Orlando Sentinel: Penny Going To Phoenix For Googs?

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

Says Penny wants to play in a warm weather city and the Magic are
more interested in Antoine Walker than Mercer....


            Going west? Rumor has Penny Hardaway traded to another team for the 
            1999-2000 season.

            6/1/99
            Suns could shine on . . .
            L.C. Johnson 
            of The Orlando Sentinel Staff
            Published in The Orlando Sentinel on June 1, 1999.
            Here is my Y2K prediction: Disgruntled Orlando Magic guard Penny 
            Hardaway will be playing for a Western Conference team for the 
            1999-2000 NBA season. And no, he won't be reunited with Shaquille 
            O'Neal in Los Angeles, Orlando or any place else for that matter.
            My guess is, Hardaway will end up playing alongside 2000 USA Olympic 
            Dream Team selection Jason Kidd with the Phoenix Suns. This will 
            give Penny close to everything he wants. A source close to Penny 
            recently revealed Hardaway's desire to play out West, where they 
            have more of a wide-open style of play.
            Another NBA source revealed Suns Coach Danny Ainge would love to 
            have Hardaway, even though Phoenix nixed a proposed 
            Hardaway-for-Steve Nash deal two years ago.
            In Phoenix, Penny would get a chance to play shooting guard 
            exclusively with one of the best point guards in the business in 
            Kidd, an MVP candidate who led the league in assists this season. He 
            also should get plenty of field-goal attempts and will have the 
            ball-handling and double-team pressure alleviated significantly.
            The only heat Hardaway will have to face there won't come from the 
            media, which he and his handlers have determined are unbearable in 
            big, bad Orlando. Instead, it will come only from the dry Arizona 
            desert heat. All that means is that he'll be able to get in his 18- 
            to 36-holes a day without perspiring. Could even land a Right Guard 
            commercial deal. Who knows?
            As for who the Magic will get in return? I'm laying bets on forward 
            Tom Gugliotta, a highly skilled player and another Dream Teamer 
            selected for the 2000 Olympics. Sources out West tell me that the 
            Suns, while they like Googs as a player, found that his style of 
            play did not necessarily mesh with the flashy, uptempo-style 
            employed by Kidd.
            Furthermore, the Suns are said to be extremely happy with the 
            progress of rookie forward Pat Garrity, who filled in for an injured 
            Googs midway through the season. Besides, with Danny Manning and 
            Cliff Robinson, Phoenix has a stable supply of forwards.
            What Gugliotta would bring the Magic is a much-needed scoring threat 
            and player who could be a solid building block for the future. All 
            the Magic need to do is bring in another point guard -- which 
            they'll try to get through the draft or a trade.
            Horace Grant, who has manned the starting power forward position for 
            the past five seasons in Orlando, is nearing retirement. He has two 
            years left on his contract but has hinted that next season may be 
            his last. The Magic still could get a valuable player or draft pick 
            in return for Grant, who could be the missing piece to a team on the 
            verge of winning an NBA championship.
            The Magic first must sign Hardaway to a seven-year deal worth as 
            much as $85 million. If for some reason the Suns or any other 
            possible NBA suitor does not think Penny is worth that much loot, 
            the Magic will have to curb that dollar amount accordingly.
            Other trade possibilities for Hardaway? The Magic would love to be 
            able to get a guy such as Gary Payton, an All-Star point guard who 
            also could use a change of scenery. The catch is, the Seattle 
            SuperSonics still would need another point guard.
            Speaking of point guards, the Magic could pull off a sign-and-trade 
            with the Minnesota Timberwolves for free-agent point guard Terrell 
            Brandon. But again, Hardaway's reluctance to move to a cold-weather 
            city and/or play point guard, would veto such a deal.
            The same holds true for the Magic's chances of dealing with the 
            Boston Celtics. The Magic wouldn't mind having a player such as 
            Antoine Walker, but the Celts are more interested in unloading 
            guards Kenny Anderson and Ron Mercer, the latter of which would be a 
            free agent after the 1999-2000 season.
            Fact is, no matter how upset Hardaway is at the management, media, 
            fans, coaching staff or teammates, he'll have to play by the Magic's 
            rules in order to get the type of lucrative deal that he feels he's 
            worth.
        
       
                  © 1999 Orlando Sentinel Online