Orlando Magic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Jennings, Hezonja, Teague

February 16th, 2016 at 9:38pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Hawks should think twice before agreeing to a deal that would bring Dwight Howard to Atlanta, Mark Bradley of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. The Hawks would almost certainly take a step back this season as a result of the trade, with Howard being a difficult player to integrate into the offense at such a late stage in the season, Bradley opines. The scribe also cites Howard’s limitations as a passer and his declining physical skills as reasons the Hawks should take a pass, not to mention the big man’s ability to opt out of his deal this summer and become an unrestricted free agent. Howard is reportedly interested in joining the Hawks, but Atlanta has also spoken with the Hornets regarding the 30-year-old center.

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Magic don’t intend to trade any other members of their nucleus prior to the trade deadline unless they are absolutely blown away by an offer, GM Rob Hennigan told Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando dealt away combo forward Tobias Harris to the Pistons earlier today in exchange for point guard Brandon Jennings and power forward Ersan Ilyasova.
Jennings had hoped to be traded to the Knicks rather than the Magic, sources close to the point guard tell Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net. New York was eyeing the veteran point guard as it looks to upgrade its point guard spot, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com.
Magic rookie swingman Mario Hezonja has parted ways with the Wasserman Media Group, international journalist David Pick reports (via Twitter). Hezonja is in the first year of his rookie scale deal, so any move is likely endorsement related, though that is merely my speculation.
The Jazz have inquired about Hawks point guard Jeff Teague, Spencer Checketts of 97.5 The Zone relays (on Twitter). The talks were stalled when Atlanta requested Rodney Hood and a draft pick in return, Checketts adds.
The Hornets traded P.J. Hairston to the Grizzlies because they had grown tired of dealing with his antics, a league source tells Marc J. Spears of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
The Heat were able to create a trade exception worth $2,145,060 as a result of the three-team swap with Memphis and Charlotte earlier today, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders notes (via Twitter).

Magic Shopping Channing Frye

February 16th, 2016 at 1:55pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Magic have been trying to trade Channing Frye, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com (ESPN Now link), who suggests the effort will accelerate now that the team has reportedly agreed to trade Tobias Harris, who’s Frye’s cousin, to the Pistons for Ersan Ilyasova and Brandon Jennings. Orlando has fielded multiple inquiries on Frye, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News reported a few weeks ago, adding that an executive from a rival team said interest in the veteran floor-stretcher was high. The Magic apparently denied before the season that they were making Frye available for little in return.

The 32-year-old has disappointed since Orlando signed him to a four year deal during the summer of 2014. He has appeared in 44 games this season, including 29 as a starter, and is averaging just 5.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per night. His career averages are 9.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.0 assist and Frye owns a career slash line of .438/.387/.820.

Frye is making more than $8.193MM this season, with about $7.8MM coming next season and $7.4MM in 2017/18, the final year of his deal.

And-Ones: Morris, Kings, Gasol

February 15th, 2016 at 11:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns want a package that includes a younger player and a first-round pick for power forward Markieff Morris, several league executives told Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. Phoenix has no intention of bringing back Morris next season but GM Ryan McDonough could wait until the summer to deal him if he doesn’t get the desired package, Wojnarowski continues. Phoenix already owns five first-rounders over the next three drafts, which motivates McDonough to get more than just a pick for Morris, Wojnarowski adds.

In other news around the league:

The Kings and Magic are under internal pressure to make the playoffs and that increases the chances of those teams making a deadline deal, David Aldridge of NBA.com tweets. Kings owner Vivek Ranadive and vice president of basketball operations Vlade Divac were also canvassing league officials during the All-Star break on possible GM candidates, Wojnarowski reported in his trade deadline update. Divac holds the title of GM but the team is looking for someone who has more experience working with the collective bargaining agreement to assist him, as Wojnarowski details.
The Knicks could make a play for the Bulls’ Pau Gasol, an unrestricted free agent this summer, even though center is not a clear position of need, Marc Berman of the New York Post opines. A source told Berman that money isn’t a primary concern for Gasol, which bodes well for the Knicks. Gasol is one of Knicks president Phil Jackson’s favorite players and he would make a perfect mentor to rookie power forward Kristaps Porzingis, Berman continues. The Knicks could attempt to trade current starter Robin Lopez to open up a spot for Gasol and might also clear cap space sooner by dealing backup big man Kyle O’Quinn, whom they’ve reportedly offered around, before the trade deadline, Berman adds.
Lakers reserve shooting guard Nick Young is hopeful of getting traded to a playoff-bound team, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News reports. The club wants to move Young, as it tried to do during last season’s trade deadline and the offseason, but has struggled to find a taker, Medina continues. Young has two years and approximately $11.1MM remaining on his contract after this season, with a player option on the final year.
There is only a slim possibility that the Warriors will make a trade before Thursday’s deadline, a source told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

