Orlando Magic Blog

Group Blog talking about the NBA 2009 Eastern Conference Champions. Due to the amazing success of the 2009 playoff run comments are now frequently deleted to kill offensive comments, incoherence, or asininity. Comments can no longer be anonymous and require either a Blogger or OpenID account.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Players under contract for the Magic next season

Now that the exciting playoff run for the Magic is over, let's take a preliminary look at what the Magic roster will look like next season, focusing on the players who are all under contract through at least next season (all salary information courtesy of hoopshype.com):

Rashard Lewis PF........... $18,876,000
Dwight Howard C........... $15,133,800
Tony Battie C/PF............ $6,292,000 (final season of contract)
Jameer Nelson PG.......... $6,138,888
Mickael Pietrus SG/SF... $5,300,000
Rafer Alston PG.............. $5,250,000 (final season of contract)
J.J. Redick SG................. $2,139,720
Anthony Johnson PG...... $2,000,000 (final season of contract)
Courtney Lee SG............. $1,264,440

That comes out to $63,254,536 in salary for nine players, with three players having expiring contracts that could be used in a trade.

Magic players who will no longer be under contract:

Hedo Turkoglu SF (His agent has already indicated that Turkoglu will opt out of his player option for next season in a few weeks)
Tyronn Lue PG
Marcin Gortat C
Jeremy Richardson SF
Adonal Foyle C

The Magic have indicated they would be willing to spend the luxury tax if necessary to re-sign Turkoglu. Click here for the complete article from cbssports.com.

Should the Magic re-sign Turk? How about a sign-and-trade? What about Gortat? Should they keep Alston as Nelson's backup at the point? Should they make an attempt to trade any of their players who have expiring contracts next season?

Feel free to leave your comments.

posted by Mike from Illinois @ 3:45 PM  

57 Comments:

  • At 9:34 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I know its not probable but would a guy like ron artest, if he comes out be beter than the (some what) injury prone Turk? Watching Turk this year he is a huge part of the reason they were in the finals but that knee (or ankle) injuy in my opinion prevented him from being half of what he needed to do which was score 15-20 points and lead the team which he clearly failed to do in the most important games of the year. (the finals. If he wants to leave then why would you be willing to sped so much money to keep him there is trade, free agency (MABYE they could be on the LeBron market), or Mikal Pietrus who was the biggest part of their playoff success. If the Magic don't give him atleast an oppertunity to start then if I were him I would want out.

     

  • At 9:36 AM, Anonymous Ray said…

    turk is not the answer i dont think, I think Artest would be a good fit on that team, would def bring more intensity on the defensive end, something they lacked in the finals...but then again Kobe tore up Ron Ron all year when they were matched up.

     

  • At 10:28 AM, Blogger WeRDevos said…

    I believe Otis brought in Pietrus to (eventually) replace Turk. That would work, if the Magic get better guard play plus decent backup SF and PF.

    There is a lot to think about. Resign Turk for more money and the Magic pretty much have to stick to the same lineup for the next 3 years.

    Gortat wants to start. He is likely gone, which is a huge loss for the bench. Foyle, Richardson, and Lue are easily replaced or signed for minimum wage to fill out roster spots.

    It's easy to believe Shard and DH will be better next year. Pietrus and Lee too. But Turk has hit his ceiling. Maybe the rest of the guards as well.

    Unless you can trade Lewis for Chris Bosch, or something as dramatic, then Lewis, Howard, Pietrus and Lee are locked in and everyone else could be considered for a trade.

    I would be o.k. with not signing Turk if:

    1. Upgrade PG to taller + defensive + 3 point shooting guard.
    2. Upgrade backup PF to a 6th man capable role. (Rasheed?)
    3. sign Gortat
    4. Add backup SF

    Doubt #1 happens, and don't think Nelson and Alston can be on the same team. Alston will lose his mind backing up Nelson and cause trouble.

    Lot of work to do this summer.

     

  • At 11:29 AM, Anonymous Ray said…

    how does Lebum get a visit to the whitehouse??? the Kobers (Kobe and Lakers) should be the only ones who goes to the white house as they won it all...Who is next Gortat to capital hill? makes me sick.

     

  • At 1:32 PM, Blogger Ken said…

    Looks like this has turned into another Sentinel board...

     

  • At 1:51 PM, Blogger Ken said…

    I don't have a problem with them letting Turk go. Yes, he helped us get to the Finals, but his streakiness was unnerving at times, and there were stretches of games where he would totally dissappear. And honestly, he's just not that good of a defender.

    When we first signed Alston, I was excited about the possibility of Nelson and Alson on the same team next year. I see now that will never work. If Alston were a couple of years younger, i think I would take my chances with him at PG. However, I just can't see Otis getting rid of Nelson any time soon. He shocked us all when he resigned him, and luckily it worked out ok until he was injured. I don't see Otis giving up on him now.

