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Dwight Howard held some of the championship trophies in the Los Angeles Lakers’
facility on Friday, the first act of the next phase of his NBA career.
“Making some wishes,” Howard said.
One of his wishes finally has come true: He’s out of Orlando.
It took four teams, 11 other players, five draft picks and countless rounds of talks over many
months, but the Orlando Magic decided the time was right to start over without the NBA’s
best center and end a saga that has dogged the franchise for what seems like an eternity.
Howard is off to play alongside Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles after a megadeal involving the
Lakers, Magic, Philadelphia and Denver was worked out Thursday and completed Friday
after the NBA reviewed and approved the particulars. “It was just a very tough situation
for everybody to let go,” Howard said. “I’m finally glad that it’s over with. Myself and the
Magic organization, we can all start over and begin a new career. Today is a fresh new
start for all of us.”
Howard has been rehabbing in Los Angeles since having back surgery in April. He says he’s
”looking forward to being great in L.A.”
So after an offseason in which the Magic fired coach Stan Van Gundy and general manager
Otis Smith, now they’re truly beginning anew. Howard is gone as well, the second time the
franchise has lost a big-man star to the Lakers. In 1996, the Magic watched Shaquille O’Neal
sign as a free agent with the Lakers. At least this time when they lost someone with the
“Superman” nickname, they got something back. “Are we taking a step back? Absolutely,
we are,” Magic general manager Rob Hennigan said. “But we’re taking a step back with a
vision.” A lot of players found new homes, including Andrew Bynum, sent by the Lakers
to the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers sent Andre Iguodala — part of the U.S. Olympic team
that advanced to the final of the London Games on Friday — to the Denver Nuggets. “I
know my best basketball is ahead of me,” Iguodala wrote on Twitter. Orlando got guard
Arron Afflalo and forward Al Harrington from Denver and forward Moe Harkless and
center Nikola Vucevic from Philadelphia and forward Josh McRoberts and guard Chris-
tian Eyenga from the Lakers. The Lakers got Howard, guard Chris Duhon and forward
Earl Clark from Orlando. The Magic also traded guard Jason Richardson to Philadelphia.
Orlando also gets five draft picks over five years. Bryant quickly proclaimed the Lakers
are “locked and loaded to bring back the title.” He spoke with Howard on Friday morning
– and interrupted his pursuit of a gold medal in London — to talk about how the Lakers
look very much like a major contender for another NBA title.
“I’ll probably play two or three more years. Then the team is his,” Bryant said. “I’m excited
for the franchise because now they have a player that can carry the franchise well after I’m
gone. This should be his and he should want to accept that challenge.”
Howard will have to wait to make his debut with the Lakers since he is expected to miss the
start of the regular season as he continues to recover from back surgery.
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