Orlando Magic Trade Updates: Phoenix Suns Now Involved, but Gilbert Arenas Talks with Washington Wizards May Have Hit Snag as Coach, Ownership Raise Questions

Ken Berger of CBS Sports, Michael Lee of the Washington Post, Steve Kyler of HOOPSWORLD, and Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel have more information on the Orlando Magic's furious attempts to shake up their roster with a trade, which likely entails acquiring Gilbert Arenas from the Washington Wizards for Rashard Lewis, as Orlando Pinstriped Post first reported last night.

Berger says the Magic's ownership group and coach Stan Van Gundy are concerned about adding Arenas, whose contract runs for three years after this one and is worth $62.4 million. Berger termed the objections from ownership and Van Gundy as "significant obstacles" for Otis Smith, Orlando's President of Basketball Operations, to overcome before completing a trade.

Berger and Kyler also note the Magic and Wizards may have recruited the Phoenix Suns to aid them as part of a larger deal. Orlando might send Vince Carter and Marcin Gortat to the desert for small forwards Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu, a five-year Magic veteran. On Draft Night, Smith casually told the assembled media he had conversations with the Toronto Raptors, for whom Turkoglu played at the time, regarding the former Magic player.

Lee reports the Wizards' aim in this trade is to get rid of Arenas, but also notes "That doesn't mean that those plans cannot change, just that the intent is to move Arenas." On Twitter, he says one source told him an Arenas trade "isn't imminent" and that Arenas is likely to be in uniform tonight when the Wizards host the Miami Heat.

Further, Kyler says the Magic's streak of five losses in six games has eroded some of the relationships in the locker room. In a recent Twitter message, he writes, "Sources say chemistry between players has not been the same since finger pointing in Portland and Utah.. trust between certain guys is lost."

Schmitz reports the Magic would prefer to deal for a superstar such as Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul, but don't have the assets yet to complete such a deal. This detail from his update is particularly relevant:

Smith told me privately weeks ago that Arenas is a "sleeping giant" and that, because of his past relationship with him, Gil's suspect character doesn't bother him.

Orlando Pinstriped Post is continuing to work on this story. More news as it's available, as always.