Hedo Turkoglu could make $12 million to sit on his couch this season.
The Orlando Magic can waive him and only have to pay $6 million, but they have until Jan. 10 to make that call. In the mean time they want to keep him around as a potential trade chip, so he is still on the roster.
But that doesn’t mean they want him around the team, reports Joshua Robins at the Orlando Sentinel.
Orlando is going to try to move him up until Jan. 10, then if they haven’t they will let him go (or they could agree to a buyout for less than $6 million, if Turkoglu would be amenable). Turkoglu reportedly has an offer waiting to play in his native Turkey this season if he wants it.
Turkoglu was key to Orlando’s 2009 Finals run, but his game has deteriorated sharply since. Last season he broke his hand on opening night, them upon his return in February faced a 20-game league suspension for testing positive for a banned substance (which, of course, he said he took without knowing).
Orlando is trying to rebuild with youth — guys like Tobias Harris, who plays the four — and Turkoglu is just not part of the plans.
So he will be paid at least $6 million to sit at home during the day, eat bon bons and watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns. Doesn’t sound like that bad a life to me.