Report: Magic won't pursue Dwight Howard unless he seeks a one-year deal

There may be no homecoming for the Magic's former franchise star

By Matt Moore

May 26, 2016 at 3:07 pm ET • 1 min read

The Orlando Magic are going to be spenders this summer. They are flush with cap space, making several moves (including moving the very-affordable and good-value Tobias Harris contract) at the deadline so that they can go out and add veterans in a summer crowded with teams with cap space. It's a huge money year with a weak free agency class. I see no way this can possibly go wrong.

One of the names that they've been linked to is their former franchise center, Dwight Howard, who will likely opt out and be an unrestricted free agent. I wrote about why this deal makes sense for both sides earlier this year, but apparently the Magic aren't so hot on the idea. The Orlando Sentinel reports the Magic are pretty firm on the very low bar they've set for such a deal with Howard:

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.

Source: Orlando Magic aren't hiding their free-agency ambitions - Orlando Sentinel.

If that's the case, this isn't going to happen. Howard is over 30 and is looking for what will likely be the last long-term, big money contract of his career. He still thinks of himself as an All-Star player, and in this market, someone is going to take a flyer on him for big money. A 2-3 year deal? That's possible. But a moderate-money, one-year offer is never going to happen.

Howard will likely have offers from Dallas and other teams, but Orlando still makes the most sense. If the Magic swing out on all their other targets (including, reportedly, Joakim Noah and Al Horford), then Howard may look more enticing. But on the other hand, if the Magic want to make a big money offer to a center, why not throw a max deal at Hassan Whiteside?

Howard going back to Orlando would be a great story, but it doesn't seem like the kind of thing that is likely to happen.