Orlando Magic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Rockets Rumors: Howard, Lowry, Martin, Dragic

March 15th, 2012 at 1:34am CST by Luke Adams

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle shares a few pre-deadline updates on the Rockets in his latest column. Let's check out the highlights:

The Rockets have been aggressive about trying to engage Orlando in Dwight Howard talks, but the Magic aren't very interested in Houston's assets.
One front office executive believes Houston will end up offering Kyle Lowry for Pau Gasol before Thursday's deadline, though the Rockets continue to insist that won't happen.
The Rockets still hope to either make it work with Kevin Martin, or pursue a deal down the road when Martin's value is a little higher than it is now.
Houston "went hard" after Andrew Bogut before the big man was traded to Golden State.
Terrence Williams likely could be had for a second-round draft pick.
Feigen considers Goran Dragic the Rocket most likely to be moved in a deal like last year's Aaron Brooks and Shane Battier trades.

Dwight Howard Re-Commits To Magic For 2012/13

March 15th, 2012 at 12:54am CST by Luke Adams

Surprise! A few hours removed from reports of his latest decision, Dwight Howard has changed his mind again. In an exclusive interview with Jarrod Randolph of RealGM, Howard said he intends to waive his early termination option for 2012/13 and remain with the Magic for another season. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter) confirms that Howard plans to sign the ETO waiver Thursday morning, and may also fire agent Dan Fegan.

In the last 24 hours, the Howard saga has devolved into a circus, with Dwight's flip-flopping resembling something out of a story from The Onion. First, we heard that Howard had told teammates and Magic officials that he'd opt in for the final year of his contract. Later in the day, Howard reportedly informed the team in a conference call that he hadn't finalized that decision and wouldn't commit for next season, which reignited trade talks.

You have to wonder if Howard's initial decision came before he consulted Fegan, who then advised his client not to put anything in writing yet. Howard would save some face if he fired Fegan and waived his ETO, but as Kennedy points out (on Twitter), nothing is official until Dwight puts pen to paper. For his part, Howard told Randolph that he's sorry for the circus he's put the Magic through and vows to be better going forward.

Based on everything that happened Wednesday, this saga still seems far from resolution. If Howard doesn't make his latest decision official Thursday morning, the Magic will likely continue to explore deals that send him out of town. A source tells ESPN.com's Marc Stein that the Nets would be the frontrunner in that scenario, having been engaged with the Magic in trade talks late Wednesday night.

Howard Not Committing To Magic For 2012/13

March 14th, 2012 at 10:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

10:45pm: The Nets have sweetened their offer to the Magic, sources tell Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM. New Jersey is not sure a deal will happen, though, as Orlando has been reluctant to answer calls. (Twitter links)

10:27pm: Wojnarowski updates with a story indicating that the Magic is moving "quickly" to trade Howard, with the Nets and Rockets making pushes.

8:09pm: Multiple league executives are telling Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports that the Magic are firm in their decision to trade Howard before tomorrow's deadline. (Twitter link)

7:53pm: Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel says a spokesman for the Magic has confirmed Stein's story that Howard will not waive his ETO. (Twitter link)

7:18pm: ESPN's Marc Stein is reporting Dwight Howard has told the Magic he won't waive his early-termination option for 2012/13, and intends to test free agency this summer.

It's a reversal from his earlier indication to the team today that he would elect to stay with the Magic for the final season of his contract, which would pay him $19.57MM.

According to Stein's sources, Howard and agent Dan Fegan told the team about his latest move in a conference call with Magic CEO Alex Martins, owner Rich DeVos and members of the DeVos family before Orlando's game in San Antonio tonight. Howard said in the call that the Magic are still his first choice.

Stein reports that Howard originally said he would opt in because he "didn't fully understand the ramifications" of doing so, and felt pressure from the Magic, who told him he would be traded by the deadline tomorrow if he didn't commit to at least one more year in Orlando, the sources said.

The Magic is continuing to field offers for Howard. The team had given D12 until the end of the day to sign the paperwork declaring that he was waiving the ETO. Ken Berger of CBS Sports tweets that the team is not caught off guard by the latest development, citing team executives who aren't surprised by anything given Howard's waffling of late.

Kyler On Smith, Magic, Bulls

March 14th, 2012 at 6:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld passed along a few goodies on Twitter, so let's take a look (all Twitter links, of course):

The Magic are one of multiple teams trying to get the Hawks to change their minds about keeping Josh Smith, even though it's a long shot. One potential scenario would have the Magic sending Jason Richardson to the Wolves and Ryan Anderson to the Hawks while Michael Beasley would go to Atlanta. Ownership would be reluctant to do that deal because they believe Smith is worth twice that price. David Aldridge of NBA.com tweets that no such talks between the Magic and Hawks have taken place.
The rumored three-team trade involving the Lakers, Wolves and Blazers is just one of the options the Wolves have.
The Bulls are eyeing Courtney Lee, and would look to Raja Bell as a fallback.
Kyler is much more confident about the Mavs' chances of landing Deron Williams now that Dwight Howard is close to committing to the Magic for next season.

