The news made the rounds Friday afternoon and sent a shockwave through longtime followers and watchers of the Orlando Magic. Matt Guokas will not be calling Magic games for the 2013-14 season after the team opted not to renew his contract, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Guokas has been calling games for the Magic and their local broadcast since 2005. After being the inaugural coach for the Magic from 1989 until 1993, Guokas was also a fixture on national NBC broadcasts. He, along with David Steele, are counted among the best local broadcast teams in the league.

It is tough to see that go. Orlando Magic fans got an informed, entertaining and smooth broadcast from the duo. Guokas always had quick wit and great information to give to fans. He was one of the early adopters of advanced stats and was a known reader of Magic content across the Internet -- he referenced Orlando Pinstriped Post and other blogs several times on broadcasts.

Guokas is one of those rare broadcasters who could distill complex basketball situations into something a basic audience can understand and comprehend. He also had great wit and is one of the few local broadcasters who was not a complete homer. He broadcast games largely without bias and did not pull punches when the occasion called for it.

With a little more than a month to go before the NBA Draft, the Magic have almost certainly gotten a good feel for who they want to draft and what their goals are going to be. The only reason we can address these goals now is that until the draft order was set it was difficult to get a sense of what scenarios might play out.

One thing should hold true even dating back to the regular season, the Magic are still in talent and asset collection mode. That is why there was a strong desire to trade J.J. Redick despite all the hard work he put in for the Magic through the years and the affection fans had for him. However, the Magic saw value in having a young player like Tobias Harris around and in Doron Lamb (a second round pick), enough to pull the trigger.

Orlando traded a player the team would likely lose in free agency for nothing into a player that has value both on this young roster but also possibly on the trade market should another opportunity arise. Flexibility is the key in all facets.

The Magic's approach to the Draft itself should be much the same.

The goal for Orlando is to bring in a piece (or pieces) that will contribute to the team now and be a part of the team's future. That is the stage Orlando is at without any clear foundational pieces in place.

Amin Elhassen of ESPN.com evaluates the Magic's goals in this year's draft this way:

Add talent of any kind. The Magic have plenty of holes to fill, so they shouldn't get caught up in trying to fill specific positions, although point guard is the biggest need. The most important thing is to maximize the value of their picks, and if that means trading down to get more picks or adding a player, then they should be open to that. This draft might not be deep in star power, but it does offer a lot of viable options who can become contributors.

That is the unfortunate timing of the Magic going through this rebuild. This year's Draft may not provide that foundational piece. However, most would agree that Ben McLemore, Trey Burke, Victor Oladipo or Otto Porter (as well as others) could be solid NBA contributors for a long time. This is more of what the Magic will be looking for.

This goal also creates the possibility the Magic would trade down to collect more assets and get even more talent. Whatever happens, it is this goal the Magic should be keeping in mind.

Many have honed in on point guard as an immediate need the Magic need to fill. Elhassan lists Burke, C.J. McCollum and Dennis Schroeder -- all point guards -- as his three best fits for the Magic. Really, though, Orlando should be thinking about taking the best player available.

The scouting done during the college season, the individual workouts and interviews will help the staff figure out exactly who that is.

The 2001-04 seasons were both incredibly breathtaking for the Magic and incredibly frustrating.

On one hand, Tracy McGrady was arguably the best wing player in the league, finishing high in MVP voting, perenially starting the All-Star Game and scoring at will as he led the league in scoring for two years in a Magic uniform. For Magic fans, going to the stadium to see McGrady meant the possibility of seeing something special at any moment and being in the presence of greatness -- a home-grown greatness too after McGrady was a sixth man type player in Toronto.

On the other hand, there was a team that could not get its act together and do much in the Playoffs. Grant HIll was constantly injured and the organization constantly shuffled players in and out without any semblance of consistency trying to survive for a year. The Magic were smack dab in the middle of the league and just barely in the Playoffs just about every year.

Getting out of the first round, even with a player of Tracy McGrady's caliber, was pretty close to improbable.

That makes this year's Playoffs so nice for Magic fans -- at least the ones who have forgiven McGrady for his ugly exit. 

For the first time in his career, Tracy McGrady is in the second round of the Playoffs . . . and in the Conference Finals. Sure, he is not playing. Injuries have zapped McGrady of the athleticism that made him brilliant those four years in Orlando. But McGrady, as he told Fran Blinebury of NBA.com before Tuesday's Game Two, is happy even to be along for the ride:

It’s a great feeling. It’s great to be part of this terrific organization and guys around here. I’m living the dream right now.

It is hard to go from league superstar (anyone remember his cameo in Like Mike?) to human victory cigar. McGrady knew that was the deal after he signed with San Antonio following the completion of the Chinese season.

McGrady has appeared in only four games for the Spurs this postseason. He has not yet scored and has missed all four of his shots. He took two shots in Game One against the Grizzlies in his first Western Conference Finals appearance.

