The Orlando Magic ownership — and that is who ultimately makes this call — is still deciding what to do.
Dwight Howard wants the Orlando Magic to “roll the dice” on him and keep him through the end of the season. It’s all about winning, he said. Don’t think this is about keeping his options open and making sure if he does leave via free agency this summer the franchise where he lands will not have gutted itself of good players to get him. Nope, not about that at all. It’s all about the winning.
Magic officials are still looking at their options — and talking trade — but Howard’s rant frustrated them, reports Ken Berger at CBSSports.com.
As Tom Ziller notes at SBN, those same “disgusted” officials would pretty much do anything — disgusting or otherwise — to get him to stay.
The Magic are still fielding offers for Howard in the event owner Rich DeVos decides he wants to trade Howard. That includes even talking to the Knicks, reports Sam Amick at Sports Illustrated. Which has to be exactly the kind of focused, professional franchise Howard always dreamed of playing for.Sources say the Lakers and even the Knicks are among the teams who have engaged with the Magic in recent days. Howard has told close friends that he doesn’t want to play for the Lakers, but deals have been discussed between the two teams with the shared hope that he would change his stance.
While Golden State’s trade for Milwaukee center Andrew Bogut on Tuesday night took them out of the running for Howard in what would have been a “rental” situation, Houston remains willing to trade for Howard without any assurances that he will re-sign.All the trade offers and whatever Howard himself says at this point is pure window dressings. The only thing that matters now is the call DeVos makes — he will make the decision on trading or keeping Howard. The ball is in his court.