By Rick Horrow and Karla Swatek
April 26, 2013
On the court, the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic are trending in opposite directions. The Heat are aiming for their second straight NBA championship, while the Magic finished the regular season with the league’s worst record. The teams could be heading in opposite directions off the court as well, only with the Magic holding the upper hand.
Orlando is moving forward with a $100 million sports & entertainment complex next to Amway Arena. The project is expected to include an office tower, hotel, parking garage, and restaurants, and the team hopes to break ground next year.
Things aren’t necessarily bad for Miami, but the Heat could have difficulty keeping their star-studded team together after next season because of the NBA’s luxury tax rules. The new collective bargaining agreement deters Heat-like “superteams” by imposing a crippling tax on repeat salary cap violators. Heat ownership has already had conversations about how to keep the big three together, but at this point, it looks like the Magic have a more stable future.
