Magic make two blockbuster trades

[The X]

Suns did well out of the deal. Got rid of Turk's toxic contract, picked up Vince Carter who should kill it in Suns' free wheeling offense & the last year of his contract can be bought out cheap pre-30/6/10, picked up a future 1st Round pick, picked up a centre. Gortat/Robin Lopez combo at centre is good. Pietrus will fit in as well.

J-Rich was playing well, but no reason to think Carter can't do the same.

[atlwarrior]

This was a terrible move by the Magic. They got rid of two key players out of Pietrus and Gortat. I don't mind the other player they got in return. But Fucking Hedo Turkoglu?? Are you kdding me? The guy will suck just like he did in Toronto and Phoenix. I would much rather have Rashard Lewis over him.

[shadowgrin]

Never underestimate a motivated player. Just look at Ben Wallace back in Detroit. Same might be true for Hedo.

[[Q]]

i think it'll take a little bit for them to have chemistry similar to what the heat went through earlier. plus i would imagine they would trade for another big man for cheap.

[rise]

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22748484/26578592

[Rukawa_11]

To me Orlando made a good move because the biggest contracts of Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter...

But now the team have much players on the guard position and don't have a backup center...

[atlwarrior]

Exactly, they are even more limited in size now. They basically put two more tons of the load work on Dwight Howard and added to the team what they don't need which is more guards. I like that they traded Lewis and Carter but not Pietrus and Gortat (who was their only backup Center). My problem with them getting Turkoglu is, they already were given Jason Richardson and Gilbert Arenas who are both scorers to go with a developed JJ Redick. Why not get another PF? Besides Brandon Bass they were and still are undersized at that position and now without a backup center. How are they going to be able to contend against teams that have size like the Lakers, Celtics, Mavericks, or Spurs? They are going to get raped in the paint. Dwight will have to play more minutes.

[rise]

Didn't the Magic originally get Carter to take the scoring load off Howard?

[shadowgrin]

Howard wasn't known for his scoring load when they got Carter or when they went to the Finals a couple seasons back.

[atlwarrior]

Yeah Dwight has really stepped his game up big time since then. Carter is better off in Phx. Maybe he'll find his youth with Steve Nash like Grant Hill. Phoenix may have a squad good enough to make the playoffs now. But they still wont be good enough to be an elite contender in the west once more.

C- Robin Lopez/Gortat
PF-Frye/Warrick
SF-Grant Hill/ Childress
SG- Carter (after he recovers from his knee injury)/ Dudley /Pietrus
PG- Nash/ Dragic

[rise]

Dud's more of a small forward.

[Houndy]

As you guys see, the Magic still suck...

[atlwarrior]

Dud's more of a small forward.

Idk I thought he was too but CBS Sports depth charts has him listed at backup SG yet his position in his profile is SF. Who knows? I haven't seen much of him this year. http://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/depth-chart/PHO/phoenix-suns

[rise]

My man The Dud! He started at the SG after J-Rich left and scored 27. If Vince decides to go for surgery on his knee, Dud will likely start at the 2, but he usually backs up Hill at the 3. He plays both positions pretty well though.

[Andrew]

As you guys see, the Magic still suck...

The trade hasn't yielded positive results immediately and Arenas' performances have been subpar to say the least, but let's give it some time. There's still plenty of time for them to pull themselves out of their tailspin and for the revamped roster to start clicking. So far, it's certainly not the turnaround they were hoping for though.

[puttincomputers]

Why did they give Penny's number to Arenas ?

[JaoSming]

You mean why did they give Rafer Alston's & Trevor Ariza's & Doug Christie's & Maurice Evans' & Kiwane Garris' & T-Mac's #1 Magic jersey to that bum.

[puttincomputers]

wow that will make it even harder to retire penny's number.

[Andrew]

There was a chance of that ever happening past 1997?

The Magic clearly aren't entertaining any thoughts of retiring it in Penny's honour, judging by how many people have had that number since he wore it. Not that it would prevent them from doing so, but it's not uncommon for a team to hold out on giving anyone else a number they intend to retire at the earliest possible opportunity.

[Cleveland wins]

Yeah Dwight has really stepped his game up big time since then. Carter is better off in Phx. Maybe he'll find his youth with Steve Nash like Grant Hill. Phoenix may have a squad good enough to make the playoffs now. But they still wont be good enough to be an elite contender in the west once more.

C- Robin Lopez/Gortat
PF-Frye/Warrick
SF-Grant Hill/ Childress
SG- Carter (after he recovers from his knee injury)/ Dudley /Pietrus
PG- Nash/ Dragic

I like that lineup for the suns, although i'd rather see Dudley behind Hill and Childress playing the 3 and the 2, primarilly the 2

[jblued]

There was a chance of that ever happening past 1997?

The Magic clearly aren't entertaining any thoughts of retiring it in Penny's honour, judging by how many people have had that number since he wore it. Not that it would prevent them from doing so, but it's not uncommon for a team to hold out on giving anyone else a number they intend to retire at the earliest possible opportunity.

that could possibly happen, but it was Penny's bad. Remember the 07-08 season? the Magic signed him, then Penny's insisted the Front office to release him
so that he can join Miami that same season. Shaq was traded to Phoenix and Penny was waived from Miami(take that Penny!!!) halfway through the season.
Ever since no team has ever signed Penny again(take that again!!!), even though he begged Miami to sign him to join the 3 kings this season.

[Andrew]

Anything's possible, but I highly doubt it.

That's not quite how it went down, either. He was traded to Orlando in the Steve Francis deal in 2006 and cut five days later for financial reasons (pretty much the only reason why he was included in the trade in the first place). After sitting out the 2006/2007 season, he latched on with the Heat for 16 games in the 2007/2008 season before being cut in December and basically retiring from the NBA. He never asked for his release so that he could join the Heat, those events were almost a year and a half apart.

[jblued]

Really? so the Orlando Sentinel article was false? It was stated that he wants out of Orlando that year, Orlando signed him a short term contract after his massive contract expired then was released and joined the Heat right after, anyways rumors and more rumors. Nobody was actually there to witness what really happened.

[Kenny]

I've already posted this in the laugh it up section, but I thought it was applicable here

[shadowgrin]

so the Orlando Sentinel article was false? ... Nobody was actually there to witness what really happened.

You just answered your own question.