UPDATED: Magic Withdraw Offer to Darko Milicic, Who Refuses to Play for Orlando if Otis Smith is GM

This picture of Darko from the final game of last season's playoffs may depict the last time Darko wears a Magic uniform.
Photo by Gary W. Green, Orlando Sentinel

Continuing the flurry of news today, ESPN.com reports that the Magic have withdrawn their offer to their own restricted free-agent, Darko Milicic. The move makes Darko an unrestricted free agent, meaning the Magic do not have the right to match any offer another team makes. Marc Cornstein, Darko's agent, minced no words when discussing the withdrawal:

"I think it is unfortunate how dishonest and deceitful Otis Smith and the Orlando Magic have been in the process. However, I think it can be a good thing for Darko. I believe Darko is the most coveted free agent in the market now. We are excited to get a fresh start with a team that truly believes in him."

It looks like we've seen the last of Darko here in Orlando, at least if Cornstein has his way. But there aren't too many teams that can offer Darko the money he wants, meaning he still might return to the Magic:

Only three teams, the Bobcats, Grizzlies and Bucks, have the cap room available to offer more than the mid-level exception. A fourth team, the Chicago Bulls, might be able to clear enough room if they were to renounce their rights to free agent Andres Nocioni.

UPDATE: The Orlando Sentinel has late-breaking news on this story: Marc Cornstein told the Sentinel that Darko Milicic will not play for the Magic as long as Otis Smith is the team's GM. Barring a bold executive decision to fire Smith by team owner Rich DeVos, the Magic have indeed seen the last of Darko. My take? Otis Smith genuinely wants to keep Darko, but is pissed at the games Cornstein has played in the media trying to drive up Darko's value, which is why he's been slow to negotiate a new deal. What a mess this has become.

This move is puzzling to me, as it means the Magic traded away an expiring contract (Kelvin Cato) and a valuable first-round draft pick for a net of a backup point guard, Carlos Arroyo. The ESPN article to which I linked quotes an unidentified team's general manager as saying Otis Smith has not returned phone calls regarding trades for Darko. Complicating the matter, Otis remains on record as saying that re-signing Darko is a top priority. Whom do you believe?

The last time we let a 7-footer leave in free-agency, he went on to dominate the league and win three straight titles.

Photo by the Associated Press

While I'm not saying Darko will ever replicate that success, I am saying there is a bad precedent here. Ominous.

Patrick Ewing Among Orlando's New Assistant Coaches

As if the Rashard Lewis news weren't exciting enough, the Magic announced the hirings of four new assistant coaches: Brendan Malone, Steve Clifford, Bob Breyer, and Patrick Ewing. The release to which I linked summarizes each coach's respective resume.



It should surprise no one that I think this is exciting news. I admittedly know nothing about the first three coaches listed, but Patrick Ewing's presence speaks for itself. He'll work with the Magic's post players, like Dwight Howard, on perfecting their low-post moves; as of right now, Howard's greatest post weapon is the dunk.

Under the tutelage of Patrick Ewing, Dwight Howard will expand his limited offensive game. We'll still see plenty of dunks, like this ferocious one over New Orleans Hornet Jannero Pargo.
Photo by the Associated Press

The only way this summer could get any better is if we could work out a way to keep Darko without having to trade Trevor Ariza.

Reaction to the Rashard Lewis Signing from Around the Web

• There are two sides to every story, and dyed-in-the-wool Sonic fan Nuss of SuperSonicSoul offers his perspective on Rashard Lewis' time spent in Seattle in this eloquent post. Apparently, for all his talent, Lewis never really endeared himself to Sonics fans. It's a great read. Plus, where else in the sports blogosphere would you find an E.M. Forster quote?
• ESPN.com's John Hollinger offers his analysis of the Lewis signing in this Insider post, which is available for free at the moment. He concludes that although the deal doesn't make the Magic contenders instantly, it still works because it puts them on a reasonable timetable. He adds that, between the hiring of Stan the Man and the signing of Lewis, the Magic are off to the best offseason of any team in the NBA. After the Billy Donovan mess, who woulda thunk it?
  
• Henry Abbott of True Hoop points out in this post that the Sonics have, in the span of a week, lost their two best players and received "an oft-injured veteran [Wally Szczerbiak], the backup point guard from the second worst team in the league [Delonte West of the Celtics], and a draft pick [Jeff Green]." Despite all that, Abbott writes, the Sonics have a bright future. Something tells me the drafting of Kevin Durant has something to do with that.
• For more Magic-centered perspectives, I recommend reading the latest posts on OrlandoMagicFan and on Black and Blue, as well as the forums at MagicMadness.

