Magic opt to stay course with talented youngsters

By: Brian Schmitz

Instead of dipping a toe in the NBA free-agent waters this summer, what if the Orlando Magic had jumped in headfirst and made the biggest splash?

What if they had arranged a deal to reunite with Ben Wallace and his Afro?

The promise: Perhaps a playoff appearance by Orlando for the first time since 2003.

The problem: To bag Big Ben, the Magic might have had to hit bottom after draining their talent pool.

Sure, the Magic could have worn wigs at a joyous news conference, chanted "Fear The 'Fro" and welcomed back Wallace -- who played here in 1999-2000 -- after signing him as a prized free agent.

General Manager Otis Smith said he even explored the possibility with Wallace's camp. It was a brief exploration, considering Orlando has no salary-cap room and would have had to acquire him in a tricky sign-and-trade.

Following the money, Wallace agreed last week to sign with the Chicago Bulls for $60 million over four years.

Playoff-starved fans and skeptical media watch impatiently as big-time players and larger dollars fly by the home team without its joining the free-agent frenzy.

But the Magic's opportunity with Wallace tests a franchise's building -- or rebuilding -- philosophy and offers a refresher course in hoops economics.

Do you tear up a promising young team that retooled last season to sign an aging defensive force whose numbers are declining steadily?

Or do you stay true to the latest blueprint that is built around 20-year-old phenom Dwight Howard?"

Did I have a conversation with someone regarding Ben's interest to play in Orlando? Yes, I did. 'He wants to play in Orlando' was what I got," Smith said. "But I just said, 'That's nice.' "

And what would it have taken to sign Big Ben?

Well, break up the Magic.

"It would have taken half the guys we call our core," Smith said. "You could have gotten him [perhaps in a sign-and-trade], but at what expense? Our point guard [Jameer Nelson]? Our small forward [Hedo Turkoglu]?

"You have to start thinking, 'Is what we have . . . going in the right direction?' We're going where we need to be going. I can't see trading for a guy [Wallace] who's going to be 32 [in September]."

The Magic, who closed last season with a 16-6 finishing kick, feel they largely did their wheeling and dealing to upgrade the club in February. Teams can begin signing free agents Wednesday.

"We were busy during the season," Smith said.

They dumped guard Steve Francis' weighty contract on the New York Knicks, acquiring forward Trevor Ariza, 21, and Penny Hardaway's expiring contract in the process. They received forward Darko Milicic, 21, and point guard Carlos Arroyo, 26, from the Pistons in exchange for center Kelvin Cato and a future No. 1 pick.

Trading Nelson ($1.2 million) and Turkoglu ($5.8 million) to the Pistons to land Wallace would have been just the start of a massive Orlando clearance sale.

With salaries needing to come close to matching, you'd only be about halfway to meeting Wallace's first-year salary of $15 million. You'd have to persuade the Pistons to then take more Magic players or take back Grant Hill (in an incredibly charitable bit of sign-and-trade deja vu, given that's how Detroit grabbed Wallace six years ago.)

Let's say the Magic landed Wallace and split up their "core." Would they be better if they had to replace, say, Nelson, Turkoglu and Tony Battie and surround Wallace with some cheap free agents?

Or could they sign more players when Hill's contract expires next summer and rise to contention after Howard comes of age -- and before Wallace ages?

The Magic chose to stick with their long-range plan instead of a quick fix.

"When you get beyond Ben, where do you go in this free-agent market?" Smith said. "If you want to change courses -- which we've been known to do -- in the middle of a plan that's going in the right direction, scrap it all and go get Ben Wallace, you can do that. But that's not something we wanted to do."

The Magic, roughly $17 million over the $43 million league-mandated salary cap, will look to improve this summer essentially by bargain-hunting. They are searching for a shooting guard and a big man.

They can offer the midlevel exception, which starts around $5 million for up to six years. Wallace's hairstylist would scoff at that loot.

Two years ago, the club gave Turkoglu a midlevel contract -- six years, $36 million -- but it isn't likely to use all of that exception this offseason. The primary free agents the Magic are pursuing are their own: Shooting guard DeShawn Stevenson and Ariza.

The Magic also have the $1.2 million veteran's exception to offer -- tip money in the NBA.

Wait till next offseason.

The Magic, perhaps needing one key piece to contend, can be serious players in free agency.

Hill's massive contract comes off the books after this season. Orlando will have money to spend in a stronger free-agent market, having about $12 million available.

The list of free agents and potential free agents includes Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter, Chauncey Billups, Mike Bibby and Josh Howard. Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Kirk Hinrich are likely to follow their 2003 draft classmate -- Carmelo Anthony -- and re-sign with their respective clubs. Cleveland's LeBron James agreed Saturday to a contract extension of up to five years.

Next summer the Magic could make a play for Pierce or under-the-radar free agents such as Howard, Rashard Lewis, Antawn Jamison, David West or Leandro Barbosa.

"[Ownership] has given me all the tools to do my job," Smith said. "I want to put a team out there that can win a championship, but you have to do it smart and with flexibility.

"And sometimes that doesn't mean signing the biggest name, making the biggest splash. For us, it has to be the right fit."