship ring because of sitting on the bench. Darko wants 10+ million a year. No way. Chris Kaman doesn't even get that and he's better than him. <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Montaman:</div><div class="quote_post">I remember hearing some time ago that Smith wanted J-Rich. I think he'd have been a better fit than Lewis...</div> I don't see J-Rich fitting here actually. What can we trade to Charlotte for JRich anyways?
<div class="quote_poster">CLos Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Gerald Wallace is actually so versatile he's played PF in Charlotte. A lineup of: PG-Nelson SG-Redick?? SF-Shard PF-Wallace C-Howard That lineup is insane. I'm over Darko now. The guy just wants money. He's already got a championship ring because of sitting on the bench. Darko wants 10+ million a year. No way. Chris Kaman doesn't even get that and he's better than him.</div> Put Ariza at SG and that is a damn good lineup. I'm not too sold on Wallace being able to play PF, so I would still want to get a true PF, but I still like the idea. Who the hell is going to give Darko 10 mil a year. The only 2 teams that will be able to offer more than the MLE that actually wants Darko is Memphis and Orlando. Best case scenario for him is that he starts out at 8 mil a year and ends at 10. Most likely scenario Darko starts at around the qualifying offer of 6.8-7 with 10% increases. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't see J-Rich fitting here actually. What can we trade to Charlotte for JRich anyways?</div> We aren't going to get J Rich after Charlotte just traded for him.
<div class="quote_poster">GatorsowntheNCAA Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Put Ariza at SG and that is a damn good lineup. I'm not too sold on Wallace being able to play PF, so I would still want to get a true PF, but I still like the idea. Who the hell is going to give Darko 10 mil a year. The only 2 teams that will be able to offer more than the MLE that actually wants Darko is Memphis and Orlando. Best case scenario for him is that he starts out at 8 mil a year and ends at 10. Most likely scenario Darko starts at around the qualifying offer of 6.8-7 with 10% increases. We aren't going to get J Rich after Charlotte just traded for him.</div> I see another DeShawn Stevenson happening. Darko wants too much and at the end he'll settle for less. Might be in Memphis for all we know. He shouldn't expect that much at all. His agent is pulling him around and his treating Darko like his puppet. Putting Ariza in that lineup would be NASTY. That's like an insane defensive lineup. I just put Redick in there for the offensive spark. I wasn't saying that we should get J Rich anyways. Someone posted about getting him and I was just saying that we would have to put a big package for him seeing as Charlotte just got him.
<div class="quote_poster">CLos Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I see another DeShawn Stevenson happening. Darko wants too much and at the end he'll settle for less. Might be in Memphis for all we know. He shouldn't expect that much at all. His agent is pulling him around and his treating Darko like his puppet. Putting Ariza in that lineup would be NASTY. That's like an insane defensive lineup. I just put Redick in there for the offensive spark. I wasn't saying that we should get J Rich anyways. Someone posted about getting him and I was just saying that we would have to put a big package for him seeing as Charlotte just got him.</div> Well we only have 2 good defensive players in that lineup and both of them would be playing out of position and we have Jameer/Shard/Dwight for offense, so we need to get another defensive player in there and Ariza is that guy.
Dwight's doing his thing defensively. He's improving. Jameer's the biggest worry for me personally. Ariza at SG? Can Rashard playing SG and Ariza SF?
This is what I'm hearing could be the potential sign and trade.... Seattle receives: JJ Redick(2 mil with team option after this year) Pat Garrity(3.8 mil expiring) Carlos Arroyo(4 mil expiring) Keyon Dooling(3.6 mil expiring) Next years 1st, likely unprotected Approximately 4-5 mil Trade Exception(could be used towards getting Rip Hamilton) We could also possibly give you the $3-4 mil that would take to buyout Garrity's contract. I heard that too. for Rashard Lewis(estimated around 13 mil) Earl Watson(5.8 mil) That would save us probably close to 8-9 mil of cap space to go after Darko/Noc/AV or Gerald Wallace or to use in another trade.
If we land Rashard Lewis and Gerald Wallace, Otis Smith will be recognized as one of the top general managers in the league.
Getting both of them seems kind of a waste imo, though. They both predominately play the SF position, and if we signed both of them they better be starters. That means one of them will be playing outside their position. I feel that money would be better spent towards a true PF, such as Darko.
<div class="quote_poster">The One & Only Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Getting both of them seems kind of a waste imo, though. They both predominately play the SF position, and if we signed both of them they better be starters. That means one of them will be playing outside their position. I feel that money would be better spent towards a true PF, such as Darko.</div> I completely agree.
<div class="quote_poster">The One & Only Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Getting both of them seems kind of a waste imo, though. They both predominately play the SF position, and if we signed both of them they better be starters. That means one of them will be playing outside their position. I feel that money would be better spent towards a true PF, such as Darko.</div> As I said before, Wallace can play PF and as done a nice job. He's avg. over 2blks and 2 stls per game. Rashard can also play SG/SF. Gerald can play SG/SF/PF. GForce is very versatile. Don't get me wrong, I want Darko back but if he wants to argue with Otis, then to hell with him.
<div class="quote_poster">CLos Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">As I said before, Wallace can play PF and as done a nice job. He's avg. over 2blks and 2 stls per game. Rashard can also play SG/SF. Gerald can play SG/SF/PF. GForce is very versatile. Don't get me wrong, I want Darko back but if he wants to argue with Otis, then to hell with him.</div> I really don't want Gerald Wallace playing PF for us. I'd happily take him at SG if we have a trade for a PF involving Hedo.
If we also landed Wallace, it would be hell at the SF position. Ariza, Hedo, Shard, Wallace? Sure we look like we have a strong back court, but our front court would look really thin with Dwight as our main "piece of meat" in the paint. Yay for Garrity being a back up?
<div class="quote_poster">The One & Only Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">If we also landed Wallace, it would be hell at the SF position. Ariza, Hedo, Shard, Wallace? Sure we look like we have a strong back court, but our front court would look really thin with Dwight as our main "piece of meat" in the paint. Yay for Garrity being a back up?</div> Stop putting GForce as a SF. He can play 3 positions. I'm getting a headache telling you this. Also, trade Turkoglu for a solid big man. Joe Smith?? Magloire?? Someone valuable who is a solid complement to Dwight. Forget Garrity!!!! We have Bo Outlaw!
<div class="quote_poster">CLos Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Stop putting GForce as a SF. He can play 3 positions. I'm getting a headache telling you this. Also, trade Turkoglu for a solid big man. Joe Smith?? Magloire?? Someone valuable who is a solid complement to Dwight. Forget Garrity!!!! We have Bo Outlaw! </div> His point is that we would have tons of wings. I would sign Gerald Wallace only if you know you are going to either resign Darko over the cap or trade Hedo for a quality big to play PF that complements Dwight very well. Not to mention Gerald Wallace's best position is SF, so I don't understand why you are getting angry at him. Of course we won't play him there behind Shard, but look at how much talent we have stockpiled behind Shard. I wouldn't feel comfortable at all starting and playing Gerald Wallace or Rashard Lewis at PF for 82 games, so Wallace would likely have to play SG, but could play PF at times, while Shard is the same way but at SF.
