Sources: Magic want commitmentDwight Howard's public plea late Tuesday to remain in Orlando for the rest of the season has only served to anger the Magic and has instead pushed them closer than ever to trading their superstar center, according to league sources with knowledge of the situation.
Convinced that Howard, on the advice of his agent, is trying to manipulate the situation, the Magic are telling teams they will trade Howard before Thursday's 3 p.m. ET deadline if he does not commit to them beyond this season, league sources said.
"Dwight's dreaming if he thinks Orlando won't trade him without a commitment,'' a source said. "He needs to make some small commitment to them. They're saying it can't be one way.'' While the Magic would like Dwight to sign a maximum extension that would keep him in Orlando through the 2014-2015 season, they would settle for a commitment from him not to opt out of the final year of his contract. That would keep Howard in Orlando next season and give the Magic more time to pull off a trade for a star to play beside him, enhancing their chances of keeping him long term.
The tension between the two sides has grown.
According to sources, the Magic are incensed with Howard's agent, Dan Fegan, whom they believe has manipulated Howard and is the driving force behind his push to leave the franchise.Tuesday, ESPN the Magazine's Ric Bucher, citing sources, reported that the club had giving Howard the right to decide the fates of general manager Otis Smith and coach Stan Van Gundy. The team responded to that report with a brief statement asserting only ownership would make such changes.
And the Magic believe Fegan's statement Tuesday afternoon, where he denied Howard had asked for or wanted that power, was nothing but a ploy to put the team in a bad light.
Already bothered, Orlando was angered even more by Dwight's comments after Tuesday's victory over Miami in which he said he wanted to stay with the Magic throughout the season. When asked about the risk the Magic would be taking by doing that, Howard said they should "roll the dice.''
Tuesday night, Howard said he has talked with Magic owner Rich DeVos and other front-office executives about his desire to stay for the past two weeks.
But Howard would not commit to signing a long-term contract extension and could opt out of his deal to enter free agency in the summer.
The Magic believe Howard is legitimately torn about whether to leave or to stay in Orlando. But they also believe his comments Tuesday were a ploy to allow the New Jersey Nets, the team Howard requested a trade to in the preseason, to keep its players and assets, thereby enabling Howard to join a stronger Nets team this summer as a free agent, the sources said.Upset and ready to move Howard unless he changes his stance, the Magic have essentially told other teams -- most notably the Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers -- to let the bidding begin.
If it had its druthers, New Jersey would indeed sign Howard as a free agent in July and team him with Brook Lopez, Marshon Brooks and the other solid role players they would lose this week in a trade for Howard.
Even so, sources say the Nets are hoping to trade for Howard this week to bring certainty and closure to their situation. While they feel strongly about their chances of landing him as a free agent, they realize that nothing is certain in free agency and that Dallas is a real threat to sign both Howard and Nets point guard Deron Williams.
The Lakers have been active in talks around the league, mainly about trading Pau Gasol and adding a point guard, but sources say they are still interested in Howard as well.
The Magic would also be interested in a Knicks package of Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler, sources say, should the Knicks make such an offer. The Knicks have discussed the deal internally but have been given no indication that Howard would remain with them long term. That being the case, they have thus far refused the temptation to engage Orlando in trade talks.
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/7686147/orlando-magic-saying-trade-dwight-howard-absent-commitment-sources-say又係經理人
magic唔想DH 就咁留到季尾..
1係續約，1係換走
