By Justin Worsley,
With Orlando suffering through a recent slump and being forced to see their in-state rival Miami winning 11-straight games, the Magic decided it was time for a change of scenery.
Orlando completed two separate trades on Saturday. First, Orlando re-acquired forward Hedo Turkoglu along with Jason Richardson and Earl Clark from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat, Mickael Pietrus, Orlando's 2011 first-round draft pick and cash considerations.
The Magic then traded Rashard Lewis to Washington for point guard Gilbert Arenas.
Turkoglu was a key component in Orlando's run to the NBA Finals in 2009, scoring 16.8 points per game and 4.9 assists, however, he has struggled to find his groove since then. The 31-year-old Turkish native only averaged 11.3 points with Toronto last season and has scored only 9.5 points per game in 25 games with the Suns this season.
Richardson, 29, led Phoenix in scoring and steals so far this season with 19.3 points per game and 1.1 steals. The versatile Richardson can play both guard and forward.
Lewis, the second-highest paid player in the NBA, was a disappointment this season, only mustering 12.2 points per game with a .419 field-goal percentage.
Arenas has been on the trade block for Washington since being suspended 50 games by the NBA last year for bringing firearms into the Wizards locker room. Washington held the first-overall pick in the draft, which they used on Kentucky's John Wall, who also plays point guard.
Carter, 33, is an eight-time All-Star, however, he has a career low in points per game (15.1) and assists (2.9) this season.
Due to the trade, Orlando was only able to dress eight players for Saturday night's game against the Philadelphia 76ers. Philadelphia was able to take advantage of the short-handed Magic, winning 97-89.
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