(Promoting this FanPost by Robi.  Nice job.  - G17)

Two restricted free agents of note are appearantly are now left to unpack their bags.

Orlando Center  Marcin Gortat, who orginally signed a $34 million dollar contract for 5 years with the Dallas Mavericks, will now return to Orlando. By returning to Orlando, Gortat will be forced to return as the backup to franchise center Dwight Howard. Gortat was quoted as being "dissapointed" because he was looking forward to being a starter with the Dallas Mavericks, and show the league and the world what he is capable. Gortat however was professional about Orlando matching Dallas offer sheet, and said he will do his best to help Orlando return to the top of the Eastern confernce next year.

The Magic felt Gortat was needed as an insurance policy should anything happen to Dwight. The Magic also feel that retaining Gortat has given them a lot more depth then they would have had without Gortat. An interesting note is that the Magic also signed PF Brandon Bass from Dallas earlier this off season. The Magic also said the signing of Gortat allowed them more room to explore trade opportunities. Although not specifically saying Gortat would be the one traded, one would have to infer that teams will be calling about one of the few real centers left in the league, most notably Houston and Dallas.

By resigning Gortat, the Magic have now pushed their payroll close to the $80 million mark, signifying the Magic are going all in. With both Cleveland and Boston adding big men in the form of Shaq and Rasheed Wallace, looks like the chess match will continue. Both Cleveland and Boston still need to add depth at the 2 and 3 positions, positions where Orlando seems to be set with the combination of newly acquired Vince Carter, Mikael Pietrus, and Rashard Lewis. While keeping Gortat does not necessarily swing the scales in favor of Orlando, one can bet that come next June, the Gortat's presence will be invaluable. The Gortat will have significant ramifications on the destination of Boston's Glen "Big Baby" Davis, who according to his twitter page feels no longer valued by the Boston Celtics. Whether the signing of Gortat will up Boston's efforts to sign Davis remains to be seen. It seems only logical that with Gortat out of the mix, Dallas owner Mark Cuban will come knocking on Big Baby's doorstep, as any team that is looking to get past the Lakers will need size and a lot of it, not to mention the fact that each of the Eastern Conferences big 3, Orlando, Cleveland, and Boston, have all gotten bigger.

Meanwhile, in the  Western Conference, Utah restricted free agent forward Paul Millsap, who signed an offer sheet to play for the Portland Trailblazers, is rumored to get his contract matched by the Utah Jazz. Utah General Manager Kevin O'Connor said he would match any offer for Millsap that wasn't outrageous. It appears that Portland's offer does not fall in to the category of outrageous. This move makes sense considering Utah Forward Carlos Boozer has all but sent in his letter of resignation, and is very unlikely to resign with the Jazz after the 2009-2010 season. Portland GM Kevin Pritchard when asked about why Portland wasn't pursuing a small forward, he stated that his philosophy is to always go with the best player available. Although an arguable statement, Portland appears likely to lose yet another free agent after forward Hedo Turkoglu changed his mind at the last minute to play for Toronto, allegedly to appease his wife's to live in a more European style city. Now that it appears like both Turkoglu and Millsap have slipped through Portland's fingers, where will Portland turn to next in what has been a disappointing off-season for them. Notable free-agents that remain are New York's David Lee, and the now defending champion Lakers 6th man, forward Lamar Odom. 

The Knicks are said to be hesitant to offer Lee too much money in anticipation for the summer of 2010. With the salary cap being lower than expected however, the Knicks might be more likely to change their strategy. Although as it stands today, Lee seems like he could be an ideal replacement for Millsap. The 6'9 powerfoward averaged 16 ppg, and 11.7 rpg in just his 3rd season in the league. Lee is known for his consistency, and the high level of effort he brings when he steps on the basketball court.

A far more interesting scenario remains the  possibilities of Portland snatching the versatile Lamar Odom from the Lakers. This move would not only help Portland immensely as far as being able to play both at a high tempo all the while keeping a tall lineup, it  also prove devastating to the Lakers who relied on Lamar Odom's size and speed to create matchup problems, as well as check other teams matchup advantages such as during the 2009 finals with his play on Rashard Lewis.  Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak has stated he hopes to get a deal done with Odom early sometime this week, which is said to be in the 8 million dollar/per year range. For how many years however is yet to be seen. The number of years could prove crucial as Odom's age, 30, was said to be one of the factors Portland did not initially pursue Odom, as Portland has committed to a youth movement. Other alleged factors were the possible bad blood between Odom and Blazer players, as well the fact that Portland feels the Lakers are going to resign Odom reguardless of what Portland tried to arrange and pursuing Odom is seen as just a waste of time. The Laker's management although well aware of Odom's importance to the team refuses to play the bidding game against itself as there has been no serious competition for Odom's services. Could the possible loss of Millsap by Portland lead to the start of a bidding war however? While Portland licks its wounds, the rest of the league is praying that Portland now sets its sights on the man that makes the Lakers so tremendously versatile, while Laker fans are praying Odom signs before any bidding war could even start.