Jerry Brewer of the Orlando Sentinel reports: The Orlando Magic are prepared to look behind dark corners and in cracks and crevices to find answers to their front-court problems.

And, yes, that means exploring whether Shawn Kemp deserves another chance.

The Magic are interested in speaking with him and seeing him work out, according to a source. A meeting is expected within the next two weeks.

Magic General Manager John Gabriel has been quiet when asked specific questions about Kemp, but he does not hide the fact that his team must be creative in solving its front-court quandary.

"We haven't ruled out anybody," Gabriel said. "We want to win. In order to win, we will explore all possibilities."

The problem is, there are few possibilities out there. The Magic wanted free-agent forward Brian Skinner, but he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers last week. The Magic missed out on Skinner a day after learning that forward/center Steven Hunter will miss at least half of the season because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

Right now, the Magic are left with three true post players on their roster: 37-year-old Horace Grant, unproven 21-year-old Olumide Oyedeji and 29-year-old journeyman Andrew DeClercq. Other than that, they have two undersized players who can play some time at power forward in Pat Garrity and rookie Ryan Humphrey. If the season started today, the Magic would only be able to dress 11 players.

"Right now, we have a need to fill out the 12-man roster," Gabriel said.

Because of luxury-tax concerns, the Magic negotiated buyouts with Patrick Ewing and Jud Buechler. They also traded Don Reid and a future first-round pick to Denver for a 2004 second-round pick. At the time, Hunter was healthy and hungry to contribute.

Gabriel said acquiring a big man through trade is "unlikely, but we'll still explore those options." The problem with a trade is that most teams won't trade a big guy for smaller players.

Gabriel also said it is unlikely that the Magic could offer a free agent more than a minimum contract (RealGM note: They only have about a 900,000 gap between their payroll and the $50 million target that they don't want to exceed). Kemp has not said how much money he will seek. He is likely to get several minimum offers.

Beyond Kemp, the Magic would have some interest in San Antonio forward/center Cherokee Parks and Dallas center Wang Zhizhi, who is unlikely because he is more likely to be signed and traded by the mavericks elsewhere. Washington forward Popeye Jones remains unsigned, but he would only consider a minimum offer if other options -- including Seattle and Dallas -- fall through but that is highly unlikely and their is still a good chance that he will go back to Washington.

Gary Trent and Charles Oakley are also available but Orlando will likely pass on Trent because of his injuries and it seems like they don't want anything to do with Oakley.

Jerry Brewer of the Orlando Sentinel reports that Jermaine O?Neal may be unattainable during next season?s free agent frenzy. Not because of the salary cap or the luxury tax, but because he doesn?t want to leave Indiana.

"Unless the whole floor falls out as far as management and the year we have, Indiana has to be No. 1," the Pacers forward said. "I'm very loyal. The Pacers went out and traded Dale Davis, an All-Star, for me, a player not known by many people. They believed that much in me."

While he could play the free agent game and pit teams against one another to get the big payoff, O?Neal doesn't need the attention. He'd prefer to keep growing in the place where his stardom hatched. In three short years with the Pacers, he has blossomed from a lost ?preps-to-pros? phenom, to one of the premier big men in the game. And he loves the Pacers for giving him that chance.

"(Team president) Donnie Walsh, he's one of the last Mohicans," O'Neal said. "You can believe everything he says. I'm a huge fan of Donnie Walsh and (coach) Isiah Thomas. I don't want to make it an issue this year," O'Neal said of being a free agent. "I have a year left on the deal I have. I don't want to talk much about it at all."

So for the Pacers, keeping O'Neal is simple. Watch him play well. Ensure that the team improves. Offer O'Neal maximum money. Shake O'Neal's hand after he accepts it. The rest of the NBA's big spenders don't even get a chance.

The Orlando Magic and WRBW-Channel 65 announced a contract extension Tuesday for the station to continue to serve as the Magic Television Network's flagship through the 2004-05 season.

