It was two of the bigger trades last season when the Washington Wizards and Phoenix Suns traded with
the Orlando Magic. It dramatically changed Orlando’s squad mid-season but it wasn’t enough to get them back to the NBA Finals.
It also didn’t sit well with All-Star center Dwight Howard as he said he was not consulted in the entire process:
“I wanted to be more part of the process a little more,” Howard said in a radio interview with 790 The Zone in Atlanta. “I had to step out on the court and I wanted to make sure that the people I played with wanted to go out and play hard every night. My only issue was the fact that I didn’t really have a chance to be involved, but I think with the guys that we brought in we still have an excellent chance of winning, but we all have to be on the same page.”
In case you forgot, Howard will be a free agent this coming summer and one of the focal points heading into his final contract season with Orlando is how the team will be shaped for another run at an NBA title.
Howard has made it clear to Orlando – correct the ship or I might bail. And by not letting Howard into the whole trade process this past December doesn’t fair well for the Magic.
Aside from drafting Justin Harper in the 2011 NBA Draft, nothing much has transpired for Orlando. This is mainly due to the NBA lockout which doesn’t help their cause at all to try to re-shape a team which will help persuade Howard to stay in the Magic Kingdom.
They are still stuck with players who won’t entice another team to consider dealing with Orlando. An aged and often injured Gilbert Arenas? An undersized point guard? Hedo Turkoglu who is a shell of his former self? Let’s not forget, Orlando does not have the cap space to attract a high-caliber free-agent.
The cards continue to be stacked against Orlando and by not involving Howard in the December trades, well, as they say, it’s the little things that count.
