RealGM Wiretap
Count the Orlando Magic among the teams that weren't exactly thrilled to see the Indiana Pacers pull off Tuesday's blockbuster trade with the Chicago Bulls.
One of the Eastern Conference's most underachieving teams all season, Indiana acquired more size and rebounding (Brad Miller), a tenacious defender to replace the injured Al Harrington (Ron Artest) and some scoring punch (Ron Mercer) to offset the losses of Jalen Rose and Travis Best. The Pacers, Magic, Wizards, Sixers and Hornets are all bunched within two games of one another and will likely fight it out for the final four playoff slots.
But the primary significance of Tuesday's transaction regarding the Magic is what it does to Indiana's future finances. By unloading Rose's massive seven-year, $93 million contract, the Pacers will now have more salary cap room with which to try and retain power forward Jermaine O'Neal, who becomes a free agent after next season.
Orlando expects to have $13-$16 million in salary cap room following next season and will make another run at San Antonio star Tim Duncan. But if Duncan balks at the Magic again -- of late he's sounds more like he's planning on staying in San Antonio -- the Magic will undoubtedly target the 24-year-old O'Neal next.
The Magic will never get over losing Shaquille O'Neal, but just maybe they can replace him with a mini-O'Neal. The 6-foot-11, 242-pound power forward is one of the league's rising stars. He's seventh in the NBA in blocked shots (2.4), 11th in rebounding (10.8) and his offensive arsenal (17.9 points per game) seems to grow with every game. And don't discount the relationship he developed this past summer with Magic coach Doc Rivers when the they were in Australia competing in the Goodwill Games.
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Knocked around in the playoffs last year by cheap shots from the Milwaukee Bucks, Magic star Tracy McGrady is hoping the Magic can somehow land power forward/henchman Charles Oakley for this season's stretch run. But first the Chicago Bulls would have to release the disgruntled 17-year veteran -- a distinct possibility considering the Bulls' youth movement and Oakley's repeated inflammatory comments directed at the organization.
McGrady and Oakley became friends two years ago while playing together in Toronto. With Oakley around, McGrady said he wouldn't have to worry any more about the hits he's taken this season.
"Then," McGrady muttered, "Kenyon Martin had better watch his back."
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Yes, Allen Iverson is an amazing talent and he remarkably leads the NBA in scoring (30.2) despite being roughly the size of a broom. But there is a method to his madness. Consider this: He's shooting just 39.7 percent and he misses an average of 16.5 shots a game. That's more shots than 95 percent of the players in the NBA attempt.
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Philadelphia's Derrick Coleman reportedly made two attempts to get inside the Indiana lockerroom Sunday following his on-court fight with Reggie Miller. Congratulations, Derrick. Seems that's the first attempts he's made at anything in years.
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Head coach Scott Skiles took the fall in Phoenix this week for the mess the Suns' management created with bad decision after bad decision.
In no particular order, the Suns traded away the Magic Johnson of our generation (Jason Kidd), built the team around an injured malcontent (Penny Hardaway) and overpaid for spare parts (Tom Gugliotta, Bo Outlaw and Dan Majerle).
"It hasn't worked, and it's not working," Skiles said during his exit press conference. "It seemed kind of silly to keep trying to make it work."
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Speaking of the Suns, point guard Stephon Marbury's recent driving under the influence arrest was the subject of derision last week when Phoenix played in Minnesota. Think Timberwolves fans are still bitter over how Marbury forced the team to trade him to New Jersey in 1999 because of his disdain of Minnesota? One fan held up a sign that read: ".151" -- Marbury's alleged blood-alcohol level at the time of his arrest.
And the story gets even better. Coincidentally, the incident happened on the same night that Minnesota star Kevin Garnett paid about $20,000 to purchase a beer or a soda for the first 10,000 fans who attended the game.
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Somebody please help me understand this logic. Utah Jazz guard DeShawn Stevenson was suspended without pay for three games for pleading no contest to a sexual offense involving a minor in California. That's the same length of suspension that Shaquille O'Neal got for throwing a punch -- that missed! -- at Chicago's Brad Miller.
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Forget Chris Webber's budding relationship with supermodel Tyra Banks. I'm curious to find out if he's been able to locate any good soul food restaurants in Sacramento with that $122.7 million contract of his.
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Wonder if these mediocre players still send Rick Pitino Christmas cards for making them so stinking rich with his terrible talent assessments: Walter McCarty ($3.1 million), Travis Knight ($3.6 million), Vitaly Potapenko ($4.7 million), Chris Mills ($5.4 million), Austin Croshere ($6.3 million), Tariq Abdul-Wahad ($5 million), Michael Stewart ($3.8 million), Ron Mercer ($6.7 million) and Tony Battie ($3.6 million). Pitino is a perfect example of why coaches should never double as general managers.