The upcoming 2002-03 campaign marks the fourth straight season that WRBW has served as the over-the-air home for the Magic. The network will carry up to 35 Magic games. Orlando's complete television schedule, including its Sunshine Network cable slate, will be announced today.

"We're very excited to announce the continued partnership between WRBW-UPN 65 and the Magic," RDV Sports chief operating officer John Weisbrod said.

Jerry Brewer of the Orlando Sentinel reports: Already lacking in their frontcourt, the Orlando Magic suffered a big loss Monday when doctors determined that Steven Hunter tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

Hunter injured the knee while playing in a big-man camp in Bradenton last week. A date for surgery has not been set. The best prognosis for his recovery is four to six months. Assuming he heals that quickly and has no problems, Hunter likely will miss the first half of the season. But it's possible that he could miss the entire year.

The Magic, who have traded Don Reid and bought out Patrick Ewing's contract this summer, already were looking for frontcourt help. Losing Hunter means they'll have to sign an extra big body.

"We were already looking to add that," General Manager John Gabriel said. "It just punctuates what we have to do."

If they are not interested in acquiring a player through trade, the Magic's options on the open market are limited. They want free agent Brian Skinner, but there will be competition from Philadelphia for his services.

The Magic have some interest in Shawn Kemp, who is now free after agreeing to a buyout settlement from Portland. But they also have the same concerns most teams have about Kemp: motivation, weight problems and past drug abuse.

Asked about Kemp, Gabriel would only say, "We're exploring all options."

If the Magic are to trade for a post player, they likely would look to Golden State, who likely would be willing to part with Adonal Foyle or Danny Fortson.

RealGM Note: If Orlando wants to stay under $50 million in total salaries like they had originally planned to avoid possibily paying the luxury tax, then they can only sign one more minimum salary player.

Orlando Magic forward-center Steven Hunter has suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee, General Manager John Gabriel announced today. The injury occurred while Hunter was participating in Big Man Camp at The Basketball Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Following surgery (date TBD), Hunter is expected to be out four to six months.

Hunter (7?0?, 220, 10/31/81) appeared in 53 regular season games during his rookie campaign with the Magic last season, averaging 3.6 ppg. and 1.8 rpg. in 9.7 minpg. He also made 21 starts, averaging 5.3 ppg., 3.1 rpg. and 1.52 blkpg. in 15.7 minpg. during that span.

Hunter's injury is a huge setback for the magic who were hoping that Hunter could contribute this season to their already thin frontcourt.

Steve Aschburner of the Star Tribune reports that the Timberwolves have found some help at the point guard position. They have reached a contract agreement with free agent point guard Troy Hudson.

Hudson, 26, averaged 11.7 points and 3.1 assists in 22.9 minutes last season for the Orlando Magic. Contract terms have not been released, but it is believed to be a 3-year contract with the third year as a player option. Hudson's agent, Bill Neff, previously turned down a Wolves offer of the $1.4 million exception. He reportedly was seeking a portion of the mid-level exception, or about $2.5 million of the available $4.5 million as a starting salary.
 
In contrast to Travis Best, another NBA point guard with whom the Wolves had talked, Hudson is younger by four years, is 2 inches taller and is known to play at a faster pace. Best, 30, who helped Indiana reach the 2000 NBA Finals, was believed to be seeking all or most of the midlevel exception.

After a one-year fling with holding training camp at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Rivers and general manager John Gabriel have decided that the Magic will return to the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.

It will be the sixth time in the last nine years that camp will take place at UNF. No specific reason was given for the move, but an indication that the Magic would not be training in Tampa was when their preseason schedule included no dates at the Ice Palace. The Magic played there twice last preseason, although the second of those was a late addition after they and the Los Angeles Clippers were originally supposed to meet in Mexico City.

Tampa will host a preseason game Oct. 20 when the Detroit Pistons face the Miami Heat.

Training camp for the Magic at UNF begins Oct. 1.

