Following months of speculation, Orlando Magic center, Dwight Howard finally put that to rest on Saturday night when he said, he wants to be traded. Howard, who spoke after a practice game at the Amway Center said, he loves Orlando, but wanted more involvement with the team and this didn’t happen.
“I’ve wanted to be more involved with what goes on on the team, and that hasn’t happened,” Howard said, noting he has been with the Magic for seven years.
Howard’s confirmation of his desire to be traded comes three days after an Orlando Magic news conference at which the organization’s leadership said they are doing all they could to keep him as a member of the team.
Magic General Manager Otis Smith restated last night, the objective is to keep Howard, but also confirmed that he has requested to be traded.
At the news conference Smith has said while everything was being done it didn’t mean that the NBA superstar would be listened to on everything.
“We are going to continue to put the best team on the floor, to give the Orlando Magic a chance to win an NBA title,” Smith told West Orlando News. “That doesn’t necessarily mean we will listen to everthing Dwight has to say and placate to that.”
Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy sounded a little bit more upbeat, suggesting that while Howard wants a trade, it didn’t mean that was necessarily going to pan out.
“Just because he requested a trade doesn’t mean it’s going to happen,” he said.
A somber Howard also said that his decision to ask for a trade was a difficult one, in view of his D12 foundation’s work, his love for Orlando and his many fans.
Dwight may love Orlando but he leaves behind many disappointed and upset fans who believed in him and thought he was in for the long haul and to win a championship. As one fan said, agents, shoe companies and Howard’s advisers have turned him into someone else.
Howard’s agent has been granted permission by the Orlando Magic to discuss possible trades with New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks.
