The Orlando Magic have signed free agent forward Charles ?Bo? Outlaw, President/CEO Bob Vander Weide announced today.  Per team policy, terms of the deal are not disclosed.

Outlaw (6?8?, 220, 4/3/71) appeared in 39 regular season games last season with Phoenix, averaging 0.7 ppg. and 1.4 rpg. in 5.5 minpg.  He also played in one postseason outing, as the Suns advanced to the Western Conference Finals.

The Orlando Magic have signed free agent forward Matt Freije and guard Felipe Lopez, President/CEO Bob Vander Weide announced today.  Per team policy, terms of the deals are not disclosed.

Freije (6?10?, 249, 10/2/81) appeared in 23 games last season with New Orleans, averaging 4.0 ppg. and 2.7 rpg. in 19.2 minpg.  He also started in 11 contests for the Hornets, averaging 5.7 ppg., 3.8 rpg. and 1.6 apg. in 27.5 minpg. during that span.  Freije scored in double figures three times, including a career-high 12 points on Dec. 26 @ Cleveland.  He also pulled down a career-best 11 rebounds in the same outing.  Freije was waived by New Orleans on Jan. 21.

The Orlando Magic have signed free agents Ken Johnson and Terence Morris, President/CEO Bob Vander Weide announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deals are not disclosed.

Johnson (6?11?, 240) appeared in 34 games last season with Bourg en Bresse in France, averaging 11.2 ppg., 5.2 rpg. and 2.1 bpg. Originally selected by Miami in the second round (49th overall) of the 2001 NBA Draft, Johnson played in 16 games with the Heat during the 2002-03 season, averaging 2.0 ppg. and 2.0 rpg. He has also played professionally with Huntsville of the D-League, as well as in Italy, France and the CBA.

Morris (6?9?, 221) was originally selected by Atlanta in the second round (34th overall) of the 2001 NBA Draft. He has played in 117 career NBA regular season games with Houston, averaging 3.7 ppg. and 2.9 rpg. in 14.9 mpg.

Morris spent four seasons at the University of Maryland, where he teamed up with current Magic Guard Steve Francis.

Reaching into their recent past, the Orlando Magic expect to sign forward Bo Outlaw to a free-agent deal.

"It looks like we're going to get that done," Magic Assistant General Manager Otis Smith said Saturday.

Outlaw, 34, played for the Magic for four-plus seasons, starting in 1997-98. A fan favorite known for his hustle, Outlaw, along with a first-round pick and cash, was traded to the Phoenix Suns for Jud Buechler in November 2001. The Suns used the pick in the 2002 draft to select Amare Stoudemire of Cypress Creek High.

Outlaw spent two seasons with the Suns, was dealt to the Memphis Grizzlies before the 2003-04 season, waived by Memphis last season and re-signed by Phoenix, for whom he played sparingly and averaged 0.7 points in 39 games.

Orlando still might sign a free agent after camp opens Oct. 4. But Smith said the 6-foot-8 Outlaw offers experience to back up Dwight Howard. "We needed somebody who knows how to play the game, and that's Bo," Smith said. "He's an undersized power forward, but he can do the little things."

Earl Watson is expected to sign a five-year, $29.3 million deal with Denver as early as today, leaving the Grizzlies with nothing to show for their investment.  The Memphis Commerical Appeal, however, reports that the Grizzlies did try to get something for Watson but nothing came into fruition.

Even as of last Friday the Griz talked to Denver about receiving a first-round draft pick in a deal for Watson. The Nuggets offered only a second-round selection and wanted the Grizzlies' $4.9 million trade exception.

Barring a last-minute agreement between the teams, Watson will simply sign a contract with the Nuggets using their $5 million midlevel exception.

"If a sign-and-trade was an option I would have been gone a long time ago -- probably to Minnesota, to be honest with you," Watson said, adding that "Minnesota was the most persistent" in seeking a trade.

Griz president Jerry West declined several offers from the Timberwolves because of his disinterest in a player or a long-term, expensive contract. Boston, Utah, Orlando, the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland also presented options for Watson.

Watson, who declined a four-year $20 million offer from Orlando, also rejected a contract offer from Utah more than a week ago.

He scoffed at reports that his asking price was unreasonable or well beyond $6 million.

"None of that was ever true," Watson said. "All I ever wanted was something close to the midlevel or the midlevel, and to play for a team that had an upside."

The Magic continue to weigh several options when it comes to adding another front-court player, but Christian Laettner definitely remains on their list of free agent possibilities.

Magic Assistant General Manager Otis Smith met recently with Laettner in North Florida.