Orlando Trades Penny Hardaway to Phoenix
August 7, 1999 - 0:0
PHOENIX The Orlando Magic reluctantly traded guard Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway to the ecstatic Phoenix Suns for forwards Danny Manning and Pat Garrity plus a pair of first-round picks on Thursday. The 6-foot-7 (1.98 meters) Hardaway, who teamed with Shaquille O'Neal to lead the Magic to the 1995 NBA finals, forced the sign-and-trade deal, completing the dismantling of what once seemed the luckiest franchise in the NBA after it twice won the number one lottery draft pick.
O'Neal bolted Orlando for the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent in July 1996, and the Magic immediately dropped from title contention. The unhappy Hardaway, a four-time all-star, had three years left on his contract but last June invoked a clause allowing him to declare free agency as of July 1. Terms of his new deal were not disclosed. "In terms of the acquisition of Penny Hardaway, we're ecstatic about it," said Suns President and Ceo Jerry Colangelo. "We think he's one of the top players in the NBA. He needed a change of scenery and we needed a shot of adrenaline.
I think it's a happy marriage, and we couldn't be more happy about bringing Penny here to Phoenix." "I think we always tried to keep that window of opportunity open for him to come back," Orlando General Manager John Gabriel said. "I think Penny looked at it as a pretty big challenge to right some things that were not handled well on his part.
Then it was up to him to decide if he wanted to take on that challenge or start over anew in Phoenix. That's (work things out in Orlando) what we wanted to do." Hardaway had become a lightning rod for criticism over the Magic's limited success after O'Neal left. He averaged 15.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game during the lockout-shortened regular season, his seventh in the league.
Hardaway, 28, spent most of the regular season feuding with veteran coach Chuck Daly over handling the point guard duties. Former NBA point guard Doc Rivers took over for Daly as coach in June. Hardaway also feuded with the media, accusing them of making him the scapegoat for the team's struggles. Orlando will now have plenty of salary cap room to rebuild.
"Clearly the goal for this franchise, number one, is to win a world championship, still to win a world championship, even though it may not come next year," Gabriel said. "The trading of Penny Hardaway sets the foundation for the relaunching of this franchise and this team." In Phoenix, Hardaway will run with Jason Kidd, a true point guard, to form a dream backcourt.
(Reuter)
O'Neal bolted Orlando for the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent in July 1996, and the Magic immediately dropped from title contention. The unhappy Hardaway, a four-time all-star, had three years left on his contract but last June invoked a clause allowing him to declare free agency as of July 1. Terms of his new deal were not disclosed. "In terms of the acquisition of Penny Hardaway, we're ecstatic about it," said Suns President and Ceo Jerry Colangelo. "We think he's one of the top players in the NBA. He needed a change of scenery and we needed a shot of adrenaline.
I think it's a happy marriage, and we couldn't be more happy about bringing Penny here to Phoenix." "I think we always tried to keep that window of opportunity open for him to come back," Orlando General Manager John Gabriel said. "I think Penny looked at it as a pretty big challenge to right some things that were not handled well on his part.
Then it was up to him to decide if he wanted to take on that challenge or start over anew in Phoenix. That's (work things out in Orlando) what we wanted to do." Hardaway had become a lightning rod for criticism over the Magic's limited success after O'Neal left. He averaged 15.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game during the lockout-shortened regular season, his seventh in the league.
Hardaway, 28, spent most of the regular season feuding with veteran coach Chuck Daly over handling the point guard duties. Former NBA point guard Doc Rivers took over for Daly as coach in June. Hardaway also feuded with the media, accusing them of making him the scapegoat for the team's struggles. Orlando will now have plenty of salary cap room to rebuild.
"Clearly the goal for this franchise, number one, is to win a world championship, still to win a world championship, even though it may not come next year," Gabriel said. "The trading of Penny Hardaway sets the foundation for the relaunching of this franchise and this team." In Phoenix, Hardaway will run with Jason Kidd, a true point guard, to form a dream backcourt.
(Reuter)