Hardaway to Become Free Agent

Four-time NBA all-star Penny Hardaway exercised an option to void the last three years of his contract with the Orlando Magic and will become a free agent on July 1.

Hardaway, who averaged 15.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists this season, complained after a first-round playoff exit that he was underappreciated and said a change of scenery seemed like a logical solution.

“As expected, Penny has exercised his option,” General Manager John Gabriel said Friday. “We will see what the future holds. We would like to re-sign him.”

Notes

The NBA players’ union was preparing to file a grievance on behalf of two teams fined $25,000 by the league for giving players expense-paid trips. The union announced the action on Friday, a day after the league penalized the Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings for salary cap violations. . . . New Jersey Net interim Coach Don Casey said he met with team owners on Thursday, although no contract was offered. Casey’s discussion with close friend Lewis Katz and Finn Wentworth was strictly about basketball-related matters and not the team’s coaching vacancy, he said. While no offer was extended, Casey told Bloomberg News “it’s the first sign that there’s strong interest in me.”