Orlando Magic center Marcin Gortat would like to be playing more minutes.

“I love the organization, but I’m not going to stay here being a back-up player and playing five minutes a game,” Gortat said. “I hope people understand that. I know I can have a bigger role on another team.”

The problem? Gortat plays behind all-world center Dwight Howard.

In the last four games, Gortat has played seven, eight, seven and six minutes. A total of just 28 minutes or an average of seven minutes per game.

However, this discontent isn’t anything new and one could see it coming. The problem goes back to the summer when Gortat was a restricted free agent coming off the Magic’s trip to the 2009 NBA Finals.

The 25-year old was playing the market as the Magic were unlikely to have enough money to re-sign both he and unrestricted free agent Hedo Turkoğlu.

Gortat was reportedly offered a huge offer sheet by the Dallas Mavericks, where he would probably been the starting center, but when Turkoğlu ultimately left Orlando for Toronto, the Magic had enough money in the coffer to match Dallas’ offer.

And they did so, keeping the 7-0, 240lb Polish center in Florida for the next five years despite Gortat’s agent, Guy Zucker, advising the Magic not to match the offer.

Right now, despite being unhappy with his minutes, Gortat seems resigned to waiting it out. For now.

“I really don’t think about this now. But at some point, I want to have the chance to sit down with coach Van Gundy and tell him how I feel and where I want to go with my career,” Gortat said. “I’m 100 percent sure coach will understand and will do the right thing for me and the team.”

To read the full article, go to the Orlando Sentinel.