Dwight Howard wants to stay in Orlando and will give Orlando the chance to build a team

[magicbalala245]

Orlando Magic All-Star center Dwight Howard met with Magic GM Otis Smith on Monday night and everyone wants to know what was said in the meeting. Today HOOPSWORLD has learned the gist of what was said.

 

First of all, forget Dwight signing a contract extension this season. The Magic could add Chris Paul, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant and Dwight would still not sign an extension, not because he doesn’t want to be in Orlando, but because under the new collective bargaining agreement it would be a horribly bad business decision.

 

The new CBA allows veteran players to extend their deal to a maximum of four years, meaning at no time can your extension push you past four guaranteed years. Dwight has two more years on his contract with the Magic, with an option coming this summer. As of today, Dwight can only sign a two-year extension with the Magic, as this season and next would count towards the four allowed. Next summer Dwight (and Chris Paul and Deron Williams) could opt out and sign a new contract for five years. BY waiting until July, Dwight can sign for two more years than he can sign for now.

 

So there will be no extension for Dwight.

 

That said, the league’s best center by far still very much wants to be in Orlando, and he is willing to give them every opportunity to keep him. What that means to Dwight is that he wants the Magic to be contenders, and to that end Orlando has a short list of players they would like to add in an effort to return to contention. Atlanta’s Josh Smith, Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala and Golden State’s Monta Ellis are on that list.

 

That’s all well and good, but the Magic have very little room to negotiate trades, as their roster is replete with bad contracts. It remains to be seen whether or not the Magic can make the moves necessary to keep Dwight in town.

[Check my Stats]

Their opportunity to build a team is worse than Cleveland's 2 years ago... Cleveland at least had Hickson at the time, who was a somewhat attractive asset. The Magic have.... Orton?

[Built Ford Tough]

Sounds like Dwight may be setting up the excuse for why he will leave in the summer.

 

By saying now that he will only re-sign with the team is if they acquire another star/borderline star he puts the ball in Smith's court. He knows full well that the odds of the Magic actually being able to pull of any sort of big move is miniscule at best given the complete and utter lack of assets at their disposal.

 

After flaming out in the 1st or 2nd round of the playoffs again Howard leaves and the blame is put on Smith's shoulders because of his inability to give Howard the supporting cast that he wants; a supporting cast that Howard knows full well is not possible to acquire in one season.

 

Just another way (albeit a pessimistic way) of interperting these comments.