When the Orlando Magic dramatically traded for Vince Carter on the eve of last week’s NBA Draft, the Eastern Conference champions quickly asserted themselves as possible favorites for next season’s title. With a starting lineup of All-Stars – Jameer Nelson, Carter, Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard – the Magic would have, without question, the best starting five in the NBA, and would be set to contend for championships for the next few seasons.
Only one thing stood in their way: locking up Turkoglu, a free agent, to a long-term deal. Despite being up against the luxury tax after trading for Carter, the Magic still offered Turkoglu a four-year, $36 million contract. It may have been a little below market value per season, but Turkoglu would still be well-compensated, and would have a chance to compete for multiple championships.
But he declined the offer, choosing to go for more dollars than being guaranteed the chance to win championships. While it undoubted disappointed the Magic and their fans, at least there were some teams with cap space – namely Detroit and Portland – that could offer a similar opportunity if things fell correctly.
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