Magic may make a move to land Rush

By: John Denton

Their contract talks with DeShawn Stevenson at a stalemate, the Orlando Magic have set their sights on other free-agent shooting guards.

The Magic have held serious discussions with 3-point sharpshooter Kareem Rush, and Orlando could be close to agreeing to a deal with the four-year NBA veteran, general manager Otis Smith said.

Teams and players can't officially sign free-agent deals until Wednesday.

Stevenson, the Magic's starter last season at shooting guard, opted out of a contract that would have paid him $3.2 million next season. His contract demands, in the neighborhood of $25 million over five years, are not in line with what the Magic are willing to pay.

Smith met Sunday with Stevenson and agent Rob Pelinka in Los Angeles, and
Smith said he increased his original offer. But there has been little progress the past week.

"I like DeShawn a lot, but within reason," Smith said. "I'm not going to overspend for a guy who in my mind his salary slot was perfect for him. I do understand he and his agent's thought process, but if we're going to make a deal, it has to be reasonable for both sides. I'm about being fair. If we can't be fair, you're going to have to find what you're looking for somewhere else."

Smith has talked to the agents for Cleveland's Flip Murray, New Orleans/Oklahoma City's Rasual Butler and Rush in the past week. Orlando was next-to-last in the NBA in 3-pointers made last season, hence the focus on finding outside shooters.

Rush, 25, is the favorite among that group because of his proven track record in the regular season and postseason. He is a career 34.5 percent from beyond the 3-point arc, and he's hit 39.3 percent in the playoffs for the Los Angeles Lakers.

He averaged 10.1 points this past season for Charlotte and scored a career-best 35 points in November against Indiana. But the Bobcats surprisingly released him on April 1 when head coach/GM Bernie Bickerstaff publicly questioned his work ethic.

"Kareem Rush is a guy I like a lot," Smith said. "I met with his people out in L.A. . . . Charlotte is Charlotte. We'll have another conversation with him. But it has to make some sense both financially and player-wise."

Smith admitted he had a brief discussion with agent Arn Tellem last week about Ben Wallace's rumored desire to return to Orlando. Wallace, a rising star during his one season in Orlando in 1999-2000, ultimately agreed to a four-year, $60 million deal with the Chicago Bulls.

Because they are over the salary cap, the only way Orlando could have landed Wallace would have been through a sign-and-trade deal. Ironically, that's how Wallace ended up with Detroit, going to the Pistons in 2000 for Grant Hill.

"You could have gotten (Wallace), but at what cost?" Smith asked. "It would have taken half the guys we call our core. Our point guard (Jameer Nelson) and small forward (Hedo Turkoglu)?

"Sometimes Orlando just has to let people go. I know Ben was here, he left and we love him, but sometimes we have to realize he's (31) years old and not 26 anymore."