Orlando Magic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Dwight Eyes Magic Return But Prefers Rockets

March 25th, 2016 at 2:57pm CST by Chuck Myron

Dwight Howard would prefer to re-sign with the Rockets this summer, but the Magic have heard that he’d entertain the idea of returning to Orlando, league sources told Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher for a video report (Twitter link). Howard is expected to turn down a player option worth about $23.282MM to seek a maximum salary deal that would pay him some $30MM next season. Previous reports have indicated his interest in the Bucks and Knicks.

A return to Orlando, where Howard spent the first eight seasons of his career and made his only Finals appearance, has seemed far-fetched ever since the team dealt him to the Lakers in August 2012. Magic GM Rob Hennigan was in his first offseason on the job when he traded Howard away, ending an acrimonious saga that dragged on over the final months of Howard’s tenure in Orlando. The Magic, with only mathematical hopes of a postseason berth this year, have yet to make the playoffs since.

Howard’s future plans have long been difficult to pin down. USA Today’s Sam Amick suggested earlier this week that the Rockets were merely a fallback option for the former All-Star, and Houston engaged in well-publicized trade talks with several teams about him before last month’s deadline. The 30-year-old former No. 1 overall pick was in the midst of changing agents while the trade talk was going on, dumping Dan Fegan for Perry Rogers, the representative for fellow ex-Magic center Shaquille O’Neal.

The Rockets were reportedly in touch with the Mavericks, Bulls, Hawks, Celtics, Hornets, Heat, Bucks and Raptors about Howard as they engaged teams about their interest in him, but Houston found the market underwhelming. Howard is averaging 14.3 points and 8.8 shot attempts per game, his lowest numbers in either category since the 2004/05 season, when he was a 19-year-old rookie with the Magic.

Chandler Parsons Has Season-Ending Surgery

March 25th, 2016 at 1:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

1:02pm: The team confirmed the surgery via press release, adding that Parsons will indeed miss the rest of the season.

10:54am: Chandler Parsons had season-ending surgery this morning to remedy the torn meniscus in his right knee, sources tell Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com (ESPN Now link). MacMahon reported earlier this week that the soon-to-be free agent was likely to have the operation but planned to get a second opinion. Schuyler Dixon of The Associated Press indicated that it was conceivable that Parsons would return for the playoffs even if he did undergo the procedure, but that’s apparently out of the question at this point. Parsons is still expected to opt out of his contract this summer, and the Mavericks are still the front-runners to sign him, MacMahon wrote this week.

The surgery is on the same knee that ended Parsons’ season prematurely last year, though the injury isn’t as serious this time around, and Parsons will be able to take part in his normal offseason training regimen, according to MacMahon. The 27-year-old is poised to hit free agency as a hot commodity, with the Magic his primary option should he choose to leave Dallas, as MacMahon reported earlier this month. MacMahon also heard from sources who expected the Heat, Lakers, Nets, Knicks, Trail Blazers, Rockets, Nuggets and perhaps Thunder to also be in pursuit, though an executive from one team told Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com that he wouldn’t sign Parsons because of concerns about the knee.

The immediate worry in Dallas is about the Mavs’ hopes of a playoff berth, with the loss of Parsons a serious blow. The Mavs, Trail Blazers, Jazz and Rockets are separated by just one game in the loss column with only three playoff spots in play for the four teams. Portland and Dallas have 36 losses while Utah and Houston have 37. The regular season ends April 13th.

Reserve Jeremy Evans is also lost for the rest of the season, but Dallas doesn’t have enough injuries to warrant a 16th roster spot via hardship. That leaves the Mavs without much roster flexibility, as the deadline for a disabled player exception passed more than two months ago, and the team already has 15 players signed through at least the end of the season.

