He has said he would like to remain with the Magic but that securing his family's future is the most important thing this offseason.
Das kenn ich doch!
He has said he would like to remain with the Magic but that securing his family's future is the most important thing this offseason.
Turkoglu said he would consider taking less money to stay with the team he loves.
"Vince gives us a veteran, go-to scoring presence, especially at the end of games," Smith said Thursday.
Magic General Manager Otis Smith said he's prepared to let Turkoglu and Gortat explore the free-agent market before making an offer. "You're not going to buy a house without appraising it first," Smith said. "Appraise it."
When Turkoglu declined a four-year, $36 million contract extension last week and ultimately opted out of his contract to become an unrestricted free agent, Orlando moved ahead with the trade for Carter. Taking on Carter’s contract of $16.3 million for next season and $17.3 million in 2010-11 will push the Magic’s payroll to approximately $75 million. That means Orlando will exceed the NBA’s luxury tax, a dollar-for-dollar penalty that will cost th e franchise another $6 million.
Nelson - AJ
Carter - Pietrus
Lewis - Outlaw
Wallace - Anderson
Howard - McDyess
If either Ariza or Odom proves to be too expensive for the Lakers, one backup option could be Houston forward Ron Artest, a player Kupchak has targeted in the past. Agent David Bauman said Tuesday afternoon that the Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic were three teams he expected to join Houston in pursuit of Artest.
"Ron's tight with Kobe," Bauman said by phone. "From a basketball perspective, the Lakers make perfect sense. Ron is a winner. His best fit is when he's on a winning team. He shoots the three, posts up smaller guys, and defensively he's a beast. Certainly those are skills a contending team would find attractive."
Amid the ongoing "Vinsanity" of the Magic trading for Vince Carter and the accompanying hype and hoopla of bringing in one of the NBA's most electrifying players, can we take just a few minutes today to give H-Turk the goodbye and Godspeed he deserves?
I know, the free-agency period just started at midnight Tuesday and it's not yet official that Turk will sign with another team. I read the article where Magic General Manager Otis Smith hasn't completely shut the door on bringing back Turk. I even spoke with Turk's agent, Lon Babby, who also left the door cracked when he said, "I'm not ready to talk about Hedo and the Magic in the past tense."
Come on, can we stop kidding ourselves? The chances of Turk re-signing with the Magic are about the same as Bernie Madoff getting elected banker for the Monopoly tournament during board-game night at the federal pen.
[...]
This column is not meant to criticize Smith but to celebrate Turk — a player who always will occupy a prominent place in Magic lore.
You know what's strange and wonderful? The eerie silence that is accompanying Turkoglu's likely departure. There is no real fan outrage — at least not any I have sensed. And isn't that a nice change?
Too many times in recent years — from Shaq to T-Mac to Grant Hill — there has been bitterness and animosity when the Magic break up with one of their stars. Magic fans almost always end their love affairs feeling like Mia Farrow after Woody Allen dumped her to marry her daughter.
It's different with Turk, who is being cheered instead of booed on his way out of town. When Turk leaves, there will be a soft spot in Magic hearts instead of a gaping hole.
Maybe this is because Magic fans know Turk doesn't really want to leave; it's just part of the business of sports. There's nobody to blame. As a 30-year-old veteran, Turk wants to make as much money as he can for as long as he can. As financially astute business people, the Magic front office wants to pay a 30-year-old veteran as little as possible for as briefly as possible.
Sadly, there is no room for loyalty in professional sports. Just ask the New England Patriots or the Pittsburgh Steelers, who commonly and coldly let go of star veterans when they feel a lucrative, long-term deal is not beneficial to the overall health of the franchise.
Nobody owes anybody anything here. The Magic and Coach Stan Van Gundy helped Turkoglu become the elite player he has become. And Turkoglu helped the Magic become the elite franchise they have become.
Time now to say goodbye and good luck to Hedo Turkoglu.
Thanks, Turk, for never quitting on the team or second-guessing the coach.
Thanks for never being a cancer during the bad times or a prima donna during the good ones.
Thanks for never cursing a reporter or kicking a photographer.
Thanks for the buzzer-beating 3s and the dribble-drives among the trees.
Thanks for always embracing the fans and never disgracing the franchise.
Thanks, most of all, for displaying grace on the court and class off of it.
Würde es für beide Teams Sinn machen nen S&T einzufädeln, in dem Bosh zu uns kommt?