It's Unofficially Official: ESPN Confirms Lewis Will Sign With Orlando

When ESPN reports something, I tend to believe it. And earlier this morning, ESPN confirmed the rumor that Rashard Lewis will leave the Seattle SuperSonics to sign with the Orlando Magic.

It also confirms that the team will have to let Darko Milicic become an unrestricted free agent if they can't find a taker on someone else's contract:

The price for Lewis' services could grow, though. Unless a sign-and-trade arrangement can be worked out with Lewis' old team or unless it can otherwise shed a contract or two to create more salary-cap space in the next week, Orlando will have to renounce the rights to restricted free agent Darko Milicic to create the cap room to fund such a lucrative deal, instantly making Milicic an unrestricted free agent.

I was a bit cranky last night when I heard that part of the story, but the more I think about it, the calmer I become. Lewis is a top-30 talent in this league. Pairing him with Dwight Howard, who is arguably the league's second- or third-best center, should make the Magic contenders in the East for the next several seasons. It'll be sad to see Darko leave, because he showed a ton of potential in last year's playoffs, but he had still yet to prove himself.

Of course, all of that talk is rendered moot of the Magic are able to dump the necessary salaries so they can retain Milicic and sign Lewis. Let's hope that becomes the case.

UPDATED: WKMG: Rashard Lewis Will Sign With Orlando for 5 Years, $75 Million

Rashard Lewis shoots over fellow free-agent Gerald Wallace in a game from the 2006/2007 season. If Orlando's WKMG-TV can be believed, Lewis will be targeting baskets in Orlando next season.
Photo by Robert Padgett, Reuters

None of the major news outlets have reported this news yet, but it's a doozy:

Rashard Lewis is coming to Orlando.

RealGM.com quotes WKMG, a news station based here in Orlando, as reporting that Lewis will sign with the Magic on July 11th. His deal is reportedly worth $75 M over five seasons. The item also says that the Magic will allow Darko Milicic to become an unrestricted free agent.

UPDATE: Although the RealGM link is still active, there's nothing to be found about the Lewis signing on WKMG's website, which certainly calls into question the legitimacy of the report.

If this news is indeed true, I have to say I'm disappointed. How can I be so let down when the top player on my free-agency wishlist is apparently coming to Orlando? Because Otis Smith has been telling Magic fans for months that re-signing Darko would be the Magic's top priority. Now, it appears as though that wasn't the truth after all. If the Magic were truly intent on retaining Darko, they would have tried to find a way to clear more salary-cap room, which would have enabled them to both re-sign Darko and sign a big-name free agent. Would it really have been that difficult to find a suitor for Hedo Turkoglu? Trading him would have cleared an additional $5 M in cap space, which certainly would have helped keep the Dwight/Darko/Free-Agent-to-be-Named-Later vision of the future intact.

Again, this news is not official by any means, but if it is, I'm not exactly thrilled. I feel like I've been lied to, and that's not something I take to kindly.

Magic Release Summer Roster, Hope to Address Frontcourt Needs

It's been a slow news day, at least as far as free agency is concerned, but the Magic did make some news by releasing their roster for the Pepsi Pro Summer League, which runs at the RDV Sportsplex from July 9th to July 13th.

Headlining the Magic's roster is J.J. Redick, who was unable to compete in last summer's league due to injury. Redick will likely be the Magic's starting two-guard if Grant Hill does not re-sign with the team. More noteworthy, at least to me, is the presence of 6'10" power forward Milovan Rakovic on the roster. Rakovic was the last overall selection in last Thursday's draft, acquired from Dallas in exchange for the rights for Reyshawn Terry.

Like many, I certainly don't expect Rakovic to make the Magic's 15-man roster for the 2007/2008 season, but I also didn't expect that he'd even be in the United States at this point. It'll be nice to get a look at what he can do, but in all likelihood he won't play in the NBA for several seasons.

