NBA Breaking News: Gilbert Arenas to Bring Some Magic to Orlando?
Yahoo! Sports columnist Adrian Wojnarowski, broke out a Tweet late Friday evening reporting that the Orlando Magic and the Washington Wizards are having serious discussions about a trade that would bring Gilbert Arenas to Orlando.
Arenas, who has had his shares of trouble in D.C., would be reunited with current Magic General Manager Otis Smith. Smith previously worked for the Golden State Warriors when they drafted Arenas back in 2001. Arenas has a massive contract, but the Wizards have been looking to move him (even though Owner Ted Leonsis has said that he is not looking to move Gilbert just yet) as it will signal a much-needed change in leadership and future with rookie John Wall, the franchise player in D.C.
The Magic have struggled as of late, as they have lost five of their last six games, causing Dwight Howard to question the motivation of the team after their latest loss to the Denver Nuggets. They have been having trouble scoring, with Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter, and Jameer Nelson all shooting poorly. This may signal a need for change, as the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics are looking more and more like the top two teams in the Eastern Conference. If the Magic want to compete against them during the playoffs, they need to make some moves.
The Magic do possess the expiring contract of Vince Carter, as well as backup center Marcin Gortat, who has the potential to become a starter in the NBA. It is unclear at this time who the Wizards would be acquiring from Orlando and vice-versa if the trade does go down over the weekend or early next week.
Sources have said that the Magic have heard from other teams calling about the availability of Gortat, who signed an offer sheet with the Dallas Mavericks in 2009 before Orlando matched the offer during the last hours. Two teams in particular, the Houston Rockets and the Portland Trail Blazers, may have better offers, which I am sure the Magic and Smith have pondered.
It would be interesting if the Magic send Rashard Lewis and his massive contract to Washington in exchange for Arenas (and his massive contract), as both players could use a change of scenery. The Magic are looking to get back to the style of play that took them to the NBA Finals two years ago, where they eventually lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.
If the Magic do add Arenas to the mix, he better shape up and look to make a solid positive contribution, as he will be called upon to play like his former self and put his past behind him.