Pistons, Magic Talk Harris, Jennings, Ilyasova Deal

February 15th, 2016 at 1:09pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Pistons and Magic have spoken about a potential trade that would send Tobias Harris to Detroit for Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova, sources tell Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops (Twitter links). The sides are progressing, USA Today’s Sam Amick hears, adding that while no deal is done, it seems likely to happen (on Twitter). It would represent a nearly even exchange of salaries for this season, with Harris’ $16MM going to the Pistons and $16,244,497 headed to Orlando, but a long-term cost savings for the Magic, since Jennings is on an expiring deal and Ilyasova is guaranteed only $400K for next season. Harris signed a four-year, $64MM deal this past summer.

Eastern Notes: Horford, Ainge, Magic

February 13th, 2016 at 9:24pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Al Horford is happy in Atlanta and remains committed to the Hawks, Sam Amick of USA Today writes. “I’ve said it repeatedly. I love the city. My family, we all live in Atlanta, we stay there in the offseason, so my focus is just to keep playing and taking it day by day,” Horford said. The big man will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and the team is thinking “long and hard” about offering him a five-year max deal that would pay him an estimated $32.7MM at the age of 34 years old.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge doesn’t believe that the Hawks will move any of their key guys before the deadline, Jay King of MassLive relays (Twitter link).
The Magic are one of the few teams with an open roster spot and the health of C.J. Watson will influence how the team uses it, Bobby Marks of the Vertical on Yahoo Sports notes. Watson, who signed a three-year, $15MM deal with Orlando last summer, has only played in eight games this season.
The only player that Orlando should look to move is Channing Frye, Marks opines in the same piece. The scribe believes that Frye still holds value throughout the league and the Magic shouldn’t shake up their core, as they have a chance to push for a playoff spot with this group. Orlando sits four and a half games behind the Hornets for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Southeast Notes: Griffin, Harris, Teague

February 10th, 2016 at 4:10pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Magic were one of several teams to reach out to the Clippers about trading for Blake Griffin, reports Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, who writes in his NBA AM piece. They didn’t get very far, but a serious discussion nonetheless took place about the idea of sending three Magic players, including Tobias Harris, to L.A., sources told Kyler. The Sixers and Nuggets also reportedly spoke with the Clippers, who nonetheless aren’t interested in trading their star power forward, at least this season.

Here’s the latest from the Southeast Division:

Orlando has reportedly expressed some degree of willingness to trade Harris, but the team would have to be blown away to pull the trigger on any deal involving the combo forward, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN relays (on Twitter). Harris re-signed with the Magic for four years and $64MM in July.
The Sixers have contacted the Hawks to gauge the availability of point guards Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Philadelphia hasn’t made a trade offer yet and appears unlikely to make a serious push for either playmaker, according to Pompey’s sources. The players on the Sixers with the highest trade value are Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor, but the team doesn’t want to deal either big man away until the health status of Joel Embiid is clearer, which isn’t likely to be until the offseason, Pompey adds.
The consensus among the teams that have contacted the Hawks regarding Teague and Al Horford is that any deal involving the duo would likely be a deadline day one, Chris Mannix of The Vertical at Yahoo Sports tweets. Atlanta’s asking price for either player is extremely high, which complicates any potential trade, Mannix adds.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Magic, Hawks Talk Victor Oladipo, Jeff Teague Swap

February 10th, 2016 at 8:58am CST by Chuck Myron

The Magic and Hawks have spoken about a potential trade involving Victor Oladipo and Jeff Teague, a league source said to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). Orlando is also among the teams interested in Al Horford, though nothing significant exists on that front yet, reports Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter). The Magic are reportedly open to just about any proposal that would add experience to their team, while the Hawks have apparently been talking to several teams about Teague and want an equal exchange of talent that helps them get younger. Oladipo, 23, is four years younger than Teague is.

