Orlando Magic star Dwight Howard, eligible to become a free agent in the summer of 2012, strongly hinted that his NBA future might lie outside Orlando. "There's more you can do in a bigger place," Howard says in an interview with Scott Raab of Esquire, when asked about signing with a team in a larger market. "I'm stuck in a tough position because I feel like right now, where I'm at, I've done so much. And I just don't know what else I can do.
Howard is also critical of Magic coach Stan Van Gundy: "I have no problem with him off the court. The only thing I had a real problem with was the way he coached."
The five-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year says "I don't know what decision I'm gonna make as of right now," but Raab believes Howard's mind is made up.
"You're gone. I can feel it," says the Esquire scribe.
In his seven seasons with Orlando, Howard has led his team to one NBA Finals and two Eastern Conference Finals. Most recently, the Magic suffered their first-round playoff defeat of the Van Gundy era, to the Atlanta Hawks. With the fading Gilbert Arenas and Hedo Turkoglu signed to long-term deals, and with Ryan Anderson as the only budding star on the roster, the Magic's future is decidedly less rosy than it looked two years ago.