
Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard will likely opt out of the final year of his contract and become a free agent. If he does opt out, where will he sign? Portland, Charlotte, Orlando, Milwaukee, and Dallas have come up in rumors. The Magic will reportedly only be interested if it’s a reasonable, short-term deal, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel:
Most league observers expect former Magic center Dwight Howard to opt out of his Houston Rockets contract and become a free agent this summer. But it’s highly unlikely that the Magic would pursue Howard unless he seeks a one-year deal for reasonable money.
Dwight Howard is a 30-year-old who feels older than his age. He’s banged up, and no longer possesses the athleticism or sheer dominance that he did in his prime. Even in his current form, though, he’s one of the better centers in the league, and could be a good fit in Orlando.
Howard isn’t a superstar anymore, but he’s still a very good defensive center when he’s engaged. However, this isn’t happening. It feels very unlikely that Howard would agree to a one-year deal at a “reasonable price,” when a team like Milwaukee, Portland, or Charlotte will likely offer him a max contract.