Dwight Howard states Orlando is his 1st choice

Updated: May 31, 2011, 2:06 AM ET
Dwight Howard: Orlando is first choice

Dwight Howard is not planning on following Shaquille O'Neal's lead and bolting the Orlando Magic via fee agency.


Howard
Or so Howard is saying a year before the he hits the open market following next season. The center is is under contract with the Magic through the 2012-13 season, but can terminate the deal a year early.

O'Neal, looking to take his talents to Hollywood, left the Magic for the Los Angeles Lakers after the 1995-96 season.

"I'm not trying to run behind nobody like Shaq or be behind somebody else," Howard told the Orlando Sentinel Monday.

"I want to start my own path and I want people to follow my path and not just follow somebody else's path. I want to have my own path, and I want to start that here in Orlando. But I can't do it alone. Not only do I need the right teammates, but I need the city behind me. That's the only way it's going to get done. We can change this small city that we have -- this small market that we have -- and we can make it a big market."

In order to make that leap it appears the Magic would have to re-tool its roster to appease Howard. Following its first-round playoff ouster by the Atlanta Hawks, the Magic brass would have to give the All-NBA center a stronger supposting cast to make the club a bigger threat to win a championship.

A deeper run in the playoffs would perhaps give Howard even more reason to stay put in Orlando.

"As of right now, I'm a part of the Orlando Magic and I plan to be here," Howard told the newspaper.

"And I want the Magic to do whatever they can to make sure that we can get our city behind us. That's the only thing that I want to happen: just to have the city behind me and the support of our fans. I never said I was leaving. I never, ever thought about leaving. That's basically where my head is right now. I never said anything to them (the Magic) about what my plans were because that's not what I'm focused on right now."

At least he says the right things. We shall see what actions follow.

couldn't see him anywhere else.....

Betallsports said:

couldn't see him anywhere else.....

Click to expand...

it just wouldnt be right

I don't buy that for a minute. He is just setting it up so when the team gets bounced next year he can say "look they didn't improve" and have reason to leave. These guys today are pretty PR savvy (sans LeBron)

Why would he stay with that team? Their 2nd best player is J Nelson and their cap situation is 1 of the worst in the league. Spent way too much damn $ on Redick/Duhon/Bass then the Arenas/Turkoglu trades have crippled them financially for atleast 3 years. He is already 7 years into the league (8 when his deal ends) Why would a generational talent waste his time in Orl like that if they can't get better?

I'd bet him leaving at even money for sure if given the chance.

PatsFan1283 said:

I don't buy that for a minute. He is just setting it up so when the team gets bounced next year he can say "look they didn't improve" and have reason to leave. These guys today are pretty PR savvy (sans LeBron)

Why would he stay with that team? Their 2nd best player is J Nelson and their cap situation is 1 of the worst in the league. Spent way too much damn $ on Redick/Duhon/Bass then the Arenas/Turkoglu trades have crippled them financially for atleast 3 years. He is already 7 years into the league (8 when his deal ends) Why would a generational talent waste his time in Orl like that if they can't get better?

I'd bet him leaving at even money for sure if given the chance.

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Exactly... Orlando would have to pull a deal out there ass to pick up another all star... Not even sure what they can offer to lure in talent. They clearly do not have any cap space to get any FAs.

They will continue to win around 50 games a year and lose in the first/second round with there current team.

I think what he means is Orlando cannot be spelled without L and A.

<TABLE width="100%" align=center><TBODY><TR><TD class=vaLabel vAlign=top rowSpan=5 width=100 align=middle> </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Report: Magic talking extension with Howard </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>Dwight Howard - C - ORL - May. 31</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>The Magic and Dwight Howard have been working on a two-year contract extension, sources tell Local 6 Sports Director David Pingalore.
Based on Howard's Monday comments and the likelihood of a lockout, a two-year extension would make sense. It would allow Howard to make max money under the old CBA for the next four seasons and stop the rampant trade rumors that would plague him in 2011-12. Local 6 says the deal is "all but signed by Howard."
Source: Clickorlando.com

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

How would it "make sense" for him to waste 4 years of his prime on a mediocre team? Melo/Bron weren't dumb and I doubt he is either.

