From Peter May in Tuesday’s Boston Globe :
Cuttino Mobley accompanied the Orlando Magic to Boston’s FleetCenter last night with every intention of playing. His name was on the lineup distributed to the official scorer. His name was written on the board in the visitors’ locker room. He just never got the chance.
Shortly before the start of the game, word came down to Magic coach Johnny Davis from the home office in Orlando: Mobley was about to be traded, so keep him out of the game. By halftime, the Magic made it official. Mobley, who had come to Orlando in last summer’s megadeal for Tracy McGrady, was on his way to Sacramento along with teammate Michael Bradley, who is on the injured list. Coming east is Kings defensive ace Doug Christie.
The deal did not sit well with the Magic’s Steve Francis, who was also a teammate of Mobley’s in Houston.
“They messed up something that started so good. I guess that’s the way it’s going to be from now on,” said Francis, who wore one of Mobley’s armbands in tribute to his traded friend. (So, too, did DeShawn Stevenson, but he’s irrelevant.)
“It is a business, I know that,” Francis went on. “This is real bad.”
Was Mobley upset?
“Of course he was upset,” Francis said. “Of course he was. And even though it’s happened, I still don’t believe it. But I’m going to go out and do my job.”
He didn’t do much last night. Celtics coach Doc Rivers said he thought Francis looked “distraught” at the beginning of the game. Francis picked up a quick technical and was replaced by Jameer Nelson less than four minutes into the game. He ended up playing 27 minutes.