After months of speculation leading up to this year's NBA trade deadline, Dwight Howard eventually signed papers that waived the early-termination option on his contract, meaning he would not become a free agent in the offseason like many anticipated. It doesn't mean Howard's days in Orlando aren't still numbered, though.
According to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith (via IamaGM.com), Howard will ask out of Orlando after this season.
"The minute this season is over, according to what I am hearing from his camp, you can expect Dwight Howard to tell Orlando, 'Get me out of here. I don't want to be here any longer,'" Smith said. "You've got Stan Van Gundy annoyed with the organization. You've got Dwight Howard disgusted with the organization. The way he's been treated, along with the way his teammates have been AWOL on him as far as he's concerned. You've got a problem."
Smith went on to say that he's also heard that Howard is upset with the overall treatment he's received from the organization, which includes talk of giving the Magic center a flight on a discount airline when he had his back surgery.
"He feels as a superstar, he's been treated as a scrub," Smith said.
It should be noted that this Howard drama has been going on seemingly forever and he's still in a Magic uniform. However, with the increased tension between Howard and Van Gundy in recent weeks, something's got to give.