    I'd like to see us find a true PF, someone to help Dwight with rebounding. A bruising PF who isn't afraid to commit hard fouls and intimidate opposing players. Then let Shard go back to his original SF as intended.

    I agree with WRD's #3 Sign Gortat. Maybe we could make him a PF and play him along side Dwight?

    Gonna be an interesting summer. Can't wait to see what Otis comes up with...

     

  • At 2:49 PM, Anonymous An observer from LA said…

    you guys are already behind in the summer... the cavs got shaq and rasheed to beef up their frontline. the celtics are just trying to get healthy.

    A Cavs team with Shaq and 'sheed is very dangerous as we have shaq to body up Dwight and 'sheed to clear the lane for bron to drive.

    the celtics with a healthy KG and healthy team is better as the magic stand now. I agree with Ken you need a PF who can play in the paint to give help to Howard, lets face it Gortat is going to be gone, they cant afford him.

     

  • At 8:09 PM, Blogger Matt said…

    Magic's success this season should be taken for what it really was. Had KG not been injured, it is not clear whether or not Magic could have made it out of the second round up to the eastern conference and eventually the NBA finals. Magic has been an unpredictable team all season built smartly by a clever coach but not free of flaws. The lack of a traditional PF was finally exposed in the finals by Pau Gassol, and the fact that the Magic was out-rebounded by the Lakers.

    I said all along that Magic needs to use Hedo in a trade to upgrade either the PF or PG position. This could have been done last year when Hedo had a special season, or this year with the publicity of making it to the finals. Otis Smith, however, is not smart enough or has enough weight to make it happen.

    With current roster of players the following is my starting line-up:

    PG - Jameer Nelson
    SG - Courtney Lee
    SF - Mikael Pietrus
    PF - Rashard Lewis
    C - Dwight Howard

    With upgrade at PF, I would like Rashard to move to SF, and MP to start at SG. CL could back up at SG and SF both for the time being. Preferably a serviceable back up for SF should be added to the roster. Alternatively, CL could start at SG and MP to back up at SF until the serviceable SF is acquired. RA is not gonna work out as the back up for the PG position, and he could be the best trade alternative for that SF back up.

    Finally, Trevor Ariza'a trade would go down as one the worst moves by Otis Smith. As you may remember, I was totally against that trade for whom? Brian Cook and Mo Evans? Where are they now?Ariza was making under 700,000 and could have been signed for under 1 mil (harmless by all standards). I mentioned then that even his shots had started to look good. In the finals, Ariza hurt Magic as much as anybody on the Lakers team. I heard commentators mentioning that the Lakers may have a tough time deciding who to secure first; Trevor or Odom?

    Let's hope that next year a revamped Magic would be able to make it to the finals again passed BOS and CLE. The current roster, in my view, may not be able to do it again.

     

  • At 8:47 PM, Blogger WeRDevos said…

    Gawd I hope Cleveland trades for Shaq. All he has done since his last year in LA is rip apart teams, with a one year exception of Wade shooting a million free throws vs. Dallas. Orlando, LA, Miami don't want him back. Phoenix would love to get rid of him after the past two years. This idea he's capable of guarding Howard is a joke. Shaq resorted to flopping against Howard. How can anyone forget that!

    Not sure how Cleveland can make their salary cap work and get 'Sheed. Detroit won't sign and trade with a team in their division. Not sure he isn't too old after last year anyway.

    I would still like to see Orlando take a flyer on Wallace for a year or two, but same problem. No cap space -- even if they don't resign Turk.

    KG has been an amazing player for a long time. But he has so many miles on him. Makes me wonder if he has a season of greatness left in him, even after knee surgery. Ray Allen got outplayed by JJ Redick. That's plenty of reason for Boston fans to be concerned about next year. Pierce is a year older. At best they have a year left in the tank before they have to blow it up and restart. Nothing wrong with that, they got their title.

    Magic have plenty of trade chips to make moves in a league that is panicked due to the economy. I would love to see a move or two that trades out Battie, two of the three point guards and maybe Redick.

    I've got to believe the Magic must have some found money after the playoffs. 12 home games x 17,519 x $100 average per ticket = about $21 million extra revenue. That has to help pay for a roster upgrade.

    My problem with Turk is they would sign him for more than two years. He's already 30 and has had up and down years and mysterious illness in the past. Unless the Magic start spending money like drunken Dallas or Cleveland owners, Turk's resigning could be a long term disaster.

     

  • At 8:52 PM, Blogger OVERWADED said…

    Anonymous:

    Artest is a solid all around player. His defense and edge are his strong points. But his offense is very erratic, and extremely inconsistent. He often turns into a 3-point chucker, and why? He's got the size and ability to attack, but he doesn't do it nearly enough. What makes this worse is that he's not a good 3-point shooter. Not to mention, he's just not Orlando's type of player. It will never happen.

