It's not a secret that Magic Center Dwight Howard won't be staying in Orlando much longer, and the saga of where he ends up may be the NBA's most dramatic decision since, well, LeBron landed in Miami. Could Howard's tale have the same ending? A Sports Illustrated reporter says that Howard has real interest in the Heat. It's unlikely to happen, but as we know, crazier things have gone down.
"Two team sources say tell SI Howard will have interest in: Clippers and Miami. There are cap issues, but the interest is real," tweets SI's Chris Mannix.
Howard has made no secret of his frustration with the Magic. While he can lead the team consistently to playoff appearances, he's concerned they'll never be a real contender. Howard demanded to be traded after the lockout but backed off that stance. He's been the subject of numerous trade rumors throughout the season and will become a free agent at the end of the season.
With the trade deadline fast approaching, Mannix reports that Howard will likely go the free agent route, and a rumored trade between the Magic and Chicago Bulls that would have paired Howard with Derrick Rose never materialized. At least part of the reason: It's too cold for Howard in the Windy City.
As the Heat's name would indicated, Miami is indeed hot both temperature-wise and contender-wise. It makes sense that Howard would have some interest if he went to free agency. The Heat is also in desperate need of a center.
Of course, those cap issues are all too real. It doesn't really sense unless one of the Big Three goes elsewhere. Though, if the Heat fail once again to snatch a championship, they may be desperate for a serious tweak to the lineup. (Bye-bye, Boshy?)
The more realistic teams Howard could have interest in: Dallas, the L.A. Lakers and New Jersey.
Whatever the case, the Heat's biggest competitors in the Southeast division would likely become less of a threat with Howard departing Orlando, making for a somewhat more boring regular season. Though, if Howard does end up in Dallas or either of the L.A. teams, we could see him again during the Finals.
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