DRAFT PICKS: None. The Magic showed very little interest in getting involved in the 2009 Draft, believing it was one of the weakest in years.
FREE AGENT FOCUS: The Magic signed forwards Brandon Bass and Matt Barnes. Hedo Turkoglu left to sign with Toronto. Orlando matched the offer to restricted free agent C Marcin Gortat to keep him on the roster. They still are looking to add another point guard through free agency. PLAYERS NEWS:
--C Dwight Howard was recently in Los Angeles to film his cameo role in a movie that will star Julia Roberts, Ashton Kutcher and Jessica Alba. The movie will be called Valentine's Day but the release date is unknown.
--F Ryan Anderson, going into his second season, seemed like a throw-in when he came from New Jersey in the Vince Carter trade, but the Magic really believe he can help them immediately because of his outside shooting. Although he is not a physical forward, he is much like Rashard Lewis as an outside-shooting power forward. In the Orlando Summer League, he averaged 25.3 points and 9.3 rebounds in 37 minutes. He also shot 54.8 percent from the field and 48 percent from the three-point line.
--F Matt Barnes is expected to compete for playing time with Mickael Pietrus at small forward. One reason the Magic got him, for less than $2 million annually, is because he has Aaron Goodwin as his agent. That's the same agent as Dwight Howard, who made a call to Barnes to help convince him to sign.
MEDICAL WATCH:
--G Jameer Nelson (right labrum surgery) has been continuing his rehab this summer from the surgery that kept him out through the second half of the season. Although he returned for the NBA Finals, he was far from 100 percent ready to play. He said recently that he felt great as he continues playing basketball.
