Thursday was the day that the Magic were supposed to ask Dwight Howard where things stood, did he still want to leave and where else besides the Nets, Lakers and Mavericks did he want to be dealt. No one has said if the meeting took place or if it had, what happened, but Otis Smith gave Magic fans little hope when talking to Craig Sager of TNT.
It went something like this:
Sager: "It’s been said that after the All-Star Break you will take the trade talks more seriously."
Smith: "Nothing’s Changed.
Sager: "Are you trying to get players to put around Dwight?"
Smith: "Nothing’s Changed"
Sager: "Is there anything new about Dwight and the talks?"
Smith: "Nothing’s Changed"
Sager: "How likely is it that the Magic keep/retain Dwight?"
Smith: "50-50"
That may be the abridged version, but it's not much different from the verbatim. Smith wanted to say as little as possible. Alex Martins, Magic CEO, expressed hope, it not optimism, that Howard will stay. "I continue to be hopeful that he will continue to be with the team beyond March 15."
Howard said after Orlando's loss to OKC that he didn’t have talks with the team about his future during the All-Star break. That could come on Friday
- Sager Speaks with Otis Smith (Video) - Craig Sager - TNT on NBA.com
- Alex Martins and Dwight Howard continue to talk about Howard's future - Josh Robbins - Orlando Sentinel
- Schmitz’ Take: Dwight Howard will talk more with Magic - Brian Schmitz - Orlando Sentinel
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Alex Martins Interview - March 1, 2012 (Audio) - 740TheGame