    If the Magic were going to consider replacing Turk with a defensive minded player, based on availability I think Shawn Marion would fit the mold. He's long, can defend, run the floor, finish, and rebound(which would be huge). A sign and trade could could make this a possibility.

    Stephen Jackson is another guy that comes to mind, but he's under contract for another 4 years, and I can't see Golden State letting him good at his price with his abilities.

    As for Turk, he improved every series throughout the playoffs, while often having to do more on the floor than anyone else. He did his job. To say he "clearly failed" makes no sense at all.

    "Underachieving team"? This team lost the guy who was playing as our #2 option until he went out with an injury. NOBODY expected us to get out of the 2nd round.

    WeRDevos:

    1. Nelson is here to stay. We cannot forget how great he was playing before his injury. And while he lacks some size, he's shown the rest of his game can more than make up for it.

    2. A true backup power forward would be nice. Although I think Battie will end up with the role again, along with some backup minutes at center, considering I can't see us being able to afford to retain Gortat. Another thought, and maybe I should smack myself for mentioning him; but I'm pretty sure Fran Vasquez's contract is up this summer.

    3. I hope we can keep Gortat. But there have already been talks that some teams might offer him their full mid level exception.

    4. WeRDevos is really going to hate this, but I've heard that Grant Hill wants to comeback to play for the Magic next season. Would you consider him for the veteran minimum as a bench player?

    Anonymous:

    Let the Cavs get Shaq. It'll make a slow team slower. He has size, but he's a poor defender, especially as it relates to the pick and roll. Now if they add Shaq and Sheed, then we have reason to be concerned.

    Also let me remind you; the Magic just made the Finals. While we did lose, I don't think any major changes are needed. Nelson should not have played in the Finals. I honestly think it messed with team chemistry, which was peaking before his return. I understand why the risk was made, but it didn't work out. His heart and pride were there, but his body was not. He wasn't ready to play in the Finals. And it honestly might have cost us a championship.

    My point is, this team is not far away.

     

  • At 8:52 PM, Blogger OVERWADED said…

    Ken:

    You're right with your "Sentinel board" comparison comment. I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking that.

    An observer from LA:

    We're already behind? Shaq has already been traded and Sheed has already signed? Never assume such deals until they're done. There are going to be hundreds of rumors going on until the time comes.

    As for Boston, they could pose a problem, mainly because of how physical they're aloud to play. The fact that KG was out obviously played a part, even though Davis filled in very respectfully. At the same time, we were without Nelson, which was the spot they continually left open due to Alston's inconsistent shooting.

    The same thing can be said as it relates to the Lakers. Besides Pietrus, our back court was ineffective, which in turn enabled the Lakers to leave them and close in on our big 3 more and more each game. Lee's shot never returned while wearing the mask. Alston's shot was always inconsistent, but Nelson's return effected his entire game. As for Nelson, he had no confidence in his shot what so ever. Honestly, his form wasn't even the same. The point guard controversy killed us in the Finals. Hindsight is 20/20, and we learned the hard way.

    Nobody expected the Magic to go as far as they did. I thought that'd earn them some respect, although that's clearly not the case. Actually, it just seems to bring out the haters even more. Funny how that works.

    Last Thought:

    There was nothing more bittersweet to me than watching Dwight and Jameer sit on the bench and watch the Lakers celebrate winning the championship on their home court. I commend them both. We couldn't ask for a better player to be the face of our franchise. I have a feeling that moment will be looked back on in the near future, as a moment that helped push this team to the top.

     

  • At 9:01 PM, Blogger OVERWADED said…

    Matt:

    Ariza was traded for Evans and Cook; but don't forget the moves that followed. We let Evans go, and used his money towards Pietrus. And we traded Cook for Alston which salvaged our season. So as it actually turned out, it wasn't bad at all.

    WeRDevos:

    Thank you for your points about about Shaq and the Celtics. I completely agree.

     

  • At 9:13 PM, Blogger Mike from Illinois said…

    Some great thoughts, you guys!

     

  • At 9:40 PM, Blogger WeRDevos said…

    OW: couldn't agree more about Howard and Nelson sitting there watching the Lakers celebrate on Orlando's floor. This could be as big for Superman's development as the Olympics were last year. I hope it gets him in the gym everyday working on a 8-10' jumper and his free throws. He can do it. Last year he set out to lead the league in rebounds and blocks and win DPOY. Next year he needs to target 25 ppg.

    I hate to sound down on Nelson, because that's unfair. Management screwed up by playing him in the Finals. But I'll stick by my point that 2 of 3 of the guards should be replaced with a goal of taller, defensive, and long range in mind.

