Sat, Dec 18, 2010 at 6:05pm

RICHARDSON, CARTER HIGHLIGHT 6-MAN SWAP

The Orlando Magic acquired swingman Jason Richardson, forward Hedo Turkoglu, and forward Earl Clark from the Phoenix Suns for shooting guard Vince Carter, center Marcin Gortat, swingman Mikael Pietrus, a 2011 first-round draft pick, and cash.

What does it give the Orlando Magic
The Magic do a nice job here of adding stellar scoring (in Richardson), a player who's proven in their system (in Turkoglu), and a still-promising young player (in Clark). Carter's been in decline for a few seasons now and Richardson is four years younger, so this gives the Magic a nice upgrade at the swing spot. Meanwhile Turkoglu--who was a poor fit in Toronto and then in Phoenix after leaving Orlando as a free agent two summers ago--has a chance to re-energize his career on the Magic, the team he's enjoyed his best career performances with. Orlando has been struggling lately (mostly with scoring) so these additions should give them a nice boost. It should also open up a few more minutes for power forward Brandon Bass, who's played well lately.

What does it give the Phoenix Suns
The Suns are near the bottom of the NBA in rebounding this season, and have had a tough time dealing with bigger teams in the post. Enter Gortat, who should prove to be the key to this deal for the Suns. He has the talent and size to be a star NBA center but has been stuck behind Dwight Howard for years in Orlando. Look for Gortat to get a chance to play regularly early on, and for him to see a big boost in production. Carter is a downgrade from Richardson at the swing spot but his contract (which has another year on it after this one) is at least two years shorter than Turkoglu's was. Carter is also a nice fit for Phoenix's running, high-scoring style, so his output should improve a bit with this move. Pietrus remains an underrated but injury-prone swingman who should fit in well as a do-it-all role player for the Suns. Meanwhile, the draft pick and the cash are nice bonuses for a Suns team that appears to quietly be starting to rebuild.

Fantasy impact