Billy Donovan to Magic rumors heat up...

 

First, let me be perfectly clear in stating that this information is clearly posted as A RUMOR and is not a prediction of things to come.....

 

I posted a few weeks ago that the Magic job would open up (not really a hard call to make, but it was sourced) and that Billy Donovan would be the lead candidate for that job (again, not a hard call to make).  I also posted on www.ukuncensored.com that Donovan had been keeping an assistant at Virginia on the hook for a job while he flirted with the NBA opportunities.  Well, a few days ago, he hired that assistant from Virginia (not sure if it's public yet) and I figured that it meant that his talks with the Magic had not gone as well as the Magic would have hoped.

 

Well, I'm hearing now from no less than 4 credible sources that the talks are going strong and the people I have talked to seem to think that Billy may in fact be the next GM/Coach for the Orlando Magic.   Obviously, nothing is done yet, but the number I've heard 3 different times is around the 5 million per year mark.  I still am not sure why Billy would hire an assistant from a college program with no NBA experience if he had any doubts that he's be at UF next year.  I have been told that it's very possible that arrangements may already be in place if Billy D decides to take the Magic job.

I can only imagine the prediciment that Jai Lucas would be in if Donovan leaves Florida for the NBA at this point.  He already reportedly felt misled about Patrick Patterson's future plans to play for UF.  If Donovan leaves, I'd be amazed if Lucas did not try to get out of his LOI to Florida.

 

This post is rumor and speculation and should be treated that way.  Please do not mistake these rumors and speculations for facts or predictions.

 

Marc Maggard

Kentucky Sports Radio & www.ukuncensored.com