    (Side note: the Finals are still up on the side of Amway and it still makes me happy driving by it on I-4 each day)

    Grant Hill! Oh my blood pressure. You're gonna make me seriously cuss again and Matt hates that. Please don't bait me like that. Hill left for greener pastures and the Magic went up and Phoenix went down. They went from Finals favorite to missing the playoffs and going through 3 coaches in his two years there (team captain!). Their idiot GM is supposed to be in love with his "game."

    As for the Sentinel, I've probably deleted about 150 messages due to idiocy in the last ten days. I've also turned off comments for older posts to make killing easier.

     

  • At 9:43 PM, Blogger WeRDevos said…

    I should be more clear. I would rather spend the afternoon pounding nails into my hand than see Grant Hill wear a Magic uniform again.

     

  • At 10:38 PM, Blogger Matt said…

    What Ariza's under $700,000 salary had to do with any of the developments aferwards?

     

  • At 12:12 AM, Blogger OVERWADED said…

    Matt:

    We traded Ariza when he was in the final year of his contract. Whether it was Ariza, Evans, Pietrus, or whoever; we would have only been able to afford one of them that summer.

    Are you telling me you'd rather have Ariza; because I'll take Pietrus any day.

    Then Cook turned into Alston via trade. Alston came in and did his job. What becomes of him is yet to be seen.

    My point is, it's not always about the initial move. And the Ariza trade evolved into Pietrus and Alston.

    That doesn't sound to bad to me.

     

  • At 12:29 AM, Blogger OVERWADED said…

    WeRDevos:

    Dwight and Jameer have shown great signs of leadership. They both set goals, and continue to improve every season. I'm confident that they'll work hard this off season and comeback ready to help this team win a championship.

    I already said, and we both agreed that Jameer shouldn't have came back when he did. But to put a positive spin on the situation, he did gain the experience which can't be duplicated. And Jameer's the type of person that will take that bitter taste and use it to make him better. So while it sucks that his return hurt us this season, it will only help us in future seasons.

    I knew you'd hate the mention of G Hill. It is funny though. He went to PHX to play for a contender, only to enjoy a 1st round exit and missing the playoffs all together. To his credit, they were still at the top of the West until PHX traded for Shaq. That was the deal that "set the Suns".

    Speaking of douche bags... Paul Pierce via Twitter: “Lakers vs orlando. Looked like a german sherperd vs a poodle that's ok the rotwieler celtics will b back in 2o10”

    Maybe someone should remind him that they were up 3-2 and lost to that “poodle” on their home floor. Ha-ha. I hate the Celtics.

    P.S. - Thank you for monitoring the blog.

     

  • At 1:09 AM, Blogger Mike from Illinois said…

    Here's a look at how old some key members of the Magic will be at the start of this coming season as of November 1st:

    Dwight Howard: 23 (24 in DEC)
    Courtney Lee: 24
    J.J. Redick: 25
    Mickael Pietrus: 27
    Jameer Nelson: 27
    Hedo Turkoglu (if he re-signs with Magic): 30
    Rashard Lewis: 30

    That's pretty good... seven core players of the Magic (assuming Turk re-signs) who won't be any older than 30 years old.

    All seven guys are capable of having as good or better seasons than they had this season, because some of them aren't even in their prime yet (Lee, Howard) and the rest are all just entering or are already in their primes; so in my opinion, the Magic and Otis Smith just need to do some minor tweaking of the roster with the reserves.

    It's important that Nelson returns to his All-Star form before his torn labrum; I don't see why he shouldn't.

    If the Magic re-sign Turk, I think that'll be great for the Magic for the next few seasons, but not so great four or five years from now when Turk will be past his prime and making at least ten million a year, but I won't worry about that until then, if they do indeed re-sign him.

    If they don't, it's going to be a busy off-season for Wise Otis trying to obtain a suitable replacement, but I'm really happy with the Magic front office saying that they will be willing to pay any luxury tax necessary to improve the team (something that Matt has wanted the Magic to do for quite a while).

    Teams like Boston and Cleveland will probably be tougher next season, but then, so will the Magic. Teams like Atlanta, Miami, and Chicago who showed promise this past season would still have to make a pretty dramatic leap to threaten any of the East's Big Three.

    I believe the Magic can have just as successful a season, if not better, this coming season as they did this past season.

     

  • At 1:32 AM, Blogger Mike from Illinois said…

    If Mickael Pietrus can play injury-free next season and be as effective coming off the bench as he was for the playoffs, wow, what a lift that would be for the Magic.

    As for D12, 25 ppg is certainly a realistic goal. If he can up his free throw percentage to 65-70% (2-3 free throws more made per game) and expand his offensive repertoire (1-2 more made baskets per game), that would be already at least six points more a game than this past season, when he averaged over 20 ppg.

