ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic’s blockbuster formula for winning the NBA Finals now involves shooting guard Vince Carter as the go-to-guy and very likely not small forward Hedo Turkoglu, who probably will move on after turning down an offer from the club.

Magic General Manager Otis Smith told the Orlando Sentinel that he made Turkoglu a “decent” initial offer before receiving Turkoglu’s official letter this week notifying the team he had opted out of his contract.
Smith didn’t go into details, but said that Thursday’s acquisition of Carter — an eight-time all-star — will make re-signing Turkoglu a longshot.
“It would be hard,” Smith said.
Carter, 32, is two years older than Turkoglu, who can be courted by teams as a free agent beginning July 1.
The Magic believe Carter is an upgrade over Turkoglu as a one-on-one player who can create his own shot, any time, anywhere, especially at the end of games.
They traded starting shooting guard Courtney Lee, point guard Rafer Alston and power forward Tony Battie to the New Jersey Nets for Carter and power forward Ryan Anderson, a rookie like Lee.
The Magic will have a different look next season, changing starters at shooting guard and (probably) small forward.
Smith said the gap in salaries between Carter ($16.3 million) and the rest of the players involved in the deal was bridged by a $3.2-million trade exception that the Magic secured in a sign-and-trade deal that sent point guard Keyon Dooling to the Nets last summer.
Smith said giving up Lee, a promising rookie, held up the trade at various times.
“That was a big hang-up,” Smith said.
But the Magic were also enthralled with getting the 6-10 Anderson in the deal because center Marcin Gortat — whom the Magic made a qualifying offer June 15 — will become a restricted free agent.
“This was a whirlwind day for us,” said Smith, whose team did not have a pick in Thursday’s draft. “We were trying to figure out a way to get our team better and keep us in the hunt for a title.”
Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy called the move a “statement to our players” that management was intent on winning a championship, not just paying lip service.
Carter, who attended Daytona Beach Mainland High School and has owned a house in Isleworth, said the trade was a dream come true but also a shock. He was teaching at his basketball camp in Orlando when the news broke.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for me,” he said. “When I found out I got traded, I was like, ’OK, great.’ Then I said, ’OK, where?’ And they told me, ’Back home,’ which is a dream come true. I am excited, proud and just ready to represent my hometown well.”
Carter said he just hoped to “fit in” and “help a great team go further.”
The Magic made a surprise run at the title this season, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals, but Smith said the club was determined to do everything possible to win the trophy.
With only eight players on the roster — including Turkoglu — they almost certainly will now go into the punitive luxury tax to sign more players, specifically another big man. Teams must pay a dollar-for-dollar amount if they go into the tax, whose threshold this season is expected to be about $69 million.
Team President Bob Vander Weide said the club’s payroll would be likely about $75 million, meaning the team will be taxed anywhere from $5 million to $7 million, and it could rise to as much as $10 million in the next few years. Vander Weide said the franchise’s new arena, expected to open in 2010, will generate enough extra revenue to allow them to venture into the tax.
The Magic could have signed and traded Turkoglu to receive some compensation, but his opting out now makes that process difficult.
Lon Babby, Turkoglu’s agent, confirmed that the Magic made an initial proposal to Turkoglu, adding that Smith characterized it as a “jumping off point.”
Babby said Turkoglu will evaluate the free-agent market and continue talking with the Magic.