Al Harrington Lost 27 Pounds and Wants to Play for a Contender

The Orlando Magic plan to get rid of veteran forward Al Harrington as they continue to rebuild. The 33-year old is convinced he has plenty of good basketball left in him, and hopes to land on a contender. Per USA Today: “Being in that situation in Orlando, you get a real good look at politics and stuff like that, the part of the game that’s not attractive — just the business side of it,’ Harrington said. ‘One thing I realized is that it’s not about how much you can play or what you can do on the court anymore. The game has become about (financial) numbers and salaries and stuff like that. It’s not what you can do anymore. It’s what you can do at that price. And everybody wants a deal, you know what I mean?’ […] He’s owed a combined $14.7 million for the next two seasons, and would be the Magic’s second-highest paid player in the 2014-15 campaign if he were still with them by then. Yet because only half of his salary for both those seasons is guaranteed, the Magic are exploring trade options for him while also considering waiving him as a way to lessen the blow of his contract. Either way, he doesn’t expect to be there for long. Harrington, who was traded from Denver to Orlando as part of the four-team trade that sent Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers last summer, was never seen as part of the Magic’s long-term plan. What’s more, he was unable to contribute at the start, as a routine surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee went wrong in April 2012 when he suffered from a staph infection that served as a serious setback. One season after he’d been one of the best sixth men in the game for the Nuggets, he played in just 10 games for the Magic last season. […] ‘I’ve lost 27 pounds. I’m on my way down. I had to do it, and I’m focused. I’ve got a lot left in the tank. I’m only 33 years old, and people act like I’m 40. I’m just excited about getting back out there on the court and showing everybody. For me, this year I’m going to have a chip on my shoulder, so if I play like that I’m going to be tough to deal with.’ Despite averaging 20.7 points as a starter for the New York Knicks five seasons ago, Harrington wants to return to the super-sub role he played so well with the Nuggets. He averaged 14.2 points and 27.5 minutes per game for the Nuggets in 2011-12 while finishing fourth in NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award voting. No matter what he’s being paid or whom he’s playing for, Harrington is looking forward to competing again. ‘I want to win, so I’ll put it like this: I want to go to a situation where I can compete to make the playoffs,’ he said. ‘I’m too old to play for nothing. When I was younger, of course you play for stats and you want to be good, but I’m not going to be a Hall of Famer or nothing like that, so I want to win. I just want to win.'”