    I agree that Nelson and Howard forcing themselves to watch the Lakers' celebration on the Magic home court should prove to be tremendous motivation for them for next season.

     

  • At 7:00 AM, Blogger Matt said…

    OVERWADED:

    It's a simple math. Couldn't we afford 1 mil for the promise of the player? How many times did we let players go just to see them flourish somewhere else? We had seen the good side of Ariza. SVG didn't approve of him because he did not have a jumpshot. I argued then that he did. End of my story.

    Mike:

    Wise Otis!? Is that something you came up with?

    The idea of sticking with the current roster with minor tweaking will not work, in my view. There is no guarantee that Jameer will get back to his so-called All-Star form. Even if he does, he will be overplayed by the likes of Rondo, Stuckey and Billups. Hedo is a liability and he is filling in the spot that belongs to Rashard. Magic never got to the prominence in Sahq-Penny era until Horace Grant showed up. Now that we have made it to the finals, we cannot shoot for less than the championship. I am not certain that this roster will even make us to the East finals, let alone to the NBA Finals and winning the championship.

    There is my two cents.

     

  • At 3:00 PM, Blogger WeRDevos said…

    Matt,

    The one truth in pro sports is if you stand still the competition will pass you by.

    That's why I'm concerned. If the Magic think signing Turk = a good summer, then this team is going backwards.

    Last two years have seen adding Lewis (plus Gortat, but really who knew what he was worth?) in '07 and 3 or 4 new guards in '08.

    This team needs a similar significant upgrade this summer.

    As close as they came, it may only be one guy.

     

  • At 3:02 PM, Blogger WeRDevos said…

    Regarding Ariza, don't forget the foot injuries and lack of shot. If any team was justified worrying about youthful guys with bad feet (or ankles) it was the Magic.

    And I still have no idea how Ariza learned, finally, to hit the three. He sure couldn't do it while he was here. And that was probably why Van Gundy wanted him gone.

     

  • At 4:15 PM, Blogger Matt said…

    WeRDevos;

    Your 3:00pm post is not in conflict with my posts. as for Ariza, he was hitting his shots towards the end of his time with the Magic, and they looked in good form. He must have later developed the 3-point shot; I guess it is a matter of good form and practice. My point is that Lakers saw the value in him, and stuck with him. Isn't that the true value of good GMs and coaches to detect talents?

     

  • At 5:12 PM, Blogger WeRDevos said…

    Yeah, I was in agreement with you on not standing pat. The further we get away from game 5, the happier I am about last season. And I'm just too damn happy for now to get in any major arguments...

    Unless Grant Hill shows up!

    My hypothesis on Ariza says that Van Gundy didn't like what he saw in camp and pushed for the trade. My educated guess is Otis was high on him, but was also responsible for making his new coach happy.

    I remember being mystified about keeping Ariza out of the rotation and whether it was the injury or incompatible play. Bottom line is he couldn't shoot for Van Gundy.

    Ariza worked out really well for the Lakers. Playing inside-out offense worked almost as well for the Magic this year. And Van Gundy must not have seen Ariza as anything but a slasher.

     

  • At 5:13 PM, Blogger WeRDevos said…

    Matt + "Wise Otis" = WRD + "Grant Hill"

    You just shouldn't go there unless you're expecting comedy to ensue.

     

  • At 5:42 PM, Blogger Mike from Illinois said…

    Matt... not quite sure where you got the idea that Ariza started hitting his shots towards the end of his time with the Magic. I checked his game log with the Magic for the month he was with the team (OCT-NOV '07) before he was traded, and here are his stats:

    GP... 11
    Avg Min... 10.5
    FGM... 14
    FGA... 31
    FG%... 45.2%
    3 PT FGM... 0
    3 PT FGA... 3
    3 PT FG%... 0%
    PPG... 3.3

    He just could not get any significant playing time under SVG (I remember at the time us wondering here on the blog why isn't Ariza playing more), so the trade was made to get Evans and Cook, and those two players contributed a lot more to the Magic that season than Ariza would have.

    I give Trevor lots of credit for working on his jump shot and three point shot with the Lakers, along with his usual trademark good defense. He will be in for a really nice contract with whoever he signs with in the off-season.

    As OVERWADED mentioned, the Magic wound up getting Pietrus and Alston as an indirect result of the Ariza trade, so while I wasn't happy to see Ariza leave, because of his untapped potential, the end result was good for the Magic.

    I stick by my moniker of "Wise Otis". Since he was named GM in May of 2006, the Magic have improved steadily each season since then, going from a first round sweep in '07 to the NBA Finals in '09, thanks to Otis's shrewd moves (which I documented in detail in an earlier post a few weeks back) and good coaching with a good system by Stan Van Gundy (the Finals notwithstanding).

    I have full faith and trust in Otis Smith that he will do the right thing this off-season to make the Magic a title contender again next season.

