"Observations from Magic practice: D12-engaged. Big Baby-competitor. Harper-smooth. Liggins-long (Stacey Augmon like)." -David Steele on Twitter

So should we start referring to Harper and Liggins as the deadly duo known as "Long and Smooth"? ...Maybe not.

The NBA and players have reached an agreement on a deal, source says. The season will start on Dec. 25.

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com first reported deal done.

Simmons/Abrams on Orlando's Amnesty

Abrams: Pick one — Gilbert Arenas ($62.4 million through 2014) or Hedo Turkoglu ($34.5 million through 2014). Both have underperformed (and then some), but Otis Smith has a longstanding relationship with Arenas that dates back to their days together in Oakland. My take: They need to shed Arenas to give Dwight Howard extra help.

Simmons: Agreed — has to be Arenas. Although it's a shame Hedo is going to escape Amnesty 2.0's wrath; few deserve the indignity more than him. Lemme throw this idea at you: What if the Magic amnesty'd Arenas, then traded Hedo and J.J. Redick to Atlanta for Joe Johnson? That's the best possible teammate out there for Dwight Howard; meanwhile, Atlanta could use the clause on Hedo (wiping $11.1 million off their 2012 cap) and turn Johnson ($107.3 million remaining through 2016) into Redick ($12.9 million through 2013) while dropping their 2012 cap from $66.56 to $55.3 million. I'm a genius. How am I not running a team, Abrams?

7. Stan Van Gundy, Orlando Magic (3): Circumstances were beyond difficult, but I thought Stan took a step back last season. His roster was gutted at midseason, to be fair, and nothing is more difficult for a coach than to have to adjust to so many new faces at once like that. But a lot of the offensive creativity departed in favor of straight post-ups for Dwight Howard, and I think that hurt Orlando at times. He was also very much outcoached by Larry Drew in the playoffs, which is troubling. Still, I'd take him over almost anyone

If you're Riley, there are plenty of logical reasons not to entertain the idea of swapping James for Howard. In the first season of a long-term commitment, the Heat came within two wins of a title despite absorbing Mike Bibby's disastrous postseason. The team is not broken, so there's no pressing need to make a fix. Considering Wade's age and crash dummy playing style, dealing the Marquette product, instead of James, probably would be the safer choice, but the Heat front office might not have the stomach to deal the longtime face of its franchise to an intrastate rival.

In the end, here's the reality of the situation: With James, the Heat are title contenders; with Howard instead, they are still title contenders. On one hand, inserting Howard into the equation would produce a defensive powerhouse with a balanced scoring arsenal. On the other, keeping James would allow the Heat to build on a foundation that is already elite on both ends of the floor.

So, James or Howard? If you are Pat Riley, there is no wrong answer -- just the easier one.

Jameer Nelson: A part of me was surprised to hear his name pop up in draft-day trade rumors, but the Magic have a huge payroll and he is a tradeable piece. His game has declined a bit since 2009, but he's still one of the better point guards in the league. Maybe a swap involving Odom and Nelson works for both teams.

BUCHER: I argued this earlier in the year and I believe it still holds true: If Howard is going to leave Orlando, the New Jersey Nets are the best team for him to join because he can put an indelible stamp on that franchise simply by:

A. Choosing them over gaudier destinations and,

B. Winning a single championship.

(I'm only considering teams in which I know he's interested, thereby eliminating the Bulls and Celtics and Thunder. The choices are the Nets, Knicks, Mavericks and Lakers.) Going to the Mavericks now is a bit like LeBron going to the Miami Heat -- no matter what he does, he'll be viewed as a bandwagon jumper of sorts. Going to the Lakers means winning, minimum, three titles to stand among the franchise's previous great big men, the Shaquille O'Neals and Kareem Abdul-Jabbars, and I don't see Kobe Bryant lasting long enough to pull that off. And without Kobe, there is no championship-caliber closer in purple and gold. If Howard went to the Knicks, Amare Stoudemire or Carmelo Anthony would have to go to Orlando. Amare-Dwight is a bad fit, and while from a basketball standpoint Melo-DH could work, I don't see a leader. Dwight can have the limelight in New Jersey and be the court jester when it strikes him while Deron Williams sets the pace and provides the proper attitude.

F: Orlando Magic: Justin Harper, Original pick was dealt to Phoenix in the Jason Richardson trade: I doubt the pick was a big deal or even would have become a big deal had Orlando used it or not. And Harper is a nice get early in round 2. I’m flunking Orlando so I can launch into a rant. I just want to say that I can’t believe how this team has squandered the good fortune that has come their way since their inception. They won consecutive draft lotteries in the early 90s, which included once-in-a-decade talent Shaquille O’Neal. In the free agency summer of ’00 they scored a huge coup by bringing in Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady. They won the ’04 lottery where they drafted the best center of this generation, Dwight Howard. I know there were some injuries and other little dramas going on, but this organization has been setup for a dynasty on three separate occasions in the past two decades and hasn’t been able to close the deal. That’s what this "F" is about.

@agentzeroshow Gilbert Arenas
true story..i tryed to sub myself in one game..on the game....and first dead ball i got subbed out...i cant get no time on a video games. these games are gettn two realistic now...

Catching up with Gortat
Savage: Did you get the chance to watch the Magic in the playoffs and if so, what was your take?

Gortat: I can tell you that Ryan Anderson and Brandon Bass are outstanding power forwards, but they will never be a center. (Laughs) That’s the thing that I’ve seen.