Pistons Boss Keeping Eye On Brandon Jennings

March 24th, 2016 at 12:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said he’ll “keep an eye” on Brandon Jennings this summer in the hopes that the soon-to-be free agent finds the right situation, as MLive’s Aaron McMann relays. Van Gundy said in January that he could envision re-signing the point guard, despite the presence of entrenched starter Reggie Jackson, before Detroit traded Jennings to the Magic last month. It’s unclear whether Van Gundy is thinking about a reunion with Jennings, but it’s nonetheless apparent that the Pistons boss has affection for him, lauding his commitment and positive locker room influence. “The one thing, and some people probably think you’re full of crap,” Van Gundy said. “We said to him all along — he and his agent [Jeff Schwartz] — that if we traded him, we would try very hard to get him into a good situation. He had played for [Magic coach] Scott [Skiles] before, and the Magic really wanted him. It sounded to us like he was going to get an opportunity there. That was important to us because I’ve got great respect for Brandon and for what he did for us last year.”

Tobias Harris Thanks Magic For Trade To Pistons

March 24th, 2016 at 12:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

Tobias Harris just signed a four-year, $64MM deal with the Magic in July, but he took it in stride when the team traded him to the Pistons at last month’s deadline, observes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. “I’m not mad at Orlando for the trade,” Harris said Tuesday. “Actually, if I was to sit here and be upset, that would be selfish, wouldn’t it? All they did was put me in an amazing situation. Truthfully, I thank them for that. I mean, I loved my time there, but business is business, and I think being here has been great for me.”

Magic Camp Cut Melvin Ejim To Play In Italy

March 22nd, 2016 at 9:33pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Melvin Ejim, who was in training camp with the Magic earlier this season, has signed with the Italian club Reyer Venezia, the team announced (translation courtesy of Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Orlando’s D-League affiliate waived Ejim to allow him to sign overseas.

Frye Has No Hard Feelings Toward Magic

March 20th, 2016 at 1:18pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Channing Frye has made 26 of 52 shots from behind the arc since coming to the Cavs, and he appears to be fitting in with the team both on and off the court, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com writes. Frye feels comfortable with Cleveland and has no ill will toward Orlando for trading him just a year and a half into a four-year, $32MM deal. “When [the Magic drafted] a guy like Aaron Gordon, they wanted to develop that. I understood it. It was part of the business,” Frye said.

Skiles: Channing Frye Will Help Cavs

March 18th, 2016 at 9:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Channing Frye‘s former coach in Orlando believes he will be a valuable asset for the Cavaliers in the postseason, Lloyd adds in the same piece. “When he’s on the floor, they’re looking for him,” Scott Skiles said. “So much attention is on other players, and that’s Channing’s game. He just kind of finds spots, and when he gets his feet set, he’s as good of a big man shooter as there is.” Cleveland picked up Frye from the Magic last month in a deal at the trade deadline.

[SOURCE LINK]

Eastern Notes: Magic, Harris, Embiid

March 16th, 2016 at 8:22pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Magic had other offers on the table for Tobias Harris, but they opted to take Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova from Detroit because both players had played under coach Scott Skiles previously, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders writes. Orlando believed the duo could contribute immediately to the team’s goal of making the playoffs, Kennedy adds.

The Magic are 6-8 since adding Ilyasova and Jennings, sitting five and a half games behind the Pistons, who are currently tied with the Bulls for the eighth seed in the conference entering tonight’s slate of games. Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy feels that Harris has masterfully fit in with the team, Kennedy passes along in the same piece. “You feel like he’s been here all year, even in terms of the way he relates to his teammates,” Van Gundy said. “It’s actually been a pretty seamless transition. He’s unselfish.”
Even if Joel Embiid is able to remain healthy, the Sixers should take a patient approach with regard to his development, Bob Cooney of Philadelphia Daily News cautions. Cooney points out that Embiid now 22 years old, has only been playing basketball for roughly six years.
The Pacers have assigned Shayne Whittington to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, according to the team’s website.

Southeast Notes: Hardaway Jr., Johnson, Magic

March 16th, 2016 at 10:01am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Hawks‘ patience with Tim Hardaway Jr. is beginning to pay off, with the player finally rounding into shape after a wrist injury he suffered last season derailed his offseason program, David Aldridge of NBA.com writes. The swingman’s progress is due to the team being more concerned about getting him healthy than getting him on the court early in order to justify sacrificing a 2015 first-rounder in order to acquire him, Aldridge adds. Hardaway admitted it was difficult for him when told he wasn’t going to begin the season in the rotation, but coach/executive Mike Budenholzer‘s willingness to communicate assuaged any doubts he may have had, the scribe relays.