    Management has already said that it won't mind paying the luxury tax to improve the Magic roster.

     

  • At 6:53 PM, Blogger Matt said…

    Folks:

    Please pay attention to what is posted before you run your fingers on the keyboard. Evans' and Cook's salaries put together were just south of 5.5 mil. Ariza's salary was under $700,000. In plain simple terms, Magic could have hung on to Ariza while having any other player that they wished to add. The fact that the salaries of a few players put together created the space for Pietrus or Alston has nothing to do with Ariza's salary expect if one believes in a stupid theory called "Butterfly effect" (Google it if you wish).

    Mike:

    1 - Your numbers on Ariza shows nothing worth interpreting except his respectful field goal percentage of %45.2. He was not effective at 3-point shooting then, and as you mentioned, he was not getting any playing time.
    2 - I read your post on Otis Smith. Of course, you are entitled to your opinion but by nature I am against exaggeration and/or dramatization. I believe that a lot of what Smith has been credited for are not really his doing, and I made my views quite clear in those areas, as much as I had time to spend on the matter.

     

  • At 7:20 PM, Blogger Mike from Illinois said…

    A clarification regarding Trevor Ariza's salary while with the Magic, courtesy of basketball-reference.com:

    In 2005-06, he made $682,000 dollars with the Knicks and Magic; in 2006-07, Ariza made $3.1 million dollars (not $700,000) with the Magic, and the same $3.1 million in 2007-08 with the Magic/Lakers.

    Brian Cook and Mo Evans' salaries for the 2007-08 season added up to $5.2 million.

     

  • At 9:41 PM, Blogger Matt said…

    Mike:

    The information that you mentioned about Ariza'a salary is incorrect. Arzia was in the last year of his contract with the Magic, and he could not have made much more than he made in the prior year. I remember vividly that the number that was thrown around for re-signing him was 1 mil. His current contract pays him 2.9 mil for 2008-09.

     

  • At 10:45 PM, Blogger Mike from Illinois said…

    Matt, do you have the source where you're getting your information from regarding Ariza's 2007-08 salary? I got my salary info from basketball-reference.com

    Hoopshype.com does say that Ariza's salary this past season was $2.9 million, but it doesn't list his salary from previous seasons.

    Can any of you other guys offer help in this matter as to how much Ariza was making with the Magic before the trade?

    I don't see how the trade could have been made if Ariza was making only $700,000, because Cook and Evans were making so much more (a combined %5.2 million), and salaries have to match up somewhat when trades are made.

     

  • At 12:36 AM, Blogger Ken said…

    Well.. according to USAToday.com..

    Year Team Annual Salary


    2004-05 Knicka $ 385,277
    2005-06 Magic $ 641,748
    2006-07 Magic $ 3,100,000
    2007-08 Magic $ 3,100,000
    2008-09 Lakers $ 3,100,000

     

  • At 12:39 AM, Blogger Ken said…

    The link..

    http://content.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/salaries/playerdetail.aspx?lname=ariza&player=630

     

  • At 3:05 AM, Blogger Mike from Illinois said…

    Thanks, Ken.

    Also, I checked the archives of this blog going back to the spring and summer of 2006 to see if I could find anything, and I did, regarding the Trevor Ariza salary situation.

    Ariza was a restricted free agent after his first season with the Magic in 2006, when he made less than $700,000. They tendered him an offer after the season, which allowed the Magic to match any other offer he might receive from another team.

    On July 27, 2006, WeRDevos made a post entitled "Happy News" which contained the news that Ariza had re-signed with the Magic, along with a link to the article. The terms weren't disclosed at that time, but Ariza did get a big raise from the less-than $700,000 he was making to $3.1 million a season, as is indicated in basketball-reference.com

     

  • At 6:57 AM, Blogger Matt said…

    Thank you guys for clearig that up. My recollection still tells me otherwise. May be I should stop relying on this old memory chip. My apologies.

     

  • At 9:13 AM, Anonymous Tom said…

    Werdevos: Why are you getting satisfied the longer the offseason goes from your game 5 loss. I am still pissed at my team for losing, coming from boston and being a fan of the Celtics I expect a championship and nothing less. We didnt win it this year so it was disappointing and cannot find any comfort besides knowing our stud, KG, was out this year. You need to change the perception of the city as losing in the finals is not acceptable and should not find joy in just making it. Maybe some teams can do that, but if you want to be a title contender you have to expect championships-not runner ups.

     

  • At 9:55 AM, Blogger WeRDevos said…

    Tom,

    I take no shame in the Magic being a year ahead of schedule and making the Finals against everyone else's prediction. Our superstar is 23 years old and it was a great year to watch him grow.

    Yeah, losing in the Finals hurt. But this season also sets our expectations up for better things to come.

