Matt Barnes will join the Orlando Magic very soon, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The small forward adds another shooter to the Magic arsenal, replacing Hedo Turkoglu at the small forward. Effectively Barnes is what Hedo was, before Hedo became a valuable ball handler — if you think about it. He’s got decent size and can shoot the ball.
Word is that Barnes was lured by some smooth talking by Superman 2.0, Dwight Howard — who also has the same agent, Aaron Goodwin.
“He has agreed to a two-year deal, and I believe that Dwight’s recruitment of him truly sealed the deal,” Goodwin wrote.
The Magic roster has undergone an upheaval in the off-season, with Turkoglu making his way to Toronto (via a Portland stopover for drinks), Courtney Lee, Rafer Alston and Tony Battie being traded to New Jersey for Vince Carter and smooth-shooting youngster Ryan Anderson, the signing of forward Brandon Bass as a free agent and the re-signing of centre Marcin Gortat. All of this makes for a reloaded Magic team looking to return to the Finals and do one better — but it won’t be easy with the arms race that has been the Summer of 2009, with all of the big teams making changes that could shift the balance of power.