Rakovic won't be the only big-man battling for his NBA life for the Magic this summer. In fact, the Magic's summer roster is loaded with players who could see significant backup minutes at the power-forward and center positions during the regular season. Apart from Dwight Howard, Tony Battie, and Darko Milicic, the Magic have no NBA-caliber talent at power forward and center. The need for a backup is particularly apparent now, as Milicic might leave via free-agency. Former Magic second-round picks Marcin Gortat (7'0", 240 lbs) and James Augustine (6'10", 235 lbs) are on this summer's team, as is former D-League standout Anthony Fuqua (6'11", 225 lbs). And although he isn't on the summer team and hasn't played in the NBA since the 2005/2006 season, former Magic forward Mario Kasun received a qualifying offer from the team last Friday, making him a restricted free agent.

Marcin Gortat, whose favorite actor is Will Smith, may finally get the chance to prove that he belongs in the NBA.

If it seems like the Magic are scraping the bottom of the barrel for big-men, it's because they are. However, the Magic have to be happier with whichever stiff they sign from the summer team than they are with current backup power forward Pat Garrity, a veteran who saw limited minutes last season. Bo Outlaw also plays the position, but he is an unrestricted free-agent and his status with the Magic for next season is uncertain. The next-best option is Hedo Turkoglu, who is a natural small-forward and a sub-par rebounder, especially given his height of 6'10".

Hedo Turkoglu will have to improve his rebounding if he is to start at power forward, which he might be forced to do if Darko Milicic leaves via free agency.
Photo by Max Whittaker, the Associated Press

Rounding out next season's frontcourt would have been the Magic's highest priority this summer, but their dreadful offense last season made the need for perimeter scoring more pressing. Remember how freaked-out I was when Darko sprained his ankle at the end of last season and it looked like he might miss the start of the playoffs? Well, I'm well beyond that level now. Last season, the most Darko would have missed was two games. Given the way free agency is playing out, Darko might miss 82 games in 2007/2008.

The prospect of signing Rashard Lewis this summer is exciting; the prospect of watching Hedo Turkoglu trying to box out Emeka Okafor is not.

Orlando Sentinel: Magic Not Among 10+ Teams That Have Contacted Darko Milicic

Considering that the Magic have yet to contact Darko Milicic, it's not a slam-dunk guarantee that he will return to Orlando next season.
Photo by Joe Kaleita, Orlando Sentinel

In a rather shocking development, the Magic have still not contacted restricted free-agent Darko Milicic about re-signing with the team, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Marc Cornstein, Darko's agent, told the Sentinel's Brian Schmitz that more than 10 teams had contacted him to ask about Darko, and some had even made offers. Cornstein went on to say that he has been in contact with Darko, who is at home in Serbia, and told him about the latest development.

This news should shock Magic Nation. Consider this chat, which deals primarily with Darko's status, conducted with Orlando GM Otis Smith just a few days after the Magic's season ended:

On if signing Milicic is first on the timeline for the summer…
“Yeah, I think you have to. Darko’s important to us so we’d like to get Darko done as soon as we possibly can, before we can move on anyplace else. Having Darko, as a part of our franchise, playing alongside Dwight [Howard] is big for us. I don’t think we can afford to lose a young big guy. Now, with that said, we still have to go through the process of getting the contract done and we necessarily can’t do that until July 1. But, we want him on our team. But that has to be the first thing, the first piece coming in. As you well know, there’s a cap hold there that kind of prevents you from doing anything else. Unless you renounce. And if you renounce you can’t sign him for another 60 days, so that’s a little sticky too.”
[....]
On Milicic being the first priority…
“That’s the first thing you have to concern yourself with. I know it, Cornstein knows it – which may slow it down by the way. But that’s the first thing to take care of.”

On if he’ll make an offer on July 1 or see what the market is…
“I think you can make him an offer right there and let it be done and out of the way or you can sit and let the market dictate. But you may lose a little bit of leverage in that you’re trying to move it fast, you may. But I’m not telling you anything that Marc doesn’t know, we’re not trading industry secrets.”

The writing is on the wall... or internet, as it were: Darko was the Magic's top priority, at least in late April. Perhaps the increased presence of other teams in the Rashard Lewis Sweepstakes has forced Otis to change his plan. If nothing else, someone from the Magic organization should have been on the phone with Cornstein at 12:01 this morning, even if it was just to say "We are very interested in Darko and look forward to discussing a contract with you soon." That's it. A simple phone call. It's good business.

