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Player
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: OC CA
Posts: 675
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Jason Williams Wants to Play for Orlando
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PG Jason Williams could be option for Orlando Magic in offseason
Tim Povtak | INSIDE THE NBA
January 29, 2008
The Orlando Magic missed the opportunity to grab Jason Williams at the start of his NBA career. They will have the chance to get him at the end.
Take a look Wednesday to see if he could fit.
Williams, 32, is the Miami Heat point guard who becomes a free agent this summer, already telling friends that he would love to finish his career in Orlando, where he has made his home since leaving the University of Florida 10 years ago.
The question concerns whether the Magic should be interested. It's not something they will discuss publicly now, but choices will be made after the season.
The Magic already have Jameer Nelson and Carlos Arroyo, two younger and true point guards, and Keyon Dooling, a versatile combo guard who plays both backcourt positions.
Nelson this summer signed a five-year contract worth an estimated $32 million-$35 million, so he is not going anywhere unless the Magic trade him.
Arroyo and Dooling are the question marks, playing in the last year of their current contracts, scheduled to become free agents this summer.
The Magic are winning now, leading the Southeast Division, but it's no secret that Coach Stan Van Gundy is not thrilled with his backcourt options, shuffling starters and rotations like a gambler shuffling cards.
Nelson is expected to return to the lineup Wednesday after missing five games with a right foot problem, sending Arroyo back to a reserve role.
The whole issue with free agency this summer is topical now because the Heat and Williams will be making their second and final appearance of the season Wednesday at Amway Arena, giving everyone an up-close look to compare.
In his 10th season in the league, Williams has slowed a step, but he does have that NBA championship experience from 2006, serving as a starter alongside Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade during that title run that began with Van Gundy and finished with Pat Riley as the coach.
Williams, in his career, has transformed from the flashy, highlight-film, high-turnover point guard into a slower, much more controlled version, tailoring his game to fit alongside O'Neal and Wade. In his past 23 games, for example, he has 109 assists and 29 turnovers as the Heat starter.
With the Heat free-falling now and showing little hope of a turnaround, Riley is expected to go into a rebuilding mode this summer, focusing more on creating salary-cap room for the future than re-signing any veterans and making Williams expendable.
Williams is making $8 million this season, but he is realistic enough to know that coming to Orlando, possibly as a backup and supporting role to Nelson, would mean a significant pay cut -- particularly because the Magic have no salary-cap room. Yet friends say he would be willing to accept that kind of role at this stage of his career.
He is averaging 8.9 points, 5.1 assists and 1.5 turnovers, sporting a good assist-to-turnover ratio, which is key for a point guard, particularly for one who would have weapons such as Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis to use.
Much of the Magic's decision will be made based upon the finish this season of Arroyo and Dooling and the team overall.
They will have their eye on Williams, too, all of which could provide a little extra spice for the game Wednesday.
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That's his story: A story in Tuesday's Orlando Sentinel quoted a friend of Heat guard Jason Williams saying Williams has always wanted to play in Orlando and could do so next season after his contract with the Heat expires.
Williams said Tuesday night he doesn't know where that story came from.
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i'm not sure if these are just rumors or whether or not he really does want to come to play on the cheap in ORLANDO, but i'd sure love to see him here...
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