Did the current star of the Orlando Magic almost pull a Shaquille O'Neal and become a member of the Los Angeles Lakers at the trade deadline? If we're to believe an article published in the New York Post by Fred Kerber, Dwight Howard was almost traded to the Lakers rather than being traded to the Nets.
According to league sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Orlando brass got fed up with Howard's yes-no-maybe posturing and threatened to trade him to the Lakers, not his desired location, if he did not sign an agreement to waive the opt-out clause for the final season of his contract. Howard eventually signed the papers, but only after he was told "he would be a Laker by the end of the day," according to one source.
Howard still remains a part of the Magic team but it looks as though that this report could officially erode any amount of respect Magic fans still have for the former No. 1 overall draft pick. Howard is a great player, but this news that has come out the last couple of days does not look good for him.
For more on the Orlando Magic and potential trades at the NBA deadline, visit SB Nation’s Magic blog Orlando Pinstriped Post.