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After Tonight, Vince Carter's Next Game Could Be In Magic Uniform. If the New Jersey Nets are knocked out of the playoffs tonight, the next time you see Vince Carter on a basketball floor he could be wearing a Magic uniform.
I have to believe that the Magic will start courting Carter --- who can become a free agent this summer -- once the flag drops July 1. Make that at 12:01 a.m.
And they should.
Has VC had a largely forgettable series against the Cavs?
No doubt.
Did he hurt his value?
Probably.
But can he help a young team like the Magic get a seed higher than No. 8 by carrying them through some lulls during a regular season?
Absolutely.
The Nets say they will try to keep Carter, but not likely at maximum salary. (I think VC is going to be surprised that no one will offer him another max deal).
GM Rod Thorn also says he wants to execute a sign-and-trade if he can't work something out with Carter.
He likely wants a big and another player.
We've had this scenario working early in the season: Magic re-sign Darko Milicic and ship him to the Nets for a deal involving VC.
Even if they gave Darko $8 mill to start his new contract, they would have to add another player to a deal with the Nets to match VC's salary. Maybe Keyon Dooling, who makes $3 million.
That would add up to about $11 mill --- and that's a top-end figure for Carter, who is on the wrong side of 30 as they say.
Carter would, in essence, replace Grant Hill in the lineup.
Yes, the Magic would lose Milicic, breaking up the proposed Darko-Dwight duo. It's a risk, sure, because Darko could end up becoming a really good player.
Maybe the Magic could send Hedo Turkoglu and his $7 million salary and Dooling, but that's not what the Nets want most likely.
There's this from the New York Post's Marc Berman on Carter, who likely will seek a max deal. "The Nets don't appear interested in going that high, and Thorn was only lukewarm last week when he talked about re-upping with Carter, who's had a miserable second-round series and was the goat of Game 4. The prevailing wisdom is that Thorn will look to execute a sign-and-trade with another team and get back a big-man banger and a young player.
"We're going to try to sign him," Thorn told WFAN. "We'd like to bring back our base if that's possible. It may not be possible. If we can't sign Carter, the ways Carter can leave is go someplace else under the cap or sign-and-trade. The more likely is to go in a sign-and-trade someplace. Who knows what's going to happen there?" Rumor mill: Milicic headed to Golden State?Posted on May 15, 2007 11:39:47 AM
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Tim Kawakami, columnist from the San Jose Mercury News, writes of the possibility of the Magic signing and trading forward Darko Milicic this summer to the Golden State Warriors for shooting guard Jason Richardson:
"I've been told by one NBA source that the Warriors would be strong contenders for Milicic if they offered Richardson, since Orlando General Manager Otis Smith was a Warriors executive when Richardson was drafted and remains fond of him.
Chris (Mullin), if you need to trade Richardson to get a big player, would you do it?
'No,' Mullin said recently. 'I mean... no. Top recruits won't stop Billy from a Magical exitPosted on May 15, 2007 10:50:20 AM
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Billy Donovan won't leave the Florida Gators for a chance to coach in the NBA because he just landed another blue-chip recruit?
Puh-lease.
Uh, Donovan talked to the Memphis Grizzlies just a few weeks ago. I have to believe that he had Houston point guard Jai Lucas on the line already.
Lucas signed with the Gators, but we don't know if Donovan promised Lucas he would be at UF forever.
I suspect he might have said something like, "I plan on it," or "I expect to be here."
Because how can Lucas demand a non-NBA compete clause from Donovan when Lucas no doubt will have eyes on going pro in a year or two?
Did Billy announce he no longer is "intrigued" by the NBA when he signed Lucas? Did he tell NBA teams searching for coaches to stop calling him? I must have missed it.
Today's players know that's a risk. They know how the game is played. They won't guarantee Donovan that they will stay and play for four years --- and won't ask for the same from him.
Corey Brewer, Al Horford, Joakim Noah and Taurean Green all left Donovan with eligibility remaining.
And just because Donovan landed a big-time recruiting class that has all the Mel Kipers of basketball talking crazily doesn't mean he won't leave.
You think college coaching stars such as John Calipari and Rick Pitino didn't have top-flight recruits coming in when they departed to the pros?
What Billy did is simply add leverage with this all-star recruiting class. Now it might take even more for an NBA team to get him.
Besides, if Donovan did take an NBA job, he can say that he left the Gators' cupboard completely full. And considering he already has delivered two NCAA titles, even the most ardent Gators can't be too upset with him. Magic can have Artest if they wantPosted on May 15, 2007 10:11:14 AM
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Magic GM Otis Smith, when he used to talk, told me during the season that the squeaky-clean franchise might have to get down and dirty.
The Magic always have been extremely careful about bringing in players of suspect character --- maybe too careful, too cautious, at the price of talent. They've had enough choir boys over the years, largely because owner Rich DeVos wanted choir boys.
What does it say about the Magic that they have Dwight Howard and Darko Milicic --- and still need an enforcer?
Smith doesn't want knuckleheads on his team who could wind up needing bail money, but bringing in a hard-nosed, bad boy with some attitude is more of a possibility.
If a player's past isn't too checkered, you might see him in a Magic jersey.
This team needs somebody unafraid to kick a teammate in the butt ---- and knock over a lockeroom chair after a loss and an opponent who is making too many jump shots.
Smith won't go as far as Ron Artest, whom the Sacramento Kings are desperate to move.
Artest is sort of the Magic's baseline for badness; everyone else they might consider.
(They could trade for Artest easily, offering Hedo Turkoglu, as their salaries just about match. The Kings would love to have good-guy Turk back. The Magic wouldn't or shouldn't part with Turk in this case. Bottom line: Bringing in Artest is madness).
What kind of guys am I talking about?
Rasheed Wallace. Zach Randolph. Stephen Jackson. Ricky Davis.
Those guys are a handful for refs, coaches, teammates and, especially, team P.R people, but they are tough and talented and have a 'tude. You just have to find some head cases you can live with.
The Magic brought in Steve Francis -- who clearly fits the description of trouble --- to give Orlando some spunk. True, the move backfired.
But I contend it was more of Francis' erratic play on the court that got him shipped out and eventually led to his clashes with Brian Hill. You think he'd be a New York Knick if he returned to all-star form, despite his penchant to give management a migraine?
The Magic are hoping to play it smart as they try to toughen up. Sentinel Basketblog