HoopsHype Insight - 11/2

Finally expected to receive major minutes for the first time in four years, Milicic is hoping to prove to the Magic that he is worth a contract in the neighborhood of $60 million. Milicic will be a restricted free agent next summer, meaning the Magic can match any offer that he receives from another team. "We had a couple of conversations with (agent Marc Cornstein) the last couple of weeks, but it was never something I could go to bed and sleep with," Smith said. "We weren't that far apart. We just determined that it wasn't in the best interest of our organization to enter into an extension based on 30 games (from last season)."

Darko wants HOW MUCH? Otis Smith is essentially saying "look, we like the guy, but the day that 7.6 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks a game in 30 games for us means $60 million is the same day that we start playing five guards." Can't say that Cornstein doesn't deserve some credit for trying, but hell. The Warriors may have given Adonal Foyle a shitload of money, but even they're not stupid enough to give Darko $60 million over any number of years.

The same article also points out that JJ Redick and Grant Hill share lockers right next to each other "not just because the two hail from Duke University. The Magic are hoping that Hill can serve as a mentor for Redick..." That's gotta be great news to Magic fans. The King of Injuries is a "mentor" to a guy whose NBA career has started on the inactive list because of injuries to his back and left foot. All Orlando needs to do is bring Penny Hardaway back on a one-year deal and give him the locker on the other side of Redick.

But the longest serving Raptor, swingman Morris Peterson, hopes to create a buzz of his own, by making the all-star team. "I think it's possible," Peterson said last night. "I just have to keep working to help the team get better. If we start winning, who knows what will happen."

Darko wants $60 million and MoPete thinks he can make the All-Star game with a scoring average of 16.8 points? This edition of HoopsHype Insight is brought to you by Crazy Juice. Peterson is a good scorer, but if we had to choose between him and Gilbert Arenas... This doesn't even deserve an analogy, it's such an easy choice.

Amaré Stoudemire is searching for answers. And french fries. Ninety minutes before tip-off, the man who received a $10 million check this week courtesy of the maximum contract he signed last year, is digging into a McDonald's bag. "No comment," he said Wednesday before the Suns beat the Los Angeles Clippers 112-104. "I hope you can respect that." Stoudemire was reacting to a question about his limited playing time in the team's season-opening loss to the Lakers Tuesday.

If a man's hungry, a man's hungry. And if a man's rehab involves a fucking double quarter pounder, then that's what a man's gotta do, alright?