But the cheers from the crowd and the reaction on social media is not the sarcastic kind when McGrady is in. It is nostalgic. There is still the hope McGrady can recapture some of his former glory and the Magic that made him so great.

The Magic announced the schedule for the Southwest Airlines Orlando Pro Summer League on Thursday, a five-game, six-day slate that will take place on the practice court at Amway Center in early July. The Magic will be joined by Celtics, Nets, Pistons, Rockets, Pacers, Heat, Thunder and Jazz for the week-long event.

This year's league, which will take place from July 7-12, is bigger than ever as the league will have a final "championship day" added to the schedule of events. The league in the past has been a five games in five days marathon, but with the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas adding a championship round to its festivities, the league in Orlando has followed suit.

Standings will be determined based on a seven-point system. Winning teams will get three points and then the team that wins each quarter will receive a point. The first and second place team will play each other on the final day of the league, July 12, at 12 p.m.

As it has been in the past, the Southwest Airlines Orlando Pro Summer League is closed to the public due to the space limitations inside the Amway Center's practice court.  The games will air on NBATV during the week. Games will start at 11 a.m. on every day but July 7 when there will be five games beginning at 9 a.m. The typical summer league rules -- four, 10-minute quarters, no foul outs, etc. -- will be in effect.

Rosters will be announced shortly after the Draft.

Paul George, welcome to the club.

Despite your incredible game in Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals, like Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis and Craig Ehlo before you, you have been reduced to the bystander to history. No one will recall that you hit the game-tying 3-pointer to send the game to overtime or even that you won the series -- anyone outside of Orlando remember what happened in 2009?

It is completely unfair Paul George. We know how you feel.

Four years ago to the day -- May 22, 2009 -- LeBron James made the Magic a footnote of a series they won when he drained a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer of Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals. The shot became a testament to LeBron's "clutchness" and was played on a constant loop for all of eternity.

Misery loves company, so we are happy to welcome the Pacers and George into the club. The meetings take place at the Local Y every other Thursday.

As I watched LeBron James' game-winner Wednesday night, I saw a play that was very similar to the one James made against the Magic four years ago. There was James popping up to the top of the key. The difference is how the two teams approached it. Watch the game winners again (if you can bear to):

The first thing you notice from the game-winner against the Magic is that they are playing to defend the drive. Rashard Lewis is playing off the inbounder and there is a considerable amount of space between Hedo Turkoglu and James. James gains separation by first trying to cut to the basket where Turkoglu gives him a sort of forecheck to impede his progress.

James then bounces back up to the top of the key and the rest is (irrelevant) history.

One question has been answered now that the NBA Draft Lottery has passed. The Magic will have the second selection in the NBA Draft. That means one player is off the board. It does not change much of Orlando's preparations. Just about every player on their Draft board is still going to be around. Unless the Magic plan on honing in on one player and hope that the Cavaliers do not draft him, nothing has changed.

That kind of honing does not seem in Rob Hennigan's persona.

Orlando's reported interest in Ben McLemore or Trey Burke or Victor Oladipo or any other player in the Draft they might be targeting. Prospects will begin making their way into Orlando for workouts and interviews as the Magic complete their scouting and Draft preparations.

The Magic should be weighing all options with the pick. And there are plenty of options. Here is a brief review of where the Magic should go:

Keep the Pick and Draft Best Player Available

This is the position that I strongly advocate for the Magic right now.

Orlando is not quite in a position to build a team that is capable of winning now. Right now, the Magic appear still to be in collecting assets that they can use in building the team of the future. That could mean a whole lot of different things. Ultimately it means judging what you think of Nikola Vucevic, Tobias Harris and Maurice Harkless, as well as veterans like Jameer Nelson, Glen Davis and Arron Afflalo, as future building blocks for this team.

The Magic will pick second in the NBA Draft after the Cleveland Cavaliers drew the winning combination in the NBA Draft Lottery.

Orlando entered the Lottery with the best odds at winning the first overall pick. However, that has actually not been a lock for the top pick. Only three teams -- including the Magic in 2004 -- have won the lottery with the best odds.

That followed suit this year as the Cavaliers won the lottery for the second time in three years, this time with the third best Lottery odds. The Washington Wizards climbed into the top three to win the third selection.

So the Magic will have to wait five minutes into the NBA Draft before it is their turn to make a selection. This hardly changes their approach however. All the top prospects -- from Nerlens Noel to Ben McLemore to Victor Oladipo to Trey Burke -- are still squarely in play for the Magic. Even though this is considered a weak draft at the top, there are still several players that could be long-term contributors for the Magic or any team.

The Draft preparations will still be about research and figuring out which player fits what the Magic are trying to build. That could be just about anyone. After a 20-win season, Orlando is likely thinking not about immediate roster needs but who would make a good building block for the long-term future.

