Free Agent Watch: Rashard Lewis Performing Magic

Looks like the Heat won't be getting Rashard Lewis in a Heat jersey anytime soon. As some of the south Florida media kept insisting that Miami was a player in the Lewis sweeps, it just looks like they were getting played. The Magic had the space available to get Lewis the contract he wants (around 10M per annum).

The NBA's most sought-after free agent is going to the Magic Kingdom.

Rashard Lewis has given the Orlando Magic a verbal commitment to leave the Seattle SuperSonics and sign a max contract on July 11, according to NBA front-office sources.

That's the first day free agents are allowed to officially sign new contracts.

Unless a sign-and-trade arrangement is worked out with Lewis' old team or unless it can otherwise shed payroll between now and July 11, Orlando will have to renounce the rights to restricted free agent Darko Milicic to create the salary-cap space needed to sign Lewis to a deal believed to be in the $15 million-a-year range.

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However, if the Magic have to part with Milicic, there could be something there for the Heat. Maybe the Heat can pull off something for Milicic, or get involved with the Magic in order to orchestrate a sign-and-trade in order for the Magic to get something for Milicic while the Heat get a little something for themselves.