Perhaps the most anti-climactic ending to the Dwight Howard soap opera would be for the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year to simply re-sign with the Magic. However, such a move would keep Orlando relevant during the beginning years of Rob Hennigan's term as general manager and keep the Magic as a perennial contender.
So the Magic are not set on just giving Howard away to the highest bidder and have reportedly instead decided to place their focus on convincing the six-time All-Star to stick with the team that drafted him first overall in the 2004 NBA Draft.
According to HoopsWorld, sources within the organization are optimistic that Howard will drop his trade demands and stay in Orlando:
In recent days, the Magic have shifted their attention away from the ongoing trade talks and focused on persuading Howard to remain in Orlando. Hennigan and his staff will travel to Los Angeles later this week to meet face-to-face with Howard and deliver a presentation designed to persuade Howard to return to the Magic. Hennigan is determined to fix the strained relationship between the player and the organization, and he's hopeful that Howard will resume his career in Orlando.
The Magic are expected to hire a new head coach in the coming days and that coach is expected to join Hennigan on his trip to Los Angeles to speak with Howard.
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