Dwight Howard Intends To Opt In For 2012/13

March 14th, 2012 at 5:40pm CST by Luke Adams

6:40pm: The Magic are continuing to explore trade proposals for Howard, as the team believes he's reconsidering his decision to opt in, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Howard informed the Magic of his decision after he told three teammates about it over lunch today. (Twitter links)

5:36pm: The Magic have given Howard until the end of the day to file the ETO paperwork, reports NBA.com's David Aldridge.

4:11pm: Howard has also told several friends and family members that he plans to opt in for next season, tweets Alex Kennedy.

3:53pm: There's some confusion among Magic players as to whether Howard said he was "all-in" for this year or next, as CBS Sports and Yahoo! Sports report (all four Twitter links). However, as Berger mentioned earlier (linked below), other sources are still suggesting Howard plans to opt in for next year. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld says (via Twitter) Howard met with Magic brass this afternoon and informed them he would waive his ETO. For now, the Magic are continuing to explore deals for Howard, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.

3:35pm: The early termination option waiver is in Howard's possession, and he plans to sign it, a source tells Ken Berger of CBS Sports (Twitter links).

3:00pm: Dwight Howard has told teammates and Magic officials that he doesn't intend to opt out of his contract for next season, tweets Christian Burey of WFTV in Orlando. SI.com's Sam Amick confirms the report (Twitter link).

Before the Magic take Howard off the trade block, the team will require written documentation saying that Howard has waived his early termination option for 2012/13. The documents, which Orlando hasn't received yet, would need to be signed by Howard and agent Dan Fegan, says Ken Berger of CBS Sports (Twitter links).

Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reported earlier today that the Magic planned to trade Howard unless they received some sort of commitment from the superstar. While Orlando would prefer Howard to say he'll sign a long-term extension, waiving his early termination option would be enough of a commitment for the team. However, as Berger points out (via Twitter), it remains to be seen whether Fegan and Howard will surrender their summer leverage by putting D12's verbal decision in writing.

If Howard makes the decision official, it would allow the Magic an additional year to surround their star center with reinforcements. The team would have the opportunity to pursue free agents this summer, and many Magic players would become slightly more movable with their contracts one year closer to expiring.

If Howard doesn't officially opt in and ends up leaving Orlando via free agency this summer, I think it's safe to say today's verbal commitment could become an even bigger PR misstep than LeBron James' "Decision."

Magic Exploring Three-Way Trade For Josh Smith?

March 14th, 2012 at 3:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Amidst rumors that Dwight Howard will remain with the Magic for another season, Orlando may turn its attention to trying to trade for help around Howard. Multiple reports have suggested Josh Smith may be a target for the Magic.

While Jarrod Randolph of RealGM.com reported earlier today there didn't seem to be anything to rumors involving Orlando and Smith, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld indicates (via Twitter) that a three-team deal is still being discussed. The Timberwolves would be the third team in the equation, according to Kyler (via Twitter).

As I said when this rumor first surfaced, I can't imagine the Magic finding the non-Howard assets to land a player like Smith. This one seems like an extreme long shot to me.

Dwight Howard Rumors: Wednesday

March 14th, 2012 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Even after an impressive overtime win by the Magic against the Heat last night, the post-game focus was on the off-court story: Dwight Howard's future. As we covered in yesterday's round-up of Howard rumors, D12 told reporters he'd like the Magic to keep him for the rest of the season and "roll the dice" this summer. Considering earlier Tuesday reports indicated that Howard's long-term plan involves signing with the Nets as a free agent so New Jersey doesn't have to trade core assets, Dwight's suggestion that Orlando roll the dice seemed particularly brash.

Zach Lowe of SI.com called Howard's post-game speech the low point of the ongoing saga, while Ken Berger of CBS Sports reported that some Magic executives were privately disgusted with the star center's comments. We expect plenty more updates to pour in as the day goes on, so we'll track them all here, with the latest items up top:

