Dwight Howard still wants to be traded away from Orlando Magic – NBA Update
Dwight Howard met with Orlando Magic general manager Rob Hennigan on Wednesday and after getting briefed on the new regime and what the franchise promises in the future, the big man decided that he still wants to be traded away
and will choose to leave as a free agent, if not traded by the end of next season.
Orlando management had hoped to have a breakthrough in Howard’s case as no trade move for the big man was materializing. However, despite the trade to Brooklyn Nets not being a possibility at the moment and Howard’s unwillingness
to head over to the Los Angeles Lakers, Magic management has failed to procure the big man’s signature.
There were speculations that the Houston Rockets are lining up a bid for the Superman while the Atlanta Hawks were also in the mix. But so far in the off-season the saga involving Howard does not seem to be getting anywhere.
On the other hand, the Lakers – a team who have the strongest bid to land Howard - have gone about their business in the usual manner. They introduced their new signing of Antawn Jamison and the re-signing of Jordan Hill on Wednesday.
The Lakers have also been reported to be in talks with Andrew Bynum and his agent for a possible contract extension, a rumour Bynum’s agent David Lee later denied;
"We talk all the time, but we've never had a conversation about an extension," Lee said. "(We haven't talked) about anything of any substance regarding next year or the following year or the following year."
As far as the Lakers stance on Howard is concerned, general manager Mitch Kupchak believes that despite of the fact that no move is likely to materialize any time soon, the possibility of a trade cannot be ruled out.
“Typically it slows down in August, but the brakes are never on," Kupchak said recently;
There are a lot of possibilities regarding Howard’s future, but the only certain thing at the moment is the one year left on his contract. If the Magic manage to trade Howard before the mid season trade deadline ends, they will
get some benefit. Otherwise, as soon as the contract expires next summer, every team in the NBA would want to lure him in as a free agent, with the Nets coming back into the mix as well.
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