Orlando Magic owner wants Dwight Howard to stay put – NBA Update
On Wednesday night, Richard DeVos Sr, the 85 year old Orlando Magic owner joined the queue of people urging Dwight Howard to stay at Orlando Magic.
Howard, unarguably the best centre in the league, is in the last year of his contract with Magic and in the pre-season, the 6 ft 11 in star had publically demanded a trade. Although that didn’t happen, Howard is sure to leave Orlando
either in the mid-season trade window or when he becomes a free agent after the season.
"I don't want to trade him," said DeVos while addressing a media session after the Magic – Miami Heat game.
After Shaquille O’ Neal left in the late 90’s, the Magic took a deep spiral and it was with the emergence of Howard that the South Florida franchise found some success.
However, after years of trying, Howard still hasn’t won a NBA championship and lack of support from other players has always been a problem. Last season, Howard decided to go public about the matter and expressed his disappointment
at the so called blockbuster trade that brought Gilbert Arenas and Hedo Turkoglu in the franchise.
In the playoffs, that season, Orlando were knocked out in the first round, and that further gave vent to the rumours that Howard wanted out.
DeVos though, was still hopeful that his team of negotiators, led by his son Dan, will be able to make his stay;
"We like to think we're making headway," DeVos said of talks with Howard and his representatives. "But I don't know. He probably won't know until the end and I won't either."
"You never give up," He added. "We've got a great talent, a great young man. He's got to look at his options (and) what's best for him and I have to tell him what I think is best for him. I'm selfish."
However, he made clear that whatever emerges out to be the end result, he will still not forget about Howard’s service to the franchise. Disrespecting him, he said, was out of question;
"The respect for people is fundamental," DeVos said. "They have their interest where they want to go and they may or may not coincide with mine. Life goes on."
The Howard trade had been the talk of the season this off season and will remain to be so until Howard makes up his mind. He had allowed the Los Angeles Lakers, New Jersey Nets and Dallas Mavericks to bid for him in the pre-season
and recently hinted that he would love playing alongside present MVP Derrick Rose.
For now, all the fans can do is catch the trail and hope that ‘Superman’ doesn’t mess things up like LeBron James.
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