The last news that connected Darko and the Magic, at least as far as I know, was this item posted Friday on the team's website. All it says is that the Magic tendered offers to Darko, Travis Diener, and Mario Kasun, which makes those players restricted free agents. Perhaps the Magic figured that tendering the offer was enough to show their interest in Darko. But that process is just a formality and isn't considered a sincere gesture.

This incident isn't the first time the Magic have slighted Darko: last summer, the Magic offered him a contract extension, only to take it off the table at the last minute. Could this latest show of disrespect turn Darko and Cornstein off to Orlando? It very well might, and that's bad news for the Magic.

Vince Carter Sweepstakes Over: Vinsanity to re-sign with Nets

The Nets will keep their All-Star backcourt duo of Jason Kidd and Vince Carter together. Earlier today, Carter reached an agreement to re-sign with the Nets.
Photo by Al Bello, Getty Images

The Orlando Magic's chances to land Vince Carter ended this afternoon when he agreed to terms with the New Jersey Nets, the team for which he has played the past two-plus seasons. ESPN.com reports that Carter's deal is for four years and is worth $61.8 M. Per league rules, the signing can't be made official until July 11th.

It's just as well for the Magic. Carter's age and attitude would have made him a questionable choice had the Magic pursued him. Nonetheless, he would have drawn quite a crowd to the Orlando Arena.

Carter's signing narrows down the list of big-name free agents to All-Stars Chauncey Billups and Rashard Lewis, as well as the up-and-coming Mo Williams and Gerald Wallace.

UPDATED: Free Agency is Upon Us: Is Rashard Lewis Out of Reach?

Orlando Magic GM Otis Smith can't get down on himself if free-agent Rashard Lewis suddenly becomes unavailable.
Photo by Red Huber, Orlando Sentinel

At the stroke of midnight just moments ago, the period during which NBA teams may negotiate with free agents began. In all likelihood, Otis Smith is already on the phone with Rashard Lewis, hoping to set up a meeting in Orlando in hopes of signing this summer's top free-agent prize. But it might be a tougher sell than anticipated. If there is any truth to this report, kindly pointed out by CLos over at Magic Madness, Lewis is only using us to drive up his asking price with the SuperSonics in hopes of forcing a sign-and-trade deal involving the SuperSonics and either the Mavericks or Rockets.

UPDATE: The Houston trade is no longer a rumor and a great fear now strikes me; the story showed up on ESPN.com early Sunday morning. Said Rockets GM Daryl Morey:

"We really want him. We think he would be a significant player for us. Rashard would have to be motivated to come."

Lewis played his high-school ball in Houston and could be motivated to return home.

Then there's the report to which I linked yesterday, which states that the Heat are dangling Udonis Haslem and Jason Williams' expiring contract in front of the Sonics in exchange for Lewis.

These reports, if they can be believed, seem to damper the Magic's hopes of getting Lewis, who knows the Mavericks, Rockets, and Heat are much closer to contending than the Magic are. Think of the star power already on each of those teams:

• Dallas has Dirk Nowitzki, who won the MVP award last season, and the young Josh Howard, who was a first-time All-Star selection last season.
• Houston has arguably the best inside-outside combination in the league with Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. New head coach Rick Adelman is well-known for being popular with his players.
• Miami has Shaquille O'Neal, who is the most dominant center of this generation, and Dwyane Wade, who single-handedly won Miami the title in 2006.
  

Fortunately, Dallas and Houston don't have much to offer Seattle in terms of a trade. Young point guard Devin Harris is the only asset Dallas has, and he'd have to be inked to a hefty extension for the salaries to match up. Houston could put Rafer Alston, Shane Battier, and Jake Tsakilidis together, but Alston and Battier have unattractive, long-running contracts and Tsakilidis is a total stiff.

Miami is what worries me the most. Udonis Haslem is a valuable role-player in this league, and Jason Williams' hefty contract comes off the books in 2008, just in time for the Sonics to make a play in free-agency. Of course, Lewis would have to approve any sign-and-trade deal, but why wouldn't he approve one to Miami? After all, they're only one year removed from the title, and Lewis knows that he could make them a contender again in a hurry. Miami has all the benefits of Orlando -- beautiful weather, no state income taxes -- and it can contend immediately.

What seemed like a sure thing just days ago now seems far less of one. I wouldn't give up hope yet, though; those rumors may not be true and Lewis may prefer to play in Orlando after all. But after hearing this news, I suspect Otis Smith would do well to get Gerald Wallace on the line as well.