HoopsHype.com Rumors

Josh Robbins: Nik Vucevic (concussion) didn't practice today. He's listed as questionable for 2moro night. If I had to guess: No way he plays vs Heat. Twitter @JoshuaBRobbins

Orlando Magic, Injuries, Nikola Vucevic 

At the Orlando Magic's annual Black Tie and Tennies Gala on Saturday night, the team announced that Jameer Nelson, its co-captain, was the recipient of the 2013 Rich and Helen DeVos Community Enrichment Award. The honor is the first of Nelson's nine-year career with the Magic. The award is given annually to the Magic player "who has dedicated his efforts off the court for the purpose of enhancing other’s lives," according to a team release, and comes with a $50,000 donation to the charity of the winner's choice. Team co-captain Glen Davis was the other finalist for the award. Orlandoinstripedpost.com

Orlando Magic, Jameer Nelson, Glen Davis 

Josh Robbins: The #Orlando #Magic will not sign anyone to a 10-day contract because of Arron Afflalo's injury. Twitter @JoshuaBRobbins

Orlando Magic, Free Agency, Arron Afflalo 

Arron Afflalo, the Orlando Magic's leading scorer, will miss the team's final 12 games this regular season after he injured his right hamstring Friday night, team officials said. Afflalo has been diagnosed with a strained hamstring, and team officials plan to treat the injury with rest and physical therapy. Afflalo's absence will force coach Jacque Vaughn to give additional time to backup guard Beno Udrih and also to youngsters E'Twaun Moore, DeQuan Jones and Doron Lamb. Orlando Sentinel

Orlando Magic, Injuries, Arron Afflalo 

John Denton: .@Kevin Durant on #Magic GM Rob Hennigan whom he got to know during their time in OKC: "I am a big fan of the Magic & I want to see them do well" Twitter @JohnDenton555

Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Kevin Durant, Rob Hennigan 

John Denton: #Thunder @Kevin Durant : "I really believe in (#Magic GM) Rob Hennigan. I believe what he is doing with these guys will push them over the top." Twitter @JohnDenton555

Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Kevin Durant, Rob Hennigan 

After an arduous rehabilitation process, Harrington played his first game this season on Feb. 26. He's played in 10 games for the Magic, averaging 5.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game. He probably doesn’t fit into the rebuilding franchise’s long-term plans. Next season, he’s due to earn about $7.1 million, but only $3.55 million of that is guaranteed. In 2013-14, he’s due to earn $7.6 million, but only $3.8 million of that is guaranteed. If the Magic were to waive him outright this summer, the team would be required to pay him the guaranteed portions of both seasons. Orlando Sentinel

Orlando Magic, Al Harrington 

Al Harrington’s right knee is fine, but it’s possible that the veteran forward won’t play again this season for the Orlando Magic. Magic coach Jacque Vaughn intends to play his young big men — 20-year-old Tobias Harris, 22-year-old Kyle O’Quinn, 22-year-old Nik Vucevic and 23-year-old Andrew Nicholson — as much as possible in the Magic's final 13 games. And that won't leave much, if any, time for Harrington, a 33-year-old veteran. Harrington hasn’t played in Orlando’s last three games, including Wednesday night’s 106-94 loss to the New York Knicks. “It’s really nothing to do with his knees,” Vaughn said. Orlando Sentinel

Orlando Magic, Al Harrington, Injuries 

In a short informal conversation before the game, Beno Udrih assured he never said he wouldn't play at the European Championship this year. Kosarka.si

Orlando Magic, Beno Udrih, Slovenia 

Bradford Doolittle of ESPN Insider unveiled a new metric for evaluating athleticism at the player and team levels on Wednesday, and that metric revealed that the Orlando Magic are the league's least athletic team overall. The metric, called ATH, "compares each player's percentage in rebounding, foul-drawing, blocked shots and steals to the league norms for a player of his height," Doolittle says. "The ratios are regressed for playing time and averaged together to create ATH, which is expressed as a number extended to three decimal points." An ATH rating of 1.000 indicates league-average athleticism, while a rating of 1.100 would indicate that the player or team in question is 10 percent more athletic than average. Orlandoinstripedpost.com

Orlando Magic, Statistics 

The Magic's overall ATH score is 0.913, which is comfortably behind the New Orleans Hornets' mark of 0.926 for last in the league. Orlando's most athletic players are rookie forward Maurice Harkless, second-year forward Tobias Harris, and veteran big man Glen Davis. Entering Wednesday's games, Harkless ranked as the league's 120th most athletic player. No other team in the league had its most athletic player ranked so low overall; the Philadelphia 76ers, with gadget forward Thaddeus Young (85th in the league), came closest to matching the Magic in this respect. Orlandoinstripedpost.com

New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Glen Davis, Thaddeus Young, Tobias Harris, Statistics 

The Detroit Pistons have committed to returning to the Orlando Pro Summer League this year, president of basketball operations Joe Dumars confirmed Monday. The Pistons had been regular participants in the Las Vegas Summer League until last year, when they shifted and became one of the eight teams in Orlando. Booth Newspapers

Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Summer League, Joe Dumars, Las Vegas 