“I knew what was at stake,” Hardaway said. “I know what coach wanted me to do. When the coaches are able to talk to the players one on one, it makes life a lot easier, just to know what they want out of that player. It was great to have coach Bud just talk to me one on one, consistently, and not have me worry about it. He hears the positives I’m doing. And that helped me out tremendously.”

Here’s more out of the Southeast Division:

The Heat are hoping the addition of Joe Johnson and their newfound offensive versatility will allow them to be a factor in the playoffs, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel writes. “I think we’re an unpredictable team as far as who’s going to score the basketball,” Johnson said. “We’re not predictable in who’s going to have a big night. We’ve got a lot of guys that are very versatile, who make plays offensively and defensively. So I think it takes pressure off of everybody.” Miami has a 6-2 mark since signing Johnson, who agreed to a buyout with the Nets in order to join a playoff contender, Winderman notes.
The Magic are a long shot to make the playoffs this season, with coach Scott Skiles pointing to the team’s lack of consistency throughout the campaign as a major contributing factor to its woes, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel relays. “My ego would be crazy big if I thought it was having an effect right now,” Skiles said regarding his rallying cry for the team to make a postseason push. “We just came out and laid an egg. The rallying cry’s been the rallying cry. But you’re not eliminated ’til you’re mathematically eliminated. That’s just the way it goes. But the fact that we haven’t been able to consistently do the things that we need to do is not a good sign. But at any point we could do them. We just haven’t gotten it done.” Orlando is currently 4.5 games behind Chicago for the eighth and final playoff slot in the East.

And Ones: Budenholzer, Payton, D-League

March 15th, 2016 at 10:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Hawks have increased their use of analytics and technology in how they help players recover from injuries and maintain their bodies, David Aldridge of NBA.com notes. The use of new and nontraditional techniques is one change that Mike Budenholzer implemented when he took over as the team’s president of basketball operations, Aldridge adds. “We wanted to have all of the groups, everybody within the organization that had a great synergy and worked well together, and had a passion,” Budenholzer told the scribe. “Keke Lyles, [trainer] Art Horne and [strength and conditioning coach] Mike Roncarati and [Athletic Performance Coach] Chris Chase and [assistant trainer] Scottie Parker have a passion for athletic performance, keeping our guys, pushing the envelope for them being the best they can be. You could feel that when we interviewed them and talked with them.”

Lyles, who is Atlanta’s director of player performance, told Aldridge of the team’s approach, “I think the biggest thing is, [Budenholzer] has a certain vision about the court, and what the players are doing. And he wanted that to carry over into what guys did as prep. Obviously, our field is not his area of expertise, but he knew the value of it, and how important it is. And so I think he saw the opportunity to bring a group in that was kind of on the same page, and thought the same way, and had very specific goals that we wanted to accomplish in treatment.” Budenholzer credits Lyles with helping Kyle Korver and Tim Hardaway Jr. return to form after their respective surgeries, Aldridge also notes.

Here’s more from around the league:

Elfrid Payton has yet to establish himself as the Magic‘s point guard of the future despite making small strides in improving his scoring average and shooting numbers, Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel writes. “I don’t want to single a spot out. We’re 9-24 since the first of the year. So all of our our spots…we’re not playing well enough in general,” coach Scott Skiles responded when asked about the play of the team’s playmakers. When asked specifically about Payton, the coach said, “Again, I just don’t think it’s fair….I’m not trying to duck the question. If we were having a more consistent season, I’d feel a little bit more comfortable answering that. Again, our troubles are at many spots.“
The Pistons have an available roster spot after not electing to sign Justin Harper for the remainder of the season after his second 10-day deal came to an end, but Detroit has no immediate plans to bring in another player, Keith Langlois of NBA.com tweets.
The Pacers have recalled center Shayne Whittington from their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This was the big man’s fifth stint with the Mad Ants on the season.