    As for the Celtics. You sure must have been pissed off a lot between 1986 and 2008. Were you pissed at Larry for his back problems? Pissed at McHale for his broken foot? Pissed at the 87 team that made the finals playing 5 guys all year? Hell, of all the Bird teams '87 was probably the most impressive -- even though the lost to the Lakers. Are you pissed that your current team is based on 3 superstars over 30? Well guess what, next years is too. Get over yourself.

     

  • At 11:27 AM, Anonymous Tom said…

    Yes i have been pissed every year they dont win the title. I guess it just comes from a culture of a winning franchise. We dont accept anything else, which is why your city hasnt won anything i suppose. Its more than a few games they lost, you have to change the culture/attitude of the entire franchise, from top to bottom.

    enjoy your satisfaction of being a year ahead of schedule runner up.

     

  • At 12:11 PM, Blogger WeRDevos said…

    The C's have won a single title since the Magic were formed. Good for Boston. That's quite the enviable winning culture since Red was forced out.

     

  • At 12:16 PM, Anonymous Tom said…

    Hmm since Magic were started

    Magic-0 rings
    Celtics- 1 ring

    yes your right I would probably take zero rings...are you serious??


    Boston has a history of winning, part of the aura of the franchise, something you know nothing of i guess, you may be a bandwagon jumper so i dont expect you to know much about history of franchises.

    when did you start tuning into the playoffs after the magic won game 1 of the Eastern confernce finals?

     

  • At 12:29 PM, Blogger Big Figure said…

    Still with the ariza stuff? Lord. Moving along the magic really have to just sit and wait to see what teams are offering hedo,if he gets a good offer i'd take the money and run he's not getting any younger. If he stays or if he goes doesnt really matter the bottom line is this,the magic have not one PF on the roster. They need to sign two this off-season. One should be multi-demensional able to guard the lamar odom types,and the other should be a savy veteran good enough to start thats does the little things (steals,gets on the floor and offensive rebounds). PF was the only real position the magic got killed at all season,against the lakers in the finals we were able to use jameer,MP/JJ and gortat/battie. 1PG,2 SG, 2 C. Not one real PF. Starting PF? (mcdyess type maybe?) Back-up PF? (shawn marion maybe?) Thoughts?

     

  • At 1:03 PM, Anonymous Tom said…

    I have watched Shawn Marion play in Phoenix and with the Heat, Ever since he has left the Suns he has lost some of his mobility it seems like. Maybe it is age playing a factor but I have watched him long enough to know that you do not want him on your team. He has become selfish and his shooting percentages have dropped signifcantly since leaving Steve Nash I would look elsewhere for your team.

     

  • At 1:50 PM, Blogger Matt said…

    Here comes the complicated stuff which needs a competent and heavy weight GM. The GM needs to test the market in constant communication with the interested parties, on the phone or through other means to find out what will be out there for Hedo.

    1 - The easy way out is to say that we are OK as we are, and as such we are gonna match any offer that Hedo receives. There is no flexibility in that option. That is we will be stuck with a 30+ year old player anywhere from 3-5 years.
    2 - It gets complicated when we decide not to stay pat. If Hedo receives an offer, we cannot say goodbye to him simply because we lose the possibility of trading him for what we need most (PF anybody?). That is why the GM has to determine which teams may be interested in having Hedo, and then try to set up sign and trade scenarios either bilaterally or multilaterally. Of course, that is easier said than done.
    3 - As for Rafer Alston, the GM has to explore scenarios whereby he could be traded for either a SF or PF back up player. The mistake on signing Lue has to be corrected, as well. If we get to trade both Alston and Lue, we caanot touch J.J. because the guards position will get too thin. The problem is that one may prefer not to deal with this issue before dealing with Hedo's situation, and that is where it may get complicated because one may not have that luxury at his disposal. I would have preferred that somebody could talk to Hedo or his agent convincing him not to opt out of his contract. That attempt, if there was any, has obviously failed.

     

  • At 2:15 PM, Blogger WeRDevos said…

    Tom,

    Why the personal attack? It only reflects poorly on you.

    So does this misplaced conception that you are somehow better than someone else because you root for a Boston team.

    Here's a bet for you. I'll bet you I've been to more Boston Celtics finals and playoff games than you have.

    I'll bet I've been to more dinners and heard Heinson, Hondo or Cousy speak than you have.

    I'll also bet you I've seen the Celtics play in more venues than you have. Ever see 'em play in Chicago stadium against Jordan? The old Forum against Magic? Salt Lake City vs Malone & Stockton? The O-Rena vs. Shaq?

    I'll take a wild ass guess and say no. But I have.

    However in '89 when the Magic formed I threw my hat in with them and their ex-Sixer management team. Have suffered with them ever since like a true fan. But I gotta tell you, I don't miss associating with other Boston fans one bit.