The Knicks are intrigued by the possibility of acquiring Howard, but won't offer Carmelo Anthony, since James Dolan "loves him," tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. I'd say that takes New York out of the running, since the Magic wouldn't be nearly as interested in an Amare Stoudemire/Tyson Chandler package.
There are no legs to the rumor that the Magic are working on a three-team deal to bring in Josh Smith (linked below), tweets Jarrod Randolph of RealGM.com.
According to ESPN.com's Chad Ford, the Nets would be open to offering the Magic anything they want for Howard, with the exception of Deron Williams.
Orlando still seems to be entertaining deals that could bring in help around Howard, as Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld reports that they're eyeing the Hawks' Josh Smith. The Magic would need to get a third team involved, perhaps the Timberwolves and Michael Beasley. Given Orlando's lack of tradeable assets, acquiring Smith seems like an extreme long shot to me.
The Magic are telling teams they intend to move Howard if they don't receive a commitment beyond this season from Dwight, according to ESPN.com's Chris Broussard. We have the details here.
Nets sources insist the team would give up assets in the next 24 hours if it meant landing Howard, but Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld explains why New Jersey may not be motivated to make a substantial offer. If Howard and Williams sign in Brooklyn this summer, the pair would want a third significant player to join them, and the Nets may be considering saving its trade chips to acquire that player.

Magic Seeking Commitment From Dwight Howard

March 14th, 2012 at 12:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic are telling teams they will trade Dwight Howard by the deadline if Howard doesn't make a commitment to staying in Orlando past this season, sources tell Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.

"Dwight's dreaming if he thinks Orlando won't trade him without a commitment,'' a source told Broussard. "He needs to make some small commitment to them. They're saying it can't be one way.''

Although the Magic would prefer to lock Howard up long-term, they would settle for D12 opting into the final year of his contract and staying for 2012/13. However, Howard hasn't shown that he's even willing to do that, leading to increased tension between the team and Howard's camp. Sources tell Broussard that the Magic are "incensed" with agent Dan Fegan, who they feel is leading the charge to convince the star center to leave Orlando.

The Magic were also upset over Howard's "roll the dice" comments after last night's game, and according to Broussard, Orlando has essentially invited teams to make their best offers. The ideal situation for the Magic would be creating a bidding war the Nets and Lakers, Broussard writes in a separate piece. Orlando would also be interested in a package of Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler, but there's no indication the Knicks would make such an offer, particularly without assurances about Howard's long-term future.

You can find the rest of today's Howard updates here.

Michael Beasley Drawing Significant Interest

March 14th, 2012 at 10:44am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers have been linked to Michael Beasley multiple times in recent weeks, reportedly having turned down an offer that would've had them giving up a first-round pick. Los Angeles isn't the only team going after Beasley though. According to Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld, the Magic, Rockets, and a few other teams are still in the mix.

The Timberwolves had been looking to move Beasley, who isn't in the team's long-term plans, for just a draft pick. Ingram says, however, that the increased interest in the former second overall pick means Minnesota could acquire a piece that would help the team remain in playoff contention this season. The T-Wolves are currently a game behind Houston for eighth place in the West, though Ricky Rubio's season-ending ACL injury has put a damper on this season's optimism.

The Magic offered Jason Richardson for Beasley, according to Ingram. As glaring a need as a two guard is for the Wolves, I'd imagine they'd be a little apprehensive about taking on Richardson — the 31-year-old is averaging a career-low 12.2 PPG and has three years and $18MM+ remaining on his deal after this season.

The Nets and Celtics also are thought to have some interest in Beasley.

Dwight Howard Rumors: Tuesday

March 13th, 2012 at 10:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Reports from both ESPN.com and CBS Sports yesterday indicated that the Magic continue to try to surround Dwight Howard with talent in an effort to get him to stay in Orlando. If Howard remains noncommittal, the Magic are expected to re-evaluate their options tomorrow, with about 24 hours remaining before the trade deadline. So for today at least, the Magic seem more likely to discuss deals that don't involve their star center. Still, the Howard rumors continue to trickle in, and we'll keep tabs on Tuesday's items here, with the latest added to the top throughout the day:

Michael Wallace of ESPN reports that Howard has informed the Magic that he intends to stay for the rest of the season, and that the Magic must now "roll the dice." (Twitter link)
Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel wrote that GM Otis Smith said during the Magic-Heat game that nothing is imminent, but implied that he won't rule anything out.
Magic CEO Alex Martins says that there are several teams willing to take on Howard as a rental without assurances that he'll stay, tweets Brian K. Schmitz.
Jason Lloyd of the Akron-Beacon Journal spoke with a few people around the league who have a feeling that the Magic will likely move Dwight within the next 24 hours. (Twitter link)
The Magic appear to be a team that currently has no deals to make other than one that involves Howard on his way out of Orlando, says Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Owner Rich DeVos told reporters that he does not believe anything major was going to happen.
Brian K. Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel tweets that Howard has not informed Magic CEO Alex Martins of whether or not he plans to stay or go during the offseason. John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com quoted Martins (via Twitter): "If you're asking whether we’ve decided to hang onto him or trade him, we haven’t made that decision yet."