SUNDAY, 1:07am: The new management team in Orlando won't trade Howard until it has completed its due diligence, tweets TNT's David Aldridge. According to Aldridge, Hennigan and the front office won't let outside talk force them into making a decision before they're ready.
SATURDAY, 10:23pm: Howard has sought to nullify his decision to opt in to the final year of his contract, Broussard reports, but the players union will not pursue the complaint. There's no chance such a nullification will happen, league sources tell Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (Twitter link). Howard told Hennigan he thought the Magic had blackmailed him into opting in, according to Broussard.
9:52pm: Dwight Howard met with new Magic GM Rob Hennigan on Friday in Los Angeles, and repeated his desire to be traded to the Nets, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reports. Hennigan didn't tell Howard whether he intends to trade him or not (Twitter links).
"A lot of different teams" have inquired about Howard of late, Hennigan said, according to a report this week by Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. Howard has been in the Los Angeles area recovering from back surgery this spring. The Nets, a long-rumored trade destination for Howard, are reportedly in discussions with the Hawks about a trade for Joe Johnson.
As Zach Lowe of SI.com points out via Twitter, the Nets have no one under a guaranteed contract for 2013/14, so they'd have the flexibility to team Deron Williams, Johnson and Howard when D12 becomes a free agent next summer. Howard, however, seems to want to get to Brooklyn more quickly than that.
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TRADE HIS B*@#h A$$ ALREADY THE FANS ARE TIRED OF IT!!!!!!
Howard has virtually no concept of reality. I don’t know if he’s noticed this, but the Nets have absolutely no assets to send back to Orlando. Why would the Magic have any desire to send him out now when any Nets package of trade exception + flotsom will still be available in a year. I say hold into him and make him play out the contract, or send him elsewhere where I could get a single promising player and roll with that.
The magic don’t really have anything to offer any better than the bulls(bulls have a better package) and te rockets had the best deal before the draft and they could
Still
Offer Martin, Lowry, scolia. Which might be the beat deal
I wouldn’t do it if I was the Magic. The Nets have no players I would want. I hold on to him and find a better trade preferably to the West Coast, whether he likes it or not. Even if he says he’ll only be a rental. Why should we let him get his ideal situation to set up a team that will beat us for years to come. I’d rather explore our options all season than end up with some scrubs from the Nets. The leverage is in our hands don’t settle for less!
I’ve been a Magic fan since the franchise started, and I just want to see Howard leave. He is a child and has no loyalty or professionalism!
what a bia!
I don’t know about the rest of my fellow Magic fans but I’ve had enough of Dwight Coward!!! Please send his inconsistent, over-rated, free throw missing behind packing! We will suck for a little while however, we will be better off without him and his childish ways!!!
totally agree. Although I wouldn’t necessary say the Nets since they might not have the best package, send him packing somewhere. After watching Melodrama, I can’t take anymore of this Dwightmare. I want to see what Drew and Quinn can bring to the table as rookies. It will be worth the wait without this immature guy
The Nets should be in discussion with the Hawks about a trade for Josh Smith, not Joe Johnson. Smith would cost way less than Johnson and the Nets would have more flexibility to surround Williams, Smith, and Howard with more players.
There is really no team out There that can give the magic a solid player to build around. Except teams like Minnesota that can give them guys like d. Williams and pek or the kings that can give them a guy like cousins. But reality is that I don’t think any star would like to play there. (especially minny)