Dwight Howard Trade Rumors: Refusing 2-Year Extension, Says "I Want Out!"
Sorry, Orlando Magic fans.
I believe you all are in for an entirely too overblown trade situation that either side refuses to admit is on the horizon. Shaquille O’Neal, the last big man to pack up and head to Los Angeles, has retired and now the attention lies solely on Dwight Howard. Will he or won’t he? Should he or shouldn’t he?
The rumor mill is churning out some pretty hot topics, but there was one that could have been put to rest by Howard’s signing of the two-year contract extension sitting on the table. Then he snuffed reports of signing it and now it is more evident than ever that Dwight Howard will be smiling and waving goodbye to the Orlando Magic. Here are a few reasons as to why Howard’s exit is inevitable.
Better Team Options
Does he want to go to the Los Angeles Lakers? Well, as much as it seems that it would be his first option, the Lakers’ statement that Andrew Bynum is untouchable may leave much to chance. Signing Dwight Howard would undoubtedly lessen Bynum’s role on the court. Refusing to trade him means that the organization expects a full blown effort from him for seasons and seasons to come.
His future would not look so bright if Howard was in a jersey sitting beside him. As much as that may be what Kobe Bryant needs in his career right now, the franchise seems less and less inclined to cater to him in private. Howard also tried his hand at shooting down the thought of going to Los Angeles by saying that he did not want to follow in the footsteps of the Big Diesel. Did that help any?
Not at all.
Media sources are still swirling and inquiring if either side would be willing to take the next step in making this Hollywood marriage happen. If he was to go to Los Angeles, it would be a sure fire finals berth. The chemistry on the team will more than likely shift to a grander stage than their previous playoff performance, and their opponents in the Western Conference are scantily prepared to face Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum in one breath.
There have also been talks of Dwight Howard joining Derrick Rose or Carmelo Anthony in either Chicago or New York. Both would be ideal instances for Superman, because both systems require a man with his talents to come in and be an instant game-changer. He would still be as revered as he was in Orlando by everyone outside of Orlando.
Open Criticism of Teammates
It took LeBron’s exit to make him come out about how disgruntled he felt with his teammate’s shifty performance. He admitted to the public that he felt he could not succeed with the supporting roster he had and made a movement to better his championship chances.
As much as Dwight Howard loves to be loved by those near and far from him, he understands that he cannot survive more than a moment in the NBA playoffs without better players than those Orlando continues surround him with. Josh Robbins and Daniel Paulling of the Orlando Sentinel questioned Howard about his future in a recent interview:
""The biggest thing right now is everybody understands I have one more year left. I'm keeping my options open, but there's no other place I'd rather be than Orlando. I want them to understand that.
But, at the same time, I do want to win, make sure everything is in line: our team, just everything from top to bottom, everybody is reaching for a championship. It can't be me and a couple other guys. It's gotta be the whole team—everybody on the staff. It's the same goal: the championship attitude. As of right now, I don't plan to be anywhere else besides Orlando."
"
Gilbert Arenas has been one of the biggest trade flops I have ever seen. Not only is he not performing to the caliber he did post his suspension from the Washington Wizards, he is providing the template for the inadequate trigger shooter at the professional level. He rarely takes shots from the best spots on the floor and he does not make a difference when he is on the court.
The trade for him was one of the most surprising and ill advised moves by the Magic.
Jason Richardson was a solid player for Orlando, but it was just a wrong place at the wrong time type of deal. Hedo Turkoglu had one of the worst playoff performances for the team, which is not saying too much. In Game 1 against the Atlanta Hawks, Dwight Howard scored 40-plus points while shooting 63.6 percent from the free-throw line and the Orlando Magic still lost. That to me signified the beginning of the end of his time with the squad. I think the rest of them understands that as well.
Stan Van Gundy
I have said it once and I will continue to rally away from Orlando’s head coach, Stan Van Gundy. Not only do I think that he is not the man for the job in Orlando, but I will go as far as saying that I think he has an Ochocinco affect on the team. There is a point where you shout and shout, but those closest to you refuse to listen.
Van Gundy seems to be there only for the entertainment of it all. His press conferences and quotes snatched from post-game reports are becoming more and more condescending. He lacks control of his roster and his presence in those huddles seems more and more ineffective through the television set.
No matter how much he rallies around his subjects, there is no morale validity in the words that he says to those players. He is a winner and he has proven that. But he has taken the franchise as far as they can go. It is not a surprise that Shaquille O’Neal bolted when he did.
Now it is ultimately up to the owners of the Orlando Magic to do everything in their power to keep Howard around. It just seems like a lost cause to me.
