OK, they get rid of Doleac for the rights to Haywood, then trade him to Washington for Laron Profit and a pick!?!?! North Carolina blue runs deep I guess. Orlando has a backup center problem now with Amaechi gone, unless you consider DeClerq a good backup. Looks like Horace Grant is back at center. The amazing thing to me is that last paragraph. Orlando now has up to 8 first rd. picks in the next 4 years. YIKES!!!! http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news/ap/20010801/ap-magic-wizardstrade.html Magic trade rights to Haywood to Wizards for Profit, draft pick By MIKE BRANOM Associated Press Writer August 1, 2001 ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- The Orlando Magic acquired guard Laron Profit and a future first-round draft pick from the Washington Wizards on Wednesday in exchange for the draft rights to center Brendan Haywood. Haywood, the 20th overall pick in this year's draft, was acquired from Cleveland in exchange for center Michael Doleac. The 7-foot Haywood spent four seasons at North Carolina, averaging 10 points, six rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 141 career games. ``We still believe he's going to be a nice player in this league,'' Magic general manager John Gabriel said. ``But with our success in the free-agent market, both in signing back our players and acquiring free agents, there's kind of a logjam.'' In the offseason, the Magic signed Patrick Ewing and Horace Grant to free-agent deals while also convincing Andrew DeClercq and Don Reid to return. Orlando also drafted 7-footer Steven Hunter with the 15th pick. Haywood's addition to the Wizards' roster give the team depth in the post as it breaks in 19-year-old Kwame Brown, the No. 1 overall pick this year. The 6-foot-4 Profit appeared in 35 games for the Wizards last year, averaging 4.3 points and 2.5 assists. He started the season's final 12 games, averaging 9.7 points, 5.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds during that span. Profit had been working out this offseason with Wizards president Michael Jordan during the team's mini-camp. Orlando selected Profit in the second round of the 1999 draft, but later traded him to Washington for a future second-round pick. The Magic can take Washington's draft pick beginning in 2004, but the Wizards can keep the pick if it is among the first 20. The next season, it is protected through No. 13, and in 2006 it is protected only through the first three spots. If Orlando waits until 2007, the pick would be unconditional. Orlando now has eight potential first-round draft selections during the next four years. The Magic have their own first-round pick for the next four drafts, and is also owed first-round picks from Phoenix, Sacramento and the Los Angeles Clippers. ------------------ My doctor says I am bipolar. I am going to get a second opinion. I have never had intimate desires for polar bears. [This message has been edited by HOOP-T (edited August 01, 2001).]
They have Ewing and Hunter (who was drafted ahead of Heywood) + Grant or DeClerq for emergencies. I would say that puts them in respectable company at the 5 (especially in the east). Over the last few weeks they also must have further confirmed through their practices/exhibitions that their draft day decision to select Hunter over Heywood was a good one, though I certainly would have offered our new Toronto 1st rounder for Heywood.
WHoa, Haywoods become good trade bait, maybe we could've picked him and sent a package of Cato and Haywood for someone else.
This is crazy, Haywood is much further along then Hunter. And as much as I bang on Haywood for being a soft player, Hunter isn't developed at all to be a normal player. I would have dumped Hunter before Haywood because Haywood could help them NEXT year. He has an NBA body, even if he tends to play soft sometimes. Hunter is as thin as Manute Bol. And as much as a rip on Haywood, I would have sent both our picks, the 1st and 2nd round pick of our to Orlando for Haywood because he could help us next year, and could be a player if he got tougher.
You guys have seen Haywood play right? Cause he is not good. Not as fearsome as it sounds, many of those picks are likely to be mind-to-late first rounders. Nice trade bait, but difficult to get an impact player, unless you can concetrate 3 firts rounders in the same draft. Oh, and count the number of Rocket's first round draft picks over the last 4 years.
Actually I've seen Haywood the last 2 years, he's good but he just has to get mentally tougher. I've seen Hunter play, and he has a LONG way to go before he is a player in the NBA.
<b>Not as fearsome as it sounds, many of those picks are likely to be mind-to-late first rounders. Nice trade bait, but difficult to get an impact player, unless you can concetrate 3 firts rounders in the same draft. </b> Well you saw what the Rockets got with 3 mid to late first rounders, and it got them an impact player!
