Dwight Howard may have spent a good chunk of the year going back and forth on whether he wanted to remain in Orlando, but teammate Jameer Nelson is more certain about his preference.
"My thing is, I definitely want to be here next year and for the rest of my career," Nelson told Joshua Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. "I’m just focusing on winning games and helping my team win and lead the team. But definitely it’s something in the back of my mind. But, like I said, I can’t focus on it as much as I would like to. I’ll sit down with my team and my family at the end of the season and discuss what’s going on and what are the possibilities."
Nelson holds a player option for 2012/13 and hasn't decided whether or not to exercise it. Contract databases like Storytellers Contracts and ShamSports put the value of the option year at $8.6MM, though Robbins says it's worth about $7.8MM. Either way, it's likely a larger salary than Nelson would earn next season if he opted out, but given all the uncertainty surrounding the Magic, it's not an automatic decision for the point guard. If he opts in, he could be viewed as a trade chip by a new GM or see his role change under a new coach.
After struggling early in the season, Nelson has performed well in the second half, averaging 14.3 points and 6.1 assists per game since the All-Star Break, on .448/.419/.786 shooting.