Magic Reach Verbal Agreement with Pietrus

[Donoghus]

(LarBrd33 also made mention of this news in the Allen/Pietrus thread)

From ESPN.com

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3478921

The Orlando Magic were rumored to be in the mix for free agent Corey Maggette, but it appears they've gone in a different direction.

Mickael Pietrus

Pietrus

Florida Today reported on Tuesday that the Magic have reached a verbal agreement with free-agent swingman Mickael Pietrus, who played for the Golden State Warriors last season.

Orlando general manager Otis Smith told the newspaper that the five-year veteran will receive almost all of the Magic's midlevel exception, which starts at $5.2 million next season. The team is expected to sign Pietrus to a multiyear contract on Wednesday.

Besides passing on Maggette, the Magic appear to have closed the door on retaining their own guard Keyon Dooling.

Smith said that Pietrus' ability to defend opponent's shooting guards set him apart.

"In the Eastern Conference you had better be able to defend that position," he said, according to the newspaper. "We think he can really help us do that. And he can shoot the 3."

Pietrus averaged 7.2 points and 3.7 rebounds last season. Those numbers were off his career highs of 11.1 and 4.5 in 2006-07.

[silvershamrocker]

Well, he's not an option anymore.

Everyone is going to get better this summer. I hope Ainge knows what he is doing!

[Lucky17]

Is Mo Evans still out there? Or Carlos Delfino? I think both compare to Pietrus, perhaps better offensively.

[Donoghus]

Orlando general manager Otis Smith told the newspaper that the five-year veteran will receive almost all of the Magic's midlevel exception, which starts at $5.2 million next season. The team is expected to sign Pietrus to a multiyear contract on Wednesday.

I think any hopes that some here had of Posey signing here for less than the MLE can pretty much go out the window.

[RebusRankin]

Good addition but 5.2 miilion seems to high. Then again they are paying Lewis 20 million a year.

[Who]

Okay well I think that's the best fall back position for Posey/Maggette off the market.

I want to know what they paid him exactly, I'm sure we'll find out soon enough. Pietrus isn't really a SVG type of player - Stan will have similar complaints as Nellie did - so I'm not sure how wise a fit Pietrus is in Orlando. At least he gives them a very good defensive option in the wings which will help. Offensively he'll give them some streaky production.

Pietrus has some "free agency steal" potential about him because he's capable of more than he's shown in GSW. For him to fulfill that I would have preferred a better fit for him than Orlando.

As for Orlando I think this is a dull move. This doesn't upgrade them enough to get them past Detroit. Pietrus won't be a big enough difference maker for them for that. They needed something else, someone more dynamic offensively in the backcourt. We'll see what they do with the bench but if I'm a Magic fan I'm thinking the curse of Otis Smith has struck again.

[wdleehi]

I would still be happy with Posey and the full MLE for 3 years. 


It is the next two years he wants I am not a big fan of.

[pp34isthe1]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3478921

The Orlando Magic were rumored to be in the mix for free agent Corey Maggette, but it appears they've gone in a different direction.

Florida Today reported on Tuesday that the Magic have reached a verbal agreement with free-agent swingman Mickael Pietrus, who played for the Golden State Warriors last season.

Orlando general manager Otis Smith told the newspaper that the five-year veteran will receive almost all of the Magic's mid-level exception, which starts at $5.2 million next season. The team is expected to sign Pietrus to a multiyear contract on Wednesday.

Besides passing on Maggette, the Magic appear to have closed the door on retaining their own guard Keyon Dooling.

Smith said that Pietrus' ability to defend opponents' shooting guards sets him apart.

"In the Eastern Conference you had better be able to defend that position," he said, according to the newspaper. "We think he can really help us do that. And he can shoot the 3."

Pietrus averaged 7.2 points and 3.7 rebounds last season. Those numbers were off his career highs of 11.1 and 4.5 in 2006-07..

With Pietrus and Maggette gone, i hope we can still get posey

[Montrossity]

Not a good day for the Celts.  Maggette signs away (although I never liked him much), the best alternate to Posey on the market agrees to sign with Orlando and as Donoghus mentioned, Posey's price tag will rise in response. 

Doesnt help that during this offseason suddenly the Sixers now look awfully competitive, and two playoff teams in Orlando and Toronto both look a lot better.  Its going to be a really interesting season coming up.