Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Hot! Orlando Magic

NBA Draft approaching on Thursday, it appears that the team lacks the trade chips needed to make a blockbuster deal.

Still, Magic President of Basketball Operations has engineered three major trades since June 2009, and like any prudent general manager, he's not ruling out a deal on Thursday.

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"It's always a possibility," Smith said. "Your job is to get your team better. If you don't think your team is good enough, you're always looking at opportunities to get better. So you can't throw it all the way out of the mix altogether."

No Orlando player would draw more interest on the trade market than Howard, but Smith reiterated what he's been saying for months now: The Magic will not trade Howard even though Howard has said he plans to become a free agent in 2012.

That leaves power forwards Jameer Nelson and shooting guard Andre Iguodala from the Philadelphia 76ers . But Nelson even though he's a native of Chester, Pa., and went to college in Philly wouldn't be a good fit because the Sixers already have a point guard of the future,Golden State Warriors shooting guard Monta Ellis . But on Monday, Warriors General Manager Larry Riley said it's "very likely" that Ellis "will not be traded on draft night or even through the summer," according to The Associated Press.

Having dealt its first-round pick last December to the Phoenix Suns , the Magic now hold the 53rd pick in the draft. The team isn't expected to obtain an impact player with such a late selection.

Still, Howard wants to see some changes with the roster.

On his recent adidas promotional tour of Europe, he echoed earlier comments about the Magic's collective makeup, saying that he wants the entire organization including all of his teammates to be committed to winning. According to HoopsHype.com, he also told reporters during a stop in Madrid he would like to be "involved" in the Magic's personnel decisions.

Asked to react to Howard's desire to help make decisions, Smith answered, "I don't have a reaction."

Waiting for a CBAThe Magic would be permitted to re-sign shooting guard Jason Richardson before the collective bargaining agreement expires on July 1. Richardson, who earned $14.4 million this past season, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.

But, as expected, it seems that the Magic will wait to see what a new CBA looks like before they commit money to another salary.

"I'm not necessarily sure that you can do anything else but wait," Smith said. "It may not be in his advantage or ours. But we're still evaluating it and looking at it and talking about it."

High ranking ESPN the Magazine ranks the Magic 16th among North America professional sports franchises and fourth among NBA teams in its annual Ultimate Standings. The rankings are designed to indicate how much a team gives back to its fans. Boosted by their first season inside Amway Center , the Magic ranked first in the NBA and fifth overall in the "Stadium Experience" category. Layups The Magic's annual summer league hasn't been cancelled yet due to the anticipated lockout. But the signs aren't looking good. Last year, the team's PR staff sent out a press release to promote the 2010 event back on June 9. This year, no press release has been sent out for the 2011 event.

Perhaps no current Magic player would benefit more from summer league games than center Daniel Orton , who didn't play in a single NBA game as a rookie while he rehabbed his left knee and leg. Smith said Orton since has been cleared to play in games and will participate if there is a summer league.

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