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD> Dwight Howard - C - Magic </TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodyCopy>Dwight Howard said that the Local 6 television report that he is close to an extension with the Magic is untrue.</TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>Local 6 Sports Director David Pingalore certainly got his name in the national news, but the problem is that his report wasn't true. Are the Magic talking to Howard's people about a two-year extension? Certainly. Is a deal close? Nope. Howard likely wants to see what moves the Magic make this offseason before committing.
Jun. 2 -</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>Source: Josh Robbins on Twitter</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

i wish the league would take the top 120 players , have a draft and spread them around to 12 teams. get rid of the rest .

every game would be a semi all star game. the hell with everything else

Hache Man said:

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD>

Dwight Howard - C - Magic </TD></TR><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodyCopy>Dwight Howard said that the Local 6 television report that he is close to an extension with the Magic is untrue.</TD></TR><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>Local 6 Sports Director David Pingalore certainly got his name in the national news, but the problem is that his report wasn't true. Are the Magic talking to Howard's people about a two-year extension? Certainly. Is a deal close? Nope. Howard likely wants to see what moves the Magic make this offseason before committing.
Jun. 2 -</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>Source: Josh Robbins on Twitter</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

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http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22748484/29749022


On Thursday, the Orlando Sentinel reports that Howard, speaking from Alabama, said that the contract extension talks report was inaccurate.
Howard clearly has entered the "apply soft public pressure to management" stage of the negotiating session, and his frustration is understandable. Despite a constant wave of trades by Otis Smith,

Shocker.....I'd say I called it but it was so obvious no need to.

http://basketball.realgm.com/article/217393/No_Price_Too_High_For_Dwight_Howard
No Price Too High For Dwight Howard

Without a peer at the center position within shouting distance, no player with more value has been put on the trade block than Dwight Howard since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975 when he forced his way out of Milwaukee. Kareem was 28 when he arrived in Los Angeles and had already won two NBA MVPs and one title.

While Kareem was more accomplished than Howard is now and on his way to becoming the all-time leading scorer, he actually had a lot of company at the center position. In the 1974 MVP voting, for example, Hall of Fame big men Bob McAdoo, Bob Lanier, Dave Cowens and Elvin Hayes finished second through fifth.

At the time, Hayes was the oldest at 28, so basically take this current era of great young point guards, make them bigs and you get an idea of the quality depth behind Kareem.

Howard finished second in MVP voting last season, but no other center was even close to the top-10. Howard has been the All-NBA center four straight seasons and Defensive Player of the Year in three straight years. The Magic have been first, third and third in points allowed per 100 possessions during those past three seasons, as he covers for a team that has been filled with several defensively-challenged pieces.

On the offensive end, he tangibly improves every season. Howard is far from the type of low post player we all think he is capable of developing into, but he has made undeniable progress. At the very least, there is no pick-and-roll finisher that is better than Howard and he also gets a ton of easy buckets on put backs.

If you question the value of centers because of the dearth of quality ones, just look at the free agent market in recent days for Tyson Chandler, DeAndre Jordan and Marc Gasol.

The bidding for Howard has to be so outrageous that the team he ends up going to is gutted in the present (send back their second and third most valued players) and future (multiple first round picks). By pairing Howard with a top-10 player, the formula of Shaq/Kobe Bryant and Kareem/Magic Johnson is repeated and you merely need to surround those two with capable spot-up shooters and you’re good enough to compete for a title indefinitely. The risk of thinning out your depth is not nearly as great as letting the opportunity to acquire the only truly good center of his generation that just turned 26 and has never been hurt go to another team.

If you’re the Bulls, you pair Derrick Rose with Howard and send out Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and Luol Deng.

If you’re the Thunder, you pair Kevin Durant with Howard and send out Russell Westbrook, Kendrick Perkins and James Harden.

If you’re the Lakers, you pair the final few seasons of Kobe Bryant with Howard and send out Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.

If you're the Clippers, you even consider dealing Blake Griffin if you have a shot at pairing him with Chris Paul if he can also be obtained.

If the Magic do not acquire a return for Howard of that caliber, it must be considered a fail on the part of Otis Smith.

If those specific teams do not aggressively pursue Howard, it must be a considered a fail on their part as well. There is no way those teams can afford to allow themselves be outbid by Brook Lopez and cap relief.

Shaq was an out of shape 32 when the Lakers traded him for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and a first round pick. His value at that time is probably half of what Howard's should be, but he was worth it for Miami since he delivered them a title in 2006.

Kevin Garnett had just turned 31 when Boston acquired him for Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, spare parts and two first round picks. He also delivered a championship.

The only way to acquire a player of Howard's caliber is typically by winning the lottery in a very special year. The Bulls, Thunder and Clippers experienced this in their own way with how they ended up with their franchise players, and they have done a good enough job of accumulating ancillary assets where trading for one more is possible in this unique situation, once in a generation situation.

Howard was just on local radio saying he loves Orland & would love to stay, if they show him quickly that they are going to make a commitment to getting better.

Still a small chance he stays in Orlando...