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Rashard Lewis is headed to Orlando _ for a visit with the Magic brass, at least _ and center Darko Milicic could very well be on his way out the door.
Lewis, the 6-foot-10 small forward who averaged career bests in points (22..4), rebounds (6.6) and assists (2.4) last season, left his hometown of Houston Sunday afternoon en route to Orlando for a meeting with Magic general manager Otis Smith and assistant general manager Dave Twardzik.
In somewhat of a shocking non-move, the Magic have yet to contact Milicic’s representatives, possibly sending the message that they have no interest in resigning the 7-footer from Serbia and Montenegro.
Milicic’s agent, Marc Cornstein, admitted that the was somewhat surprised in the Magic’s lack of outward interest and he confirmed that Lewis was about to visit Orlando.
Because the Magic have just $10-13 million in salary cap space, it is highly unlikely that they would be able to sign Lewis away from the Seattle Supersonics and also retain Milicic.
``I didn’t get a call from (the Magic) at 12:01, 12:02, 12:05 or 4:20 this morning,’’ Cornstein said. ``I’ve talked to many, many teams around the league, but Orlando isn’t one of them. I’ve learned not to be shocked with anything that goes on, but hey, it is what it is right now.’’
In the weeks since the Magic were swept out of the playoffs by the Detroit Pistons Smith said that his top priority this summer was to re-sign Milicic, 21. And he and Cornstein spoke repeatedly over the past few weeks, and the feeling was that a contract offer could come as soon as today.
Sunday (July 1) was the first day teams could begin negotiating deals with free agents. Those deals can’t be officially signed until July 11, but most contracts are finalized with handshake agreements early in the process.
Lewis met with new Seattle GM Sam Presti Sunday morning and also entertained talks with representatives from the Rockets, the team he grew up a fan of while living in Houston.
Lewis is expected to command a salary of at least $15 million a season. He opted out of a deal that would have paid him $21 million over the next two seasons. Seattle has an advantage in that it can offer a six-year contract, whereas other teams can offer just five years. He could still get his six years and leave Seattle by negotiating a sign-and-trade deal.
``I will verify that (Lewis) is going to Orlando,’’ Cornstein said. ``All these negotiations are fluid and impact each other, but we know very well that it’s going to be extremely unlikely that the Magic can sign Darko and Rashard Lewis unless there’s a sign-and-trade deal.’’
Vince Carter, a Daytona Beach native and an Orlando summer resident, is no longer a candidate for the Magic after he agreed to a four-year, $61.8 million deal with the New Jersey Nets on Sunday, according to the Newark Star-Ledger.
Lewis, 27, might want out of Seattle after the Sonics traded Ray Allen to Boston on draft night. Also, the Sonics drafted Kevin Durant and acquired Jeff Green and Wally Szczerbiak _ all small forwards, the same position as Lewis.
Milicic is a restricted free agent, meaning the Magic have the right to match any offer he receives. Cornstein said he received calls from ``half the teams in the league,’’ but only four of them _ Milwaukee, Minnesota, Atlanta and Orlando _ can offer him more than the mid-level exception ($5.5 million).
``I think on paper it makes a lot of sense for Darko to return to Orlando,’’ Cornstein said. ``We really thought it was a good fit for him there.
``But the most important thing is that we want him with a team that wants him. It’s taken him some time to establish himself in this league and we think it’s important that he goes to a team that believes in him and wants him to be a cornerstone piece.’’
Cornstein said he wouldn’t rule out the Magic at this point, but he is beginning to wonder if they have any desire to retain the 7-foot shot blocker.
``I’m really easy to reach, but they haven’t called,’’ Cornstein said. ``Until I have conversations with them, I won’t know what direction they are headed.’’
--- John Denton, FLORIDA TODAY
_________________
John Denton is a FLORIDA TODAY sports reporter and the Orlando Magic beat writer
Lewis, the 6-foot-10 small forward who averaged career bests in points (22..4), rebounds (6.6) and assists (2.4) last season, left his hometown of Houston Sunday afternoon en route to Orlando for a meeting with Magic general manager Otis Smith and assistant general manager Dave Twardzik.
In somewhat of a shocking non-move, the Magic have yet to contact Milicic’s representatives, possibly sending the message that they have no interest in resigning the 7-footer from Serbia and Montenegro.
Milicic’s agent, Marc Cornstein, admitted that the was somewhat surprised in the Magic’s lack of outward interest and he confirmed that Lewis was about to visit Orlando.
Because the Magic have just $10-13 million in salary cap space, it is highly unlikely that they would be able to sign Lewis away from the Seattle Supersonics and also retain Milicic.
``I didn’t get a call from (the Magic) at 12:01, 12:02, 12:05 or 4:20 this morning,’’ Cornstein said. ``I’ve talked to many, many teams around the league, but Orlando isn’t one of them. I’ve learned not to be shocked with anything that goes on, but hey, it is what it is right now.’’
In the weeks since the Magic were swept out of the playoffs by the Detroit Pistons Smith said that his top priority this summer was to re-sign Milicic, 21. And he and Cornstein spoke repeatedly over the past few weeks, and the feeling was that a contract offer could come as soon as today.
Sunday (July 1) was the first day teams could begin negotiating deals with free agents. Those deals can’t be officially signed until July 11, but most contracts are finalized with handshake agreements early in the process.
Lewis met with new Seattle GM Sam Presti Sunday morning and also entertained talks with representatives from the Rockets, the team he grew up a fan of while living in Houston.
Lewis is expected to command a salary of at least $15 million a season. He opted out of a deal that would have paid him $21 million over the next two seasons. Seattle has an advantage in that it can offer a six-year contract, whereas other teams can offer just five years. He could still get his six years and leave Seattle by negotiating a sign-and-trade deal.
``I will verify that (Lewis) is going to Orlando,’’ Cornstein said. ``All these negotiations are fluid and impact each other, but we know very well that it’s going to be extremely unlikely that the Magic can sign Darko and Rashard Lewis unless there’s a sign-and-trade deal.’’
Vince Carter, a Daytona Beach native and an Orlando summer resident, is no longer a candidate for the Magic after he agreed to a four-year, $61.8 million deal with the New Jersey Nets on Sunday, according to the Newark Star-Ledger.
Lewis, 27, might want out of Seattle after the Sonics traded Ray Allen to Boston on draft night. Also, the Sonics drafted Kevin Durant and acquired Jeff Green and Wally Szczerbiak _ all small forwards, the same position as Lewis.
Milicic is a restricted free agent, meaning the Magic have the right to match any offer he receives. Cornstein said he received calls from ``half the teams in the league,’’ but only four of them _ Milwaukee, Minnesota, Atlanta and Orlando _ can offer him more than the mid-level exception ($5.5 million).
``I think on paper it makes a lot of sense for Darko to return to Orlando,’’ Cornstein said. ``We really thought it was a good fit for him there.
``But the most important thing is that we want him with a team that wants him. It’s taken him some time to establish himself in this league and we think it’s important that he goes to a team that believes in him and wants him to be a cornerstone piece.’’
Cornstein said he wouldn’t rule out the Magic at this point, but he is beginning to wonder if they have any desire to retain the 7-foot shot blocker.
``I’m really easy to reach, but they haven’t called,’’ Cornstein said. ``Until I have conversations with them, I won’t know what direction they are headed.’’
--- John Denton, FLORIDA TODAY
_________________
John Denton is a FLORIDA TODAY sports reporter and the Orlando Magic beat writer
