The Orlando Magic didn’t complete a blockbuster trade in recent weeks, but it’s not for lack of trying. The Magic were constantly working the phones in the weeks leading up to the 2011 NBA Draft and talked to a number of teams about potential deals, but they simply didn’t have the assets to complete a trade.

The Magic were in contact with the Phoenix Suns, Charlotte Bobcats, Philadelphia 76ers, Atlanta Hawks and Portland Trail Blazers among other teams. They were targeting Steve Nash, Stephen Jackson, Andre Iguodala, Josh Smith and Andre Miller.

Orlando wants to surround Dwight Howard with better talent to put a championship within reach and make sure he’s content as he approaches free agency after next season.

Jackson and Miller were dealt on draft night and the Magic were in the running to acquire their services.

Sources confirmed that the Magic and Blazers were in serious talks that would have sent Nelson to Portland in exchange for Miller and the twenty-first pick. Had Orlando acquired Miller, they likely would have tried to flip him and his non-guaranteed contract for one of the other players they were targeting. The Hawks and 76ers were looking to shed salary so the Magic saw Miller as a way to improve their offer.

However, when other teams – the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets – stepped in and made offers for Jackson and Miller, there was little the Magic could do to sweeten their deal.

That’s because Orlando’s trade chips are limited to Jameer Nelson, Ryan Anderson and Brandon Bass.

Certain teams may be interested in J.J. Redick, but his contract scares many executives away. Daniel Orton has some potential, but his history of injuries lowers his value. The idea that a team may want to acquire Gilbert Arenas just to waive him using an amnesty clause has been tossed around by fans, but there’s no owner in the league that’s going to volunteer to write a $62,423,766 check.

It’s going to be extremely difficult for the Magic to acquire star-caliber talent with a package consisting of only Nelson and either Bass or Anderson.

Acquiring talent through free agency won’t be any easier.

While Howard would love to see Caron Butler or Glen Davis in a Magic jersey, the odds of that happening are slim to none. Orlando’s payroll is currently $74,816,623, and the only way they can sign a player is by using the mid-level exception or bi-annual exception. However, there has been some talk that the new collective bargaining agreement won’t include such exceptions.

Orlando needs to make a move, but they have few options and little flexibility to do so. On draft night, Otis Smith, the team’s president of basketball operations and general manager, spoke to the assembled media and stressed that the Magic don’t need to make major changes.

“This team doesn’t need to be imploded,” Smith said. “It needs to be tweaked. It needs guys to have better years. Chemistry needs to be built. We need a training camp. There are a lot of things that we need.”

Smith’s phone records and dealings with other executives sing a very different tune: The Magic would like to implode, but they don’t have the necessary resources to make it happen.

Silas Going to Philadelphia: Xavier Silas was basically the sixty-first pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.

He didn’t get to hear his name called on television, but he received a training camp invite from the Philadelphia 76ers seconds after the Sacramento Kings made the final pick of the evening.

“Right after Sacramento made their pick, my phone was vibrating,” Silas told HOOPSWORLD. “I was still looking at the screen when I got the call. They called my agent as the Kings were making their pick and then he called me right after the draft was over. They didn’t want me to go to Europe or do anything other than go to their camp when the lockout is over. That was really big for me because that’s what I had been working for throughout this process.”

Silas was one of the first undrafted prospects to receive a commitment from a team, and he’ll have a legitimate chance to make Philadelphia’s roster next season. The 76ers fell in love with Silas throughout the draft process. He performed well in their workout and he made a lasting impression during several interviews.

{AUTHOR_BOX}”I worked out for Philly and I played really well,” Silas said. “I shot the ball well and defended well. They liked me in the interviews too. I could tell that they liked me because they wanted me to come back for a second workout two days later, but I couldn’t go back because I had other workouts scheduled. I knew they were interested and then they only took big men in the draft – no guards. It’s just a good situation and I’m excited about it.”

Throughout the draft process, Silas separated himself from his peers with his engaging personality and maturity. After workouts, he would introduce himself to everyone in the gym and thank them for their time. At the end of the day, he made a good impression on teams and many executives were rooting for him to succeed.

“I think I had the right mindset and enthusiasm for the process,” Silas said. “I think it paid off. I pride myself on having enthusiasm, not skipping any reps and doing everything I need to do. At the end of the day, I wanted to be able to say that I did everything I could to make this happen, and it worked out because I’m in a wonderful position now. I wouldn’t trade this journey for any other one.”

Lakers Free Agent Camp: The Los Angeles Lakers kicked off their free agent mini-camp yesterday with two afternoon sessions. The three-day camp features over 20 players, who are auditioning for the team in hopes of earning a training camp invite.

Players that would have normally used the Las Vegas Summer League to impress teams are instead turning to these camps since the looming lockout has cancelled Summer League action.

The Lakers’ three draft picks -Darius Morris, Andrew Goudelock and Ater Majok – are participating in the camp. This will be the last time that they can be evaluated or have contact with members of the organization before the collective bargaining agreement expires on Friday.

Several notable veterans in attendance included Gerald Green, Bobby Simmons and Cedric Simmons. Eric Boateng, D.J. Strawberry, J.R. Giddens, Bobby Brown, Leo Lyons, Kevin Palmer and Jamelle Horne are also among the players taking part in the camp.

HOOPSWORLD Chats: There will be three chats today, starting with Salary Cap guru Larry Coon and his NBA salary cap chat at 3 p.m. EST. HOOPSWORLD’s Mark Nugent will host his NBA chat today at 5 p.m. EST. Mark is one of our newsline editors and covers the entire NBA. Senior NBA writer Tommy Beer will host his NBA chat at 8 p.m. EST. Tommy covers the New York Knicks and the Eastern Conference for HOOPSWORLD. You can always find the next chat here: Upcoming NBA Chats.