There are two sides to where things stand with Dwight Howard less than 48 hours before the NBA trade deadline.
One is what the Magic are doing and thinking. The other is what Howard wants.
What the Magic are doing is having GM Otis Smith keep fielding offers and look for deals while ownership decides if it really wants to trade Howard. Right now every credible report out of Orlando says the same thing — owner Rich DeVos does not intend to trade Howard. But if he does (or if Smith can convince him) the options will be there.
To find a good deal Smith is trying to re-engage the Los Angeles Lakers in talks, reports Sean Deveney with The Sporting News.
One thing the Magic are holding out for, a source told Sporting News, is the resurrection of talks with the Los Angeles Lakers. As the process has played out, it has become clear that the Magic are not going to get a better player in return for Howard than All-Star Lakers center Andrew Bynum. Back in December, the Lakers had strong interest in Howard, but team VP Jim Buss said there was no way he would trade both Pau Gasol and Bynum to the Magic for Howard. Given Bynum’s injury history, a deal in which Bynum was the main target was a longshot.
Would the Lakers still do a deal centered around Bynum for Howard? They’d be fools not to. Well, providing they don’t have to take on Hedo Turkoglu’s deal or some other anchor. But if Orlando calls the Lakers should be talking to them.
Howard for his part still doesn’t want to land in Los Angeles — he doesn’t want to be seen as following Shaquille O’Neal’s pattern — he still wants to land in Brooklyn. Ideally by free agency. So reports Adrian Wojnarowski at Yahoo.
For everything Dwight Howard has told the Orlando Magic management about bringing him a stronger supporting cast, about the possibility that he could still sign an extension, it has turned into a complete ruse – a misdirection play on his eventual signing with the Brooklyn-bound New Jersey Nets, league sources told Yahoo! Sports….
“Dwight’s gone, and [Magic CEO] Alex Martins is the only person who doesn’t believe that,” a league source with knowledge of Howard’s intentions told Yahoo! Sports….
Said another official, who has been involved in deal talks with Orlando, New Jersey and the agents in the process: “Dwight is going to [expletive] them, and that will be especially true if he doesn’t even ask for the sign-and-trade on July 1, because he wants Brooklyn to keep assets.”
That last part is the real key — Howard saw what happened with the Knicks when owner James Dolan jumped in to really up the offer for Carmelo Anthony and gave up all the quality role players on that team. How do the Knicks look now?
With Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks and some picks to go with Howard and Deron Williams the Nets are much closer to competing with the Bulls and Heat at the top of the East. This is less about the extra money for Howard now and more about the legacy — he needs rings. Whether they come in Brooklyn or Orlando or Los Angeles doesn’t really matter as being able to retire saying he won a title. Moving on as a free agent gets him closer to his goal than any other option.
