Walking towards the typewriter. …

Finally, Otis Smith and Dave Twardzik – the Magic's former co-general managers who made the historically unfortunate decision to draft 6-foot-10 Spanish forward Fran Vazquez with the 11th overall pick in 2005 – can walk away with their heads held high.

Believe it or not, after all these years, Vazquez may one day be able to contribute to a Magic title, even though he never showed up for games in Orlando and retired four years ago after an unremarkable 19-year professional career in Europe.

Hidden in the fine print of all the major decisions the surging Magic made last week—signing free agent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a 3-year, $66 million contract, extending Franz Wagner to a 5-year, $224 million rookie maximum, renegotiating and extending Jonathan Isaac to a 5-year, $84 million contract, etc.—was this piece of information: The team had to give up the rights to a handful of players in order to make any new contracts fit under the salary cap. And so the Magic gave up the rights to Markelle Fultz, Chuma Okeke… and, yes, Fran Vazquez.

That's right, two decades later, the Magic's current front office had the foresight to hold onto Vazquez's rights even after he retired in 2020, and then last week turned his $5 million salary cap placeholder into an asset. OK, $5 million is pocket change in the NBA, but every little bit helps. Especially when it comes from Vazquez.

For years, the Magic had to live with the embarrassment of drafting Fran the (Invisible) Man, one of only two lottery picks in history to never play a single minute in the NBA. The other was Len Bias, who shockingly died of a cocaine overdose just two days after being selected No. 2 by the Boston Celtics in 1986.

When Vazquez retired four years ago, I wrote a column in which I spoke with former Sentinel sportswriter George Diaz, who traveled to Spain a few months after the 2005 draft to write an article about why Vazquez avoided the Magic.

“The best way I can explain it is that Fran Vazquez was a European country bumpkin who was intimidated by America,” Diaz told me at the time.

As Diaz wrote in a long article at the time, Vazquez “succumbed to the pull of an influential friend [Ana Toral] and an agent who would have had significant financial benefits if he had stayed at home [in Spain].”

Had Vazquez signed in Orlando, his Spanish agent, Jose Cobelo, would have had to split the usual 3% agent fee with Vazquez's American agent, Marc Cornstein, Diaz reported. In Spain, however, Cobelo received a 10% commission all to himself.

Diaz further wrote about Vazquez's girlfriend: “Opinions about Toral are harsh in the Spanish media and basketball community, indicating her influence in persuading Vazquez to stay in Spain. She seems to have a say in everything concerning Vazquez, including his interactions with the media. She sat down with Vazquez minutes after an interview with an Orlando Sentinel reporter began and stayed the entire time.”

Manolo Rubia, the manager of the Spanish team Vazquez played for when the Magic signed him, said: “I recently asked the national team players how many tickets they had for the [international] Games. Everyone said two, three, six, whatever. Fran said, 'I have to ask Ana.' He can't even decide how many tickets he wants for himself. Orlando doesn't lose anything.”

And now the Magic have finally gained something by signing Vazquez.

If the Magic actually win the championship in the next few years, they should invite Fran Vazquez to be in the parade.

Maybe then he would finally show up in Orlando. …

In short: Speaking of the Magic, some believe they overpaid Wagner. Maybe that's true, but if you believe Wagner will be one of your stars for years to come, why would you argue over a few million dollars in a league that throws money around like it's confetti at a wedding reception? With Wagner getting the max contract extension, Jalen Suggs also negotiating his rookie contract, and of course Paolo Banchero sure to sign a rookie max contract extension when he's eligible next season, the front office is basically saying the Magic won't be signing any star free agents anytime soon because they feel they already have two or maybe three stars on their roster…

Not only did LeBron James hire JJ Redick to coach the Lakers and force the Lakers to draft their son Bronny with the 55th pick in the second round, he also forced the Lakers to give Bronny a multi-year, guaranteed contract worth about $8 million. For comparison, last year's 55th pick – Isaiah Wong of Miami – signed a two-way contract with the Indiana Pacers for about $700,000. NBA: Nepotism Ballers Alliance. … My understanding is that the NBA's new, punishing salary cap for the “second apron” is something like getting into the Hotel California: “You can check out anytime, but you can never leave again.” …

The building known as the Tampa Sportatorium – the television studio and offices of the old Championship Wrestling from Florida from 1965-1987 – is slated for demolition. It's a sad day for those of us who grew up watching Dusty Rhodes, Jack Brisco, The Great Malenko, Wahoo McDaniel, Hiro Matsuda, Dory and Terry Funk appear on Championship Wrestling from Florida every Saturday at 1 p.m. In honor of the old Sportatorium and its impending fate at the hands of a wrecking ball, we should all remember the words of Gordon Solie, the legendary Championship Wrestling from Florida host who signed off every Saturday afternoon with his catchphrase: “Goodbye to the Sunshine State.” … Alex Bowman, after ending an 80-race winless drought and seeing the checkered flag at the NASCAR race through the rainy streets of downtown Chicago over the weekend: “We're going to drink so damn much bourbon tonight, it's going to be bad business. I'll probably wake up naked on the bathroom floor again.” Ugh, this brings back bad memories of the first (and only) time I got drunk on tequila shots in college. … I just saw that Gov. Ron DeSantis has new signs along our interstate highways welcoming motorists to the “Free State of Florida.” Free? Hey, boss, have you checked our property insurance rates recently? … Best headline of the week from Fark.com: “DeMar DeRozen from DeTrade to DeKings.” … Has Bronny James been named to the U.S. Olympic team yet?

Last word: Since Friday is Arthur Ashe's birthday, let's remember the words of the late, great tennis player and civil rights activist: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

Email me at [email protected], contact me via X (formerly Twitter) @BianchiWrites and listen to my Open Mike radio show every weekday from 6-9:30am on FM 96.9, AM 740 and 969TheGame.com/listen.