Departures open up intriguing possibilities for Magic

OK, now what?

In a move that caught just Jeff Van Gundy unsuspecting, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy and general manager Otis Smith became unrestricted free agents Monday, having been sent to the canning factory for jobs extensively done poorly.

That makes three exiled execs in one season. Let's not forget that CEO Bob Vander Weide got the boot earlier. The son-in-law of owner Rich DeVos made an admittedly under-the-influence decision in a December phone plea to Dwight Howard, trying to get him to stay.

The NBA . . . where drunk-dialing happens.

Flaunting Howard, still the NBA's glossiest centerfold despite a freshly repaired back and a provisionally scarred image, the franchise, nonetheless, has ended up a cartoon in a cartoon graveyard.

For assorted reasons, some perfectly legit excuses, the Magic — beloved, fledgling finalists in 2009 (lost in five to the Lakers) and conference contestants (lost in six to the Celtics the next season) — have been bounced from the playoffs twice in a row (Atlanta, Indiana) in the first round.

Now what?

Will Howard be harpooned next by the DeVos family and CEO Alex Martins or will the new front office sage be allowed to make that critical call with or without the help of his coaching choice before cleaning up the rest of the mess?

Depends on whether the powers-that-be want the incoming executive to be a puppet or a marionette. Donnie Walsh officially comes off the Knicks' books June 30, but has been given permission to be interviewed by other teams.

If Walsh, as well as Danny Ferry, Billy Knight, Jim Paxson, Kiki Vandeweghe, Chris Mullin, rising free agent Rick Sund or anyone with any presence and pride, weren't assured a strong say regarding Howard's situation, for starters, I can't believe he'd have any interest. As you might recall, he endured that misery working for the insufferably demeaning James Dolan.

Rich (owner) and Dan (chairman) DeVos are more disposed to allow the (alleged) basketball experts to make basketball decisions. Of course, they might feel a lot different today in light of how much Smith cost them in terms of obscene salaries, both paid off and currently owed ($67 million for 2012-13) and mostly worthless assets.

On the other hand, if father and son permitted a novice like Smith (Golden State's former community relations director) to squander fortunes on Rashard Lewis, Gilbert Arenas, Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu and Chris Duhon, the prospects of installing a real specialist, someone responsible for making the Pacers a consistent winner and returning the Knicks to respectability, would greatly excite them.

Howard, too.

Should Walsh show up, it might give him serious pause to contemplate staying past the one season he has left on his contract.

And why not keep Howard? Say whatever you wish about the guy . . . he's hurting' and he's high maintenance, but he's also the only signed and sealed roster resident worth anything on the open market.

* * *

Let's switch gears. What about the Lakers? In view of the Magic's upheaval and Los Angeles being bumped off in five by the Thunder, might Jerry and Jim Buss again enter the equation regarding a possible swap of Howard for Andrew Bynum?

Here's something else to throw out there: Could Phil Jackson be financially romanced to coach Howard?

If not, maybe he'd find it fascinating to manage a front office and roster for the first time? If so, would he appoint Brian Shaw as coach?

Another highly conceivable candidate, could he shake free from Milwaukee (one year left), is Scott Skiles, who also played in Orlando and remains a DeVos family and local fan favorite.

That brings us to the Nets. Does the Magic's transformation benefit, damage or further delay their pursuit to pair Howard with Deron Williams in Brooklyn, and/or impair their chances to re-sign their floor leader?

The biggest fear of the Nets throughout their agonizing negotiations with the Magic, I submit, is that someone experienced like Walsh would be hired and put the kibosh to trade talks.

The first priority, naturally, is to get fair compensation for your prized possession.

Regardless of who ends up in Amway Alley, ain't no way, no how I let Howard hold the franchise hostage again, only to kick the carcass down the road with his last minute opt-in option.

Give me the simpler times in Orlando, when all you had to worry about was a Penny Hardaway mutiny.

Forget the Nets; our greatest fear should be that the geniuses at ABC and ESPN will put Jeff and Stan Van Gundy alongside each other. If that happens, David Stern will be compelled to opt out of the league's TV contract and return to NBC.

Peter Vesey covers the NBA for the New York Post.

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Iwakuma, Chen intriguing options for major league clubs

Yu Darvish and Tsuyoshi Wada have been spoken for, but there are still two high-profile NPB pitchers looking to make the jump to the majors next season.

With the majority of the baseball world caught up in the hoopla surrounding Darvish's posting, and the record $51.7 million fee the Texas Rangers doled out for his rights, there hasn't been too much attention paid to Hisashi Iwakuma and Chen Wei-yin this winter.

Both probably expected to be in MLB last season, but had to stay in Japan a little longer. Now the duo, who also both dealt with injuries in 2011, are ready to make the jump for real this time.

Iwakuma will make the moveafter a near-brush with the majors following the 2010 season.

The right-hander was posted by the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles last year, but failed negotiations with the Oakland A's, the highest bidder, meant he had to spend one more summer in Sendai.

Iwakuma got off to a good start, going 8? innings to score an emotional Opening Day victory for a team and fan base still reeling from the earthquake and tsunami that battered the Tohoku region on March 11.

But later, he was hampered by shoulder problems and made just 17 starts, going 6-7 with a 2.42 ERA in 119 innings.

"Iwakuma can be very effective, if his shoulder is in fact healthy," said an AL scout.

The shoulder cost him a few km on his fastball, but he approached his normal production toward the end of the year. Iwakuma also has a good slider to lean on and can keep the ball on the ground (42.7 career ground ball percentage).

"A doctor, or doctors, cleared him with a clean bill of health, but my eyes tell me differently," the scout said. "Some team will pay a couple million to find out, and could be rewarded handsomely with broken bats and weak ground balls to the opposite side of the infield all season long."

Chen is a bit of a mystery.

The Taiwanese lefty has been among the best pitchers in the Central League since 2009, when he posted the lowest ERA (1.54) in the CL since 1968.

At 26 years old, he's still slightly unpolished, with his future potential a major selling point for some MLB observers.

"His ceiling looks lower than most thought just a few seasons ago, yet I'm hearing that 12 teams are interested," said the MLB scout. "His control is excellent, but his command is not. Strikes at the letters over the fat part of the plate are going to travel much farther in the big leagues."

Chen is 36-30, with one save, a 2.59 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in five seasons with the Chunichi Dragons.

He's been helped to an extent by playing home games at pitcher-friendly Nagoya Dome where, since 2008, he's 18-7 with a 1.97 ERA in 51 games versus 18-23, 2.84 in 64 outings everywhere else.

Chen made his first start of 2011 on May 6, after struggling with a left adductor injury in the spring. His performance suffered early in the season, but he regained most of his velocity and some command of his slider as the year progressed.

"Usually a team doesn't have to pay what Chen and his agent may be asking for to find out if a 26-year-old can improve his command and stay healthy," the scout said.

"The fact that he already bridged the gap between Taiwan and Japan very well works in his favor; he is diligent and driven. He could be a great guy to have in the pen."

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