The next month of research, workouts and interviews will be vital.

That research will also include looking into any trades that might occur and potential deals. Orlando will surely be keeping its ear to the ground and remain open to making deals if they become available. A month is a long time to wait. A lot is still left to do.

Magic fans will patiently be waiting the results of the NBA Draft Lottery when it airs tonight from 8-8:30 p.m. on ESPN. The program starts at 8 p.m. with the full lottery results getting unveiled closer to teh bottom of the hour in the never-ending stretch to fill TV time.

Orlando will be represented in the room the Lottery actually takes place by Magic senior vice president of communications Joel Glass. The public will not see him as the ping pong balls are actually drawn and the lottery winner is officially decided.

The Magic's public face in the NBA Draft Lottery tonight will be none other than Magic senior vice president Pat Williams, the man who has brought home the No. 1 pick three times on Lottery night.  Williams will be sitting on the stage waiting for the NBA to announce the Draft order for the first 14 picks.

"It's always exciting," Williams told David Baumann on the David Baumann Show on Sports Talk 1080 in Orlando on Tuesday morning. "There is always a lot of tension and pressure in that Lottery room. We'll ride it out and see how it all comes together tonight. It is an exciting time. It has a lot of consequences of course for all the teams in the Lottery."

In that interview, Williams talked about the memory of Williams being the only one to unveil a Shaquille O'Neal jersey at the 1992 show. Williams fondly remembers hearing the rustling of 12 other Shaquille O'Neal jerseys going back into paper bags after the Magic were announced to have the No. 1 pick.

This year, Williams always has a trick up his sleeve for sure. He told Mike Bianchi on his Open Mike Radio Show that he went down to Disney and had a ping pong ball sprinkled with "pixie dust" for good luck in tonight's drawing.

He has had plenty of luck over the years. He was present when the Magic won Shaquille O'Neal in the 1992 Draft Lottery, Chris Webber (soon-to-be Anfernee Hardaway) in 1993 and Dwight Howard in 2004. The three ping pong balls from winning those lotteries are still on display at RDV Sportsplex outside the Magic's corporate offices.

We will find out tonight when the NBA Draft Lottery takes place.

Over the next few weeks Orlando Magic Daily will be taking a look at the things that went right and wrong this season as Orlando ended its season with its first Lottery season in six years.

The future for Orlando is bright. There are young players who have developed much quicker than expected and could form the backbone of the Magic's franchise. Tobias Harris, Nikola Vucevic, Maurice Harkless and Andrew Nicholson are all players that have a future in this league. And considering they are all entering no later than their third year, they likely have the better part of a decade of good basketball left in them.

Orlando hopes to be able to take advantage of that and have these players be a major part of the team when it returns to contention. The Oklahoma City model Rob Hennigan is bringing with him includes having young players grow together as the center of the team.

That is where the rub is. Oklahoma City caught lightning in a bottle. Portland had to select Greg Oden ahead of Kevin Durant. The Celtics had to be willing to forego the draft mode and look for a star like Ray Allen to help the Thunder lay that foundation through the Draft. There had to be sufficient questions about Russell Westbrook and James Harden for other teams to pass them.

And there had to be losing. Lots of losing for at least three years.

It is hard to tell if this is Year One of that process or Year Zero. How many Draft will it take for the Magic to build back up? Can any organization really bank on the Draft Lottery for their franchise's future?

Yes, good scouting and preparations will limit those mistakes in drafting and make sure each pick counts. But the bottom line is that except in very rare instances (the 2004 Pistons, for instance), championship teams need superstar players. No matter how bad his supporting cast, a healthy Dwight Howard made the Magic title threats and kept them in the conversation.

Over the next few weeks Orlando Magic Daily will be taking a look at the things that went right and wrong this season as Orlando ended its season with its first Lottery season in six years.

I have already highlighted Rob Hennigan and the positivity surrounding the Magic after a 20-win season and even the youth on the roster. In fact, those are most of the things that went right for the Magic this season. It is hard to find positives in the immediate of the season. The Magic finished with the worst record in the league after all.

It was expected that the Magic would finish at the bottom or near the bottom of the standings. Wins were going to be a struggle. Grasping for something positive would have to come from something intangible.

That intangible might have been the youth on the roster and the hope for the future. It might have been the emergence of young players or the improved decision making that management seemed to be using. It might have been the work and effort that the veterans put in, buying into the message of a team destined to lose and develop many of the players' replacements.

It was an awkward spot for them to be in. But they made the best of it and have added to the future of the franchise.

That was what this season was all about to a large extent. Building the foundations for the future of the franchise. Or at least clearing the underbrush to put down those foundations with this year's upcoming draft.

Pleasant surprises though made the 20-win journey a lot more enjoyable than previously expected. It made the Magic's job of selling the future all the easy.