Hedo Turkoglu

Orlando Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu scored 25 points and had 12 assists against Boston in Game 7. (ASSOCIATED PRESS) On a day when the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics, the two marquee franchises of the league, were pushed to a Game 7, the player who came up huge was not named Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest, Paul Pierce or Dwight Howard. When the Orlando Magic needed someone to turn the lights out at TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Coach Stan Van Gundy - who has been heaviliy criticized for losing Game 5 to the Celtics - did not call on Howard’s number or ... Read Full Story

Hedo Turkoglu was shipped to Toronto and Shawn Marion goes to Dallas in a four-team multi-player National Basketball Association trade that also saw Jerry Stackhouse join Memphis. Dallas, Memphis, Toronto and Orlando all swung the blockbuster deal on Thursday that involved players, draft pick and cash changing hands. Toronto sends forward Kris Humphries and centre Nathan Jawai to Dallas; guard Greg Buckner moves to Dallas from Memphis; and Antoine Wright and Devean George are going to Toronto from Dallas. Memphis also receives a second-round pick and money from Toronto, while Orlando gets cash from both Dallas and Toronto in exchange for dealing Turkoglu. "We ... Read Full Story

Dwight Howard (photo. Mannion) Last year we debuted the “Highs and Lows” system — previewing the NBA season by predicting the respective ceiling and basement for each team. Same theme, different season… Added: Vince Carter , Brandon Bass, Matt Barnes, Ryan Anderson, Jason Williams Lost: Hedo Turkoglu, Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee, Tony Battie, Tyronn Lue Ceiling: NBA Championship It wasn’t that the Magic couldn’t defend the Lakers or couldn’t put points on the board during the ‘09 Finals; their biggest obstacle was more an issue of experience and getting over that “first-time jitters/happy to be here” thing. That won’t be an issue this time ... Read Full Story

Last season, the Orlando Magic kind of snuck up on the rest of the league. While everybody knew that they had a solid roster, not many expected them to come out as Eastern Conference Champions. This time around, Orlando is not only one of the favorites to win the East again but is right there in the mix to compete for a title as well. This time around, the path will be a little different. The Magic have a different roster than last year and the East’s other powerhouses have also loaded up on talent during the offseason. Here are five areas of concern ... Read Full Story

Hedo Turkoglu's run with the Orlando Magic appears to be over. A day after the Magic acquired Vince Carter from the New Jersey Nets, Turkoglu's agent said Friday that he sent a notice to Orlando earlier this week that his client will opt out of his contract to become a free agent. Agent Lon Babby said the Magic had made Turkoglu an initial offer that Orlando general manager Otis Smith described as a "jumping off point." But Carter's acquisition signals the Magic are jumping in another direction. Orlando's payroll will likely dip into the luxury tax for the first time in franchise history, and ... Read Full Story