As it relates to the Orlando Magic, let’s just say that rookie GM Rob Hennigan won’t be getting fitted for glasses anytime soon. When Hennigan made the decision last August to pass on acquiring all-star center Andrew Bynum from the Los Angeles Lakers, it not only saved the Magic from a personnel and PR disaster, but it also likely helped to alter the future of the franchise. While that move would have qualified as an absolute stroke of genius from pro basketball lifers such as GMs Pat Riley, Donnie Walsh, Geoff Petrie or R.C. Buford, it’s especially impressive when you consider that Hennigan – the youngest GM in the NBA – had been on the job just six weeks. NBA.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Trade, Andrew Bynum, Dwight Howard, Rob Hennigan 

And Sunday afternoon might resemble something even more forceful, because he’ll play against the Magic for the first time. “It’ll be weird,” Magic point guard Jameer Nelson said. Redick expects to say hello to everyone before or after the game, but he won’t make a big deal about it. “I always thought it was weird — and this is just me — whenever there was a trade midseason or even sometimes guys that spent a number of years in Orlando, they’d come back and peek their head in the locker room before the game,” Redick said, smiling. “I always was annoyed by that. I don’t want to be that guy. The locker room is like a sacred place, and we’re not on the same team anymore.” Orlando Sentinel

Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic, JJ Redick 

Ultimately, the Magic received three players, with 20-year-old forward Tobias Harris as the centerpiece. “I don’t have bitterness at all, and I didn’t even initially have any bitterness,” Redick said. “I just don’t think that’s healthy to hold any sort of grudge or anything. And, also, I get it. I totally get it. I get why I was traded. So I don’t have any ill will towards anyone in the Magic. “Based on Arron being there and who’s in the draft this year and where the Magic are likely to pick, there’s no way they would commit anything to me long-term — not just me, but just anybody in my situation. From a business standpoint, from a cap-building and rebuilding standpoint, it wouldn’t make sense. I get that. That’s fine.” Orlando Sentinel

Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic, JJ Redick 

Harris admitted he did not expect to be traded by the Bucks in the Feb. 21 deal which brought veteran guard J.J. Redick to Milwaukee. Beno Udrih and Doron Lamb also went to Orlando in the trade. "Hearing you're a key asset to the team and part of the team's future, yeah, I was surprised," Harris said. "But I know it's a business. It's part of the game. "You can't hold your head too long. And I knew the situation in Orlando was a good situation for me." Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic, Tobias Harris 

Magic rookie Maurice Harkless woke up at 4:45 Friday morning in a cold sweat. Did a nightmare about guarding Thunder superstar Kevin Durant on Friday night stir him from his slumber? Perhaps something more sinister was at work. The Magic stayed at the Skirvin Hilton, a 102-year-old hotel that, according to legend, is haunted by ghosts. Many, many years ago, the owner of the hotel, William Skirvin, supposedly had an affair with a maid that resulted in a pregnancy. The woman supposedly was locked in a top-floor room, grew despondent and eventually jumped out a window with the baby in her arms. Harkless heard that the hotel is said to be haunted. "I was aware of it, and I really don't like stuff like that," Harkless said, a smile crossing his face. "So I was a little paranoid." Harkless doesn't know what woke him up. Orlando Sentinel

Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Moe Harkless 

The Magic are a young team under construction. Whatever move they make affects their future. The June draft certainly could impact a veteran. Today, we're looking at five top lottery prospects and the effect the pick might have on the Magic's rebuild: The pick: Ben McLemore, Kansas, SG, Freshman: With apparently no superstar available – no Anthony Davis, for example – McLemore is atop most mock drafts. He's been compared to Ray Allen as a shooter. One scout told me, "He could start right now for some (NBA) teams." The reaction: If McLemore is the choice, does he play behind veteran Arron Afflalo? Or do the Magic try to deal Afflalo (and his $7.5 million contact) later in the summer? They'd need to trade AA, giving B-Mac room to grow. Orlando Sentinel

Orlando Magic, Draft, Ben McLemore 

That belief and confidence in Presti helped lead Hennigan to where he is today, the general manager of the Magic. Presti gave Hennigan two of his big breaks: a coveted internship with the San Antonio Spurs in 2004 and a position as director of college/international player personnel with the Thunder four years later. As Hennigan worked his way up the NBA ladder, he and Presti developed a close friendship that still endures. "In these jobs, in front offices and coaching staffs across the NBA, you spend an incredible amount of time together," Presti says. "More importantly, you go through a lot of ups and downs as a group, and through that you build a personal respect and appreciation for each other as individuals. With Rob, that was a pretty easy thing." Orlando Sentinel

Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Sam Presti, Rob Hennigan 

Then Howard made his point. Then made another point, and then another, one free throw at a time. And he collected rebounds by the dozen and finished with a season-high 39 points and 16 rebounds as the Lakers defeated the Magic 106-97 at a soldout Amway Center on Tuesday. "I looked forward to coming back here and playing. It was a fun game," said Howard, who tied his NBA single-game record with 39 free throw attempts. "It was a hostile environment, but it was something that was good for me. "Thank God it's over with," he said. "This is something that I needed, and it's something the city needed, too. We can all move on. I had eight great years here. People will feel the way feel. I understand that." USA Today Sports

Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard