The Rashard Lewis contract is frightening.

[MTing]

What the fck...?

[LJJ]

You only need to worry about the Shard signing if you think your team has a dumb GM, as only idiots do things like this.

If your team has a dumb GM (ie. the Timberwolves), it's not like you weren't worried before this.

So nothing changes.

[TheHonestTruth]

Lewis is the next KG.

[Perezident]

who were the players involved the sign and trade??

[i seen hippos]

I'm just smilling realizing that Ford's and Bosh's combined 4 year contracts only amount to $91 million and they both better at their positions than Lewis and don't get injured (Ford's spinal injury is different since those aren't reocurring as far as I understand).

And we don't have to re-sign Bargnani for another 4 years.

Our core who at some point in their contracts can all be more valuable than Lewis will combine for $121 mil...compared to Lewis getting that alone...plus whatever Dwight gets.

LOL.

It's clear they have to go the Phoenix route now and stack the starting lineup and have no bench...not enough money for any sort of depth.

[Qwyjibo]

It's clear they have to go the Phoenix route now and stack the starting lineup and have no bench...not enough money for any sort of depth.

They can't even do that. Phoenix doesn't have any players at the price that Rashard will have in 2 years. Phoenix can at least go a respectable 7-8 deep with 3 max players.

Orlando will essentially be a 2-man team. To me they look like a team that will battle for the last few spots in the East playoffs so they won't have any good draft picks and of course, not much money to spend either. Unless Howard turns into Shaq (I don't see that happening), it'll be many years of mediocrity for Orlando... which is great for us fans of other East teams!

[SJellen]

a fool and there money are easily parted

[i seen hippos]

They can't even do that. Phoenix doesn't have any players at the price that Rashard will have in 2 years.

Orlando will essentially be a 2-man team. To me they look like a team that will battle for the last few spots in the East playoffs so they won't have any good draft picks and of course, not much money to spend either. Unless Howard turns into Shaq (I don't see that happening), it'll be many years or mediocrity for Orlando... which is great for us fans of other East teams!

Well if you take Howard's first of his new contract (after this season) and Lewis' second year salaries and use this year's cap, they would have 21-22 mil left I believe. They have 20 mil tied up to 5 other player and that's not including Nelson Q offer. So ya, the 2008/2009 season will be interesting.

But after that say 36 mil or so is tied up between those two and 13.5 mil for Battie and Turk (can't assume they'll be traded). Leaves about 8 mil or so depending on the cap in 2009/2010.

Still ugly.....so I guess you're right until the 2010/2011 season or if trades are made.....

[det2orl]

This contract will go down as one of the worst ever. Plus it cost them Darko and Grant Hill.

Otis Smith announced yesterday that they have ceased negotiations with Darko and renounced his rights so they get nothing when he signs somewhere else. The sign and trade to get Rashard the extra year is the dumbest move I've ever seen a GM make even dumber than McHale signing an under the table deal with Joe Smith and that should've cost him his job.

FIRE OTIS SMITH

Although once Lewis signs this deal it doesn't matter who the GM is because they won't be able to sign anyone for 6 yrs.

[i seen hippos]

So let's say by the 2010/2011 season where outside of those two, Orlando has 19 mil in cap space or perhaps Smith makes some deals to counter this insane contract earlier on, what should they do?

If they stack the starting lineup (say put another 14-15 mil in it), they would have about 4-5 mil for a maximum of 10 other players. If they try to go for more depth they have 19 mil for 13 players. We have to assume like most teams that the bottom 4-5 players won't break the million dollar mark per year.

I don't know which one is better. 2 players and possibly 13 scrubs or a strong starting linup and 10 players who are even worse than scrubs.

[thenextgreatbigman]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200....ap/index.html

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Rashard Lewis formally joined the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, leaving the Seattle SuperSonics after nine seasons when the teams completed a sign-and-trade deal for the high-scoring forward.

The Magic sent Seattle a conditional second-round pick, while the SuperSonics earned a trade exception believed to be in the $9 million range.

Lewis agreed to terms with the Magic earlier this month, yet no deal could be closed until Wednesday, the first day that the league's free agent moratorium was lifted. The six-year deal -- Lewis agreed to a five-year pact, but the sign-and-trade allows an extra year to be worked into the contract -- is expected to be worth at least $110 million.
"Rashard is a young, athletic forward and a proven scorer in this league," Orlando general manager Otis Smith said. "We feel his skills will be a tremendous addition to our team and we are very excited to have him join the Magic family."

Lewis averaged a career-best 22.4 points last season for Seattle, where he spent his first nine years after jumping straight to the NBA from high school and going early in the second round of the 1998 draft. He's averaged more than 20 points in each of the last three seasons, and is the SuperSonics' all-time leader in 3-point field goals with 973.

Lewis' acquisition is the first formal move in what could be a busy week for the Magic, who reportedly plan to announce an $85 million, five-year extension with All-Star center Dwight Howard on Thursday.

[hawkfan]

The Sonics get a huge trade exception in return that they can use on another player.

[Richie2k6]

Time to edit 2K7 rosters.

[thenextgreatbigman]

The Sonics get a huge trade exception in return that they can use on another player.

yeah i was thinking about that. good deal for the sonics.

[det2orl]

The TE is not that big.....

The Sonics have agreed to sign forward Rashard Lewis to a six-year contract worth the NBA maximum and then send him to the Orlando Magic for a conditional second-round pick and a trade exception worth between $9 million and $9.5 million, the PI has learned. Seattle Post-Intelligencer