A trade involving Oladipo and Teague would require the Magic to throw in at least a minimum-salary player to make the salaries match, since Teague’s $8MM pay is more than 150% plus $100K of the nearly $5.193MM that Oladipo is making on his rookie scale contract this year. Oladipo, who’s eligible an extension this summer, returned to the starting lineup for the Magic last month after coach Scott Skiles benched him in late November. Most of the numbers for the former No. 2 overall pick are holding steady, apart from his scoring average, which has dipped to 14.3 points per game from 17.9 last season in large measure because he’s seeing only 12.5 shots per game after taking 15.1 a night last year.

Teague has been playing well of late and is nailing a career-high 40.9% of his 3-point looks, a key number for a Magic squad that has spacing issues. However, his assists are down to 5.4 per game, his fewest since 2011/12, and that doesn’t correspond to any significant increase in ball distribution from backup Dennis Schroder, whose assists per game are up only slightly, to 4.5 from 4.1 last season. It’s unclear how the Magic would reckon with Teague and fellow point guard Elfrid Payton on the same roster.

Plenty of other teams have been linked to Teague. The Pacers have dangled George Hill in talks with Atlanta involving Teague, as Kevin Arnovitz and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reported Monday. The Knicks have reportedly engaged in preliminary discussions with Atlanta about Teague, though it appears those talks didn’t go anywhere. The Celtics have reportedly contacted the Hawks about Teague and Horford, and while it doesn’t look like the Jazz have reached out, it seems Utah has at least considered the possibility of a run at the Atlanta point guard.

Arnovitz and Windhorst first identified the Magic as a potential suitor for Teague and also hinted that they had interest in Horford, a soon-to-be free agent whom the Hawks aren’t entirely sure is worthy of a five-year max contract, as the ESPN scribes detailed. Orlando reportedly has at least some degree of willingness to trade Tobias Harris, who is six years younger than Horford, but it’s unclear if Horford and Harris have come up in the discussion between Atlanta and Orlando.

Which team would benefit the most from a swap involving Teague and Oladipo? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/9/16

February 10th, 2016 at 12:00am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Magic are open to trade offers that would add useful veterans to their roster, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. One player who isn’t currently being shopped is small forward Tobias Harris, but Orlando isn’t discouraging teams from making their best offers for him, Stein relayed. Magic GM Rob Hennigan recently cited the youthfulness of the team’s roster for its recent struggles, though Magic players said before the season that age wouldn’t be used as an excuse. The team has been struggling and is battling to remain on the fringes of the playoff race.

Harris, who’s mere months removed from re-signing with the Magic for four years and $64MM, has seen his role in the offense reduced under new coach Scott Skiles. His scoring is down to 13.7 points a night from his career-high mark of 17.1 last season despite a nearly identical field goal percentage. However, the 23-year-old has seen a dip in his long-range accuracy this season, only connecting on 31.1% of his three-pointers this year after posting a mark of 36.4% a season ago.

This bring me to today’s topic: Should the Magic trade Tobias Harris?

The Magic could certainly use a roster shakeup, though dealing away a solid two-way talent like Harris is a risky move. Harris’ contract is reasonable and will likely look like a bargain after the free agent frenzy that is likely to occur this summer. It’s unknown just what Harris’ trade market would be, but it’s only reasonable to assume some past suitors still hold some interest. The Kings reportedly had a max offer sheet lined up for Harris before he re-signed with Orlando. Detroit and Boston were reported to be the leading contenders for him heading into free agency, while his hometown Knicks were also reportedly planning to make a run at him. The Lakers, Sixers and Hawks were all linked to Harris as well.

