Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel explores why Dwight Howard hasn't publicly affirmed his commitment to the Orlando Magic.
The rebuilding Houston Rockets remain in the hunt for a superstar and are prepared to make a lucrative trade offer for one, with Orlando Magic All-Star center Dwight Howard at or near the top of their wishlist, reports ClutchFans.net. Indeed, Houston was close to landing Howard from the Magic at the 2012 NBA trading deadline: ClutchFans reports Daryl Morey, Houston's General Manager, "was the last one standing in the Howard chase." Further, in the lead-up to the March 15th deadline, Rockets management "believed they were going to land Howard later that day."
Orlando elected not to trade Howard, but only because he agreed to waive the Early Termination Option in his contract. The ETO would have enabled him to become a free agent on July 1st, 2012, but after waiving it, he won't enter free agency until one year later. Had Howard not waived his ETO, ClutchFans reports, he would have indeed become a Houston Rocket.
Houston is still interested in Howard, even only as a so-called "rental." Most teams would only trade for the three-time Defensive Player of the Year with assurances that he'd sign a long-term contract extension with the club, but the Rockets appear to be willing to take a risk with Howard by acquiring him with just one season left before free agency.
As ClutchFans notes, the Rockets have a stable of assets--"cap room, two first-round draft picks and a willingness to trade just about anyone"--that could intrigue the Magic, or any team looking to divest itself of a superstar in order to begin rebuilding.
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Eight days have passed since the Indiana Pacers eliminated the Orlando Magic in the first round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs, but Orlando has yet to announce any decision on the futures of head coach Stan Van Gundy or Otis Smith, the team's President of Basketball Operations. Though he offers no explanation for the delay, Chad Ford of ESPN.com said in a chat Wednesday, "I think you'll see them let go GM Otis Smith and head coach Stan Van Gundy in the next few days." Regarding the fate of superstar center Dwight Howard, Ford says, "I think everyone realizes he's gone sooner or later and the focus will be on how to best rebuild the team."
Van Gundy and Smith, whose contracts run through the 2012/13 season, have already commented publicly about their desires: Van Gundy wants to return to Orlando, while Smith was noncommittal. Magic ownership has said it would wait a few days to "decompress" before making a choice on Van Gundy and Smith.
Howard's contract also runs through 2012/13, and Smith said the eight-year veteran has not re-requested a trade. Howard asked to be dealt to the New Jersey Nets, Dallas Mavericks, or Los Angeles Lakers during training camp, but appears to have backed off that request.
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The folks at RaptorsHQ asked yours truly to weigh in on this question: would I rather be the Orlando Magic or the Toronto Raptors? Coming up with an answer was a bit more difficult than I expected.
Glen Davis started his first season with the Orlando Magic in a fog. The four-year veteran, upset that he wasn't starting, didn't bring the same edge to the game he had in his prior years with the Boston Celtics, and it broke his jump shot. He struggled to fit adjust to his bench role, and his poor shot-selection only exacerbated his problems. In addition, he dealt with the deaths of his father and grandmother, as well as frequent booing from the Orlando faithful at Amway Center.
But then Davis settled in, found his niche, and started producing again. When a herniated disk in Dwight Howard's back forced the All-Star center to miss 12 of the team's final 14 games, and all of the postseason, Davis shifted from power forward to center full-time, and rewarded the faith the Magic showed in him when it signed him to a four-year contract in December.
I think there's a temptation, when assessing Dwight Howard's season, to grade him negatively due to the off-court drama he caused. It started with his since-rescinded demand for a trade in training camp and didn't cease until he waived his Early Termination Option on the day of the trading deadline, and even then more drama ensued when coach Stan Van Gundy revealed he knew Howard had asked for him to be fired.
Howard's off-court activity overshadows the work he did on the floor during the lockout-shortened campaign, which is saying something, as Howard once again put together an All-Star season. For the third time in four years, he was the only NBAer to average 20 points, 10 boards, and two blocks per game. By any measure, he was tremendous.
Ryan Anderson took home the NBA's Most Improved Player award earlier in May. On Monday, he received another accolade, as Team USA Basketball invited him to join the Select Team, which will convene prior to the 2012 Olympic Games to compete against the Team USA squad which will ultimately compete for the gold in London. Matt Steinmetz of CSN Bay Area reported the news first, while Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel confirmed it independently.
Anderson joins a group of standouts including Washington Wizards point guard John Wall, Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, and Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving. Anderson would have competed against Orlando Magic teammate Dwight Howard, but back surgery in April ruled Howard out of the Olympics, so he will not have the opportunity to repeat as a gold medalist.
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Orlando Magic point guard Jameer Nelson "wants to test free agency," reports Alex Kennedy of HOOPSWORLD, and as such is likely to decline his player option for the 2012/13 season. "Nelson doesn’t want to be dealt as an expiring contract and end up in a bad situation," Kennedy says, which is why he'd be willing to forgo the final year, worth as much as $8.6 million, according to ShamSports, in order to secure his long-term future in the NBA.
Nelson has spent his entire eight-year professional career with Orlando, averaging 12.4 points and five assists per game. He has never been a free agent. The Magic would most likely attempt to re-sign him even if he does decline his player option, as woeful backup Chris Duhon is the only other point guard under contract.
In addition, says Kennedy, Orlando is expected to relieve coach Stan Van Gundy and Otis Smith, the team's President of Basketball Operations, of their duties "in the coming weeks." According to the HOOPSWORLD scribe, potential replacements for Smith include Jeff Bower, David Griffin, Larry Harris, David Morway, Kevin Pritchard, and Tony Ronzone. On the coaching front, Mike D'Antoni, Mike Malone, Nate McMillan, and Brian Shaw "have been mentioned" as potential hires after Van Gundy's dismissal.
Kennedy's story includes much more on where Orlando is headed as a franchise, and is well worth your time.
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