     

  • At 2:25 PM, Anonymous Tom said…

    You sound like a teenage-Grow up...no one gives two ***** about how many games you have seen or venues or all the crap, you cant prove it and either can I...Im out of here, have fun with arguments like "my dad can beat up your dad on the internet"

    got better things to do.

     

  • At 2:59 PM, Blogger Mike from Illinois said…

    I don't blame Turk for opting out of his contract, as he was scheduled to make $7.3 million this coming season; he will make a lot more than that with his new contract with whatever team he signs.

    If Turk re-signs with the Magic, even if he does regress somewhat next season, he still should be good for 15-16 ppg, 4-5 assists, and 5 rebounds, which isn't exactly shabby. He's still in the prime of his career, and shouldn't significantly regress for another 2-3 seasons at least.

    I agree it would be for the benefit of the Magic if they could sign a legit backup power forward.

    Regarding Tyronn Lue, he is an unrestricted free agent now.

     

  • At 3:08 PM, Blogger WeRDevos said…

    I guess I was spot-on about associating with Boston fans.

     

  • At 3:10 PM, Blogger WeRDevos said…

    You mean the Magic could have a perfect summer and sign G. Hill and Lue!

    I better make a preemptive trip to the cardiologist.

     

  • At 3:46 PM, Blogger Matt said…

    I am not sure that Hedo will make a lot more than 7.3 mil on a new contract. He is not a 9-10 mil type of player. I am putting myself on the spot by predicting that he may not get any offer over 7 mil.

     

  • At 3:52 PM, Blogger WeRDevos said…

    Portland could use Hedo. And Paul Allen is the definition of rich. He could hire Mark Cuban to be his boat captain.

    With our buddy Steve Francis and Raef LaFrentz coming off the books they have cap room for the first time in ages.

    I'm holding out hope for a sign and trade.

     

  • At 5:39 PM, Blogger Mike from Illinois said…

    I'll admit Turk's shooting was very inconsistent and streaky this past season, and that shows with the 41.3% FG shooting, but the 16.8 ppg, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists... not many other 6'10" guys can put up those kinds of numbers. That's why I think he'll average at least 9 million a year for 4 or 5 years in his next contract.

    The Magic were a matchup nightmare for other teams with Turk and Lew at the forward spot, until they finally met their match against the Lakers.

     

  • At 8:40 PM, Blogger Matt said…

    The numbers that Hedo had was on a high octane offensive team, with a coach allowing the players to shoot freely. Those numbers are not gonna be repeated on an average scoring team. Teams will be mindful of Hedo's limitations. Granted that Hedo on the Magic team was a nightmare on offense for many teams. That, however, was due to a top center and an unorthodox PF. He will not be the same in a different setting.

     

  • At 9:22 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    FYI ... you list JJ Redick and Anthony Johnson's this year's salaries for next year. Redick's will be $2,839,408 and Johnson's will be $2,160,000 for 2009/10.

     

  • At 4:31 AM, Blogger Mike from Illinois said…

    Thanks for the correction, Anonymous... my bad.

     

  • At 10:43 AM, Blogger skirk said…

    Why move lewis back to SF? Him being at PF allows the magic to have more shooters on the floor and provides a great mismatch. With d12 able to rebound and defend as well as he does our mismatch on the defensive end is muted. What we need is a legit backup PF who we can bring in when we play a team like LA with a lot of size. Unless the new PF can shoot a 3 or long jumper whats the point? If the magic don't/can't sign Turk I say the magic trade rafer. The knicks need a pg, i'd like to get wilson chandler in return. He's not a great shooter but has his moments. He's young, improving and can defend better than turk. dwight getting a low post move or 2 will be huge for the team. he'll be more dangerous and require more attention from other teams.

     

  • At 10:46 AM, Blogger skirk said…

    The magic had a few injuries this year that limited them. While nelson going down was probably the one with most impact, pietrus being injured for most of the season didn't help. If he is healthy and plays like he does during the playoffs, the magic are a much better team and going forward could get #1 or #2 in the east. that being said, not only do we have to contend with the cavs and boston, but the wiz will be a team to concern ourselves with. Eddie Jordan should never have been fired, that team scares me when healthy.

     

  • At 2:14 PM, Blogger WeRDevos said…

    skirk,

    thanks for dropping by.

    Not a bad idea about Chandler, or even Lee for that matter. Sending Skip to NY makes sense -- he goes home, the Knicks are collecting expiring contracts so they have money when LeBron comes. Still, the math is probably hard to work out.

    As to the Wiz, not sure I can agree with you, even with Flip coming in. Washington is full of knuckleheads and awful contracts. They are already well into luxury tax this year. I think they hit their ceiling two years ago. Signing Arenas with a bad leg was just dumb.

    I'm more worried about the 6'ers or Bulls than the Wiz.

     

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