So take to the comments section to weigh in on whether or not the Magic should look to deal Harris. But don’t stop there. If you think Orlando should make a move, who and/or what would be a reasonable return? Extra brownie points will be given for salary-cap accurate trade proposals. If you don’t think Harris should be dealt, what changes should the franchise look to make by the trade deadline? We look forward to what you have to say.

Pacers Offer George Hill For Jeff Teague

February 9th, 2016 at 2:47pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Pacers have inquired with the Hawks about trading for Jeff Teague, proposing a swap involving George Hill, while the Magic also loom as a potential suitor for Teague, sources told Kevin Arnovitz and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. It’s unclear how receptive Atlanta has been to the Pacers idea, nor what the Magic would be willing to give, though Orlando has reportedly become at least somewhat willing to trade Tobias Harris and is on the lookout for veterans. The Hawks wouldn’t be seeking a sell-off if they decide to make moves before the deadline and instead would look for deals that bring back younger players who provide equal value for the present, sources close to the team tell the ESPN scribes. Hill, 29, is two years older than Teague, though Hill has played off the ball in the past, which would ostensibly make him a better fit next to emerging Hawks point guard Dennis Schröder.

The Hawks are meanwhile thinking “long and hard” about their future with Al Horford, who’s poised for unrestricted free agency this summer. The prospect of a five-year max deal, which would pay a 34-year-old Horford an estimated $32.7MM in the final season, is giving the Hawks pause, sources said to Arnovitz and Windhorst. The Celtics have reportedly gauged Atlanta’s interest in trading both Horford and Teague, while the Pistons have been linked to Horford. Arnovitz and Windhorst write that several teams would “potentially” show interest in Horford if the Hawks put him on the block, and in the next sentence they name the Celtics, Nuggets and Magic as the teams that have been the most aggressive in efforts to land a “veteran difference maker.” It’s thus unclear if Denver and Orlando are indeed mulling runs at Horford.

Complicating the idea of a Horford trade is an injury to center Tiago Splitter. The former Spur is considering surgery on a lingering hip ailment and will be out for an “extended period” even if he doesn’t have a procedure, Arnovitz and Windhorst write. Plus, Hawks coach/executive Mike Budenholzer views Horford and Kyle Korver as locker room mainstays, the ESPN scribes note. The Cavs are fond of Korver, as Windhorst said in a radio appearance earlier today, but he isn’t the likeliest among the Hawks to end up in a trade, Arnovitz and Windhorst write.

Eastern Notes: Bulls, Knicks, Magic, Pacers

February 8th, 2016 at 11:05am CST by Chuck Myron

Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg has drawn criticism from his players at times, but his job is safe, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, adding that GM Gar Forman has been acting as though his own job might not be as secure. Forman has been working to distance himself from the team’s shortcomings lately in an effort to polish his resume for his next job, knowing that he wouldn’t win a power struggle with executive VP of basketball operations John Paxson if it came to it, Cowley wrote in an earlier piece. Former coach Tom Thibodeau, who notoriously feuded with management, had more respect for Paxson than Forman, feeling as though Paxson was more up front with him, Cowley hears. Still, both Forman and Paxson appear safe for the time being, Cowley adds. See more from the Eastern Conference:

Thibodeau has long had his heart set on the Knicks head coaching job, a source close to him tells Ian O’Connor of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link), as we passed along amid much more news in the wake of the team’s decision to fire coach Derek Fisher.
Carmelo Anthony has had not one but two MRIs in the past three weeks as his surgically repaired left knee continues to bother him, a team source tells Isola, but Anthony said Sunday that doctors have assured him the lingering soreness is simply part of the recovery process, notes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
Thanasis Antetokounmpo‘s 10-day contract with the Knicks and Keith Appling second 10-day deal with the Magic expired overnight, making them free agents. New York can re-sign Antetokounmpo to another 10-day pact, but that’s not the case with Appling. Orlando can’t ink him to any more contracts this season without signing him for the balance of 2015/16.
Pacers coach Frank Vogel has been impressed with lottery pick Myles Turner, who’s tamped down fears over his running style and come a long way from a disappointing season at the University of Texas last year, as Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com examines.