Dwight Howard Agrees To Stay In Orlando
ORLANDO, Fla. (CBSMiami) – After a day that saw the Dwight Howard saga turned ugly for the Orlando Magic; Howard pivoted early Thursday morning and told the team that he would stay with the team through next season.
In an exclusive interview with RealGM, Howard said he would waive his opt-out clause and stay through the end of this season and next season. Essentially, Howard will waive his ability to leave the team after this season and play out the rest of his contract.
Howard has vacillated on should he stay or should he go for the past year, but just after noon Thursday, Howard signed the paperwork to remain with the Magic.
For Howard, he seemed almost apologetic to the Orlando Magic fans who have gone on the wild ride that has largely been of his own creation.
"I have gotten some bad advice," Howard said in the RealGM interview. "I apologize for the circus that I have caused to the fans or our city."
If Howard does remain with the Magic, it's going to have a major effect on the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets. The Nets were set to acquire Howard either during or after the current season. With Howard now out of the picture for at least two years, the Nets must move on quickly.
The Nets wanted to pair point guard Deron Williams with Howard, but now can't carry it out. Williams wants out of New Jersey, which is one of the worst teams in the league, but the Nets said Thursday they won't trade him.