ORLANDO MAKES MOVES

Mike Miller, whose name has popped up regularly this summer in trade rumors, finally became part of an actual Orlando Magic transaction Friday.

Beating the deadline to exercise the option on his contract by two months, the Magic picked up the fourth year of Miller's deal that he signed after leaving Florida in 2000. The 2001 NBA Rookie of the Year will make $3.38 million in the 2003-04 season.

If Miller is still with the Magic after that, their qualifying offer to him for the 2004-05 season would be expected to start at almost $4.5 million, according to the league's salary scale.

The news about Miller came on the same day the Magic officially hired Mark Hughes as an assistant coach. Hughes, 35, had been with the Magic during their rookie and free agent camp and leagues this summer after spending the previous five years coaching the Grand Rapids Hoops of the Continental Basketball Association.

Hughes, who played briefly with the Detroit Pistons after being a co-captain of Michigan's 1989 national championship team, joins Dave Wohl, Johnny Davis and Paul Pressey on the staff of coach Doc Rivers. Wohl, Davis and Pressey all received contract extensions of undisclosed length.

Tom Sterner, who had been with the Magic for eight seasons as a scout and then an assistant coach, was hired two weeks ago by the Golden State Warriors after one-time Magic assistant Eric Musselman became their head coach.

GONE CAMPING

Steven Hunter spent last week in Bradenton attending a camp designed for centers to improve their skills, speed and agility. Hunter was not included on the Magic's playoff roster after being the first of their two first-round draft picks a year ago, and a leg injury last month limited his summer league activity.

Clifford Ray, who tutored the Magic's centers during Rivers' first season as coach, and Robert Parish were among the camp's staff members.

Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times Picayune reports that Robert Traylor will return to the Hornets. They re-signed him to a 2-year deal yesterday.

"You know, he's a great insurance policy for us," Silas said. Last year when center Elden Campbell was out with a hamstring injury, Traylor and Jamaal Magloire "stepped in and we didn't miss a beat.?

"We won some games with him. He plays the four and five for me; he knows the system so we don't have to teach him and he's a heck of a rebounder. On top of that, he's a crowd pleaser. They love him. He adds a lot to our club."

Terms of the contract weren?t released, but it is expected that Traylor will be taking a pay cut from last season?s $2 million salary. "Annually it won't be a raise," Traylor?s agent, Andre Colona said. "But a lot of it stems from his relationship with Coach Silas."

Traylor was scheduled to visit the Orlando Magic next week, according to Colona, but opted to rejoin the Hornets because of his rapport with Silas. The coach "really stepped up," the agent said.

"I think after talking to coach and believing in his philosophy, plus the relationship we had last year, it was just a great situation for me to go back there and play," Traylor said Friday from his offseason home in Detroit.

The Associated Press reports: The Orlando Magic has exercised its Fourth-year option  on forward-guard Mike Miller, meaning he's signed through the 2003-2004 season.

"We had until Oct. 31 to exercise our option on Mike, but it wasn't necessary to wait that long," Magic general manager John Gabriel said. "We are very excited to have him signed through the 2003-04 season."

Last season, Miller played in 63 games and averaged 15.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists. He also made 38.3 percent (116-of-303) of his 3-point tries, ranking 37th in the NBA.

Miller was Rookie of the Year in 2001 and was the lone unanimous selection to the All-Rookie Team.

Additionally, the Magic have added Mark Hughes to Doc Rivers? staff as an assistant coach, Gabriel said.

In addition, Gabriel also announced that assistant coaches Dave Wohl, Johnny Davis and Paul Pressey have all had received contract extensions. Per team policy, terms of the deals are not disclosed.

Could this be the end of Patrick Ewing's playing career? Or is there a center-starved team that would give Ewing one last run?

ESPN.com reports that Ewing and the Orlando Magic have agreed to part ways. Ewing will continue to weigh future opportunities, the team said Thursday.