The Orlando Magic continue to attempt to keep Dwight Howard in pinstripes by any means necessary, with the latest indication being David Aldridge's report the team is "contemplating filing tampering charges against two teams for illegal contact" with their superstar. The teams' identities aren't known.
Tampering penalties "range from 'suspension of the offending person, prohibition of the offending team from hiring the person being tampered with, forfeiture of draft picks and individual and/or team fines of up to $5 million,'" according to an ESPN report regarding a memo the NBA issued to teams in 2010 when the New Orleans Hornets accused several teams of tampering with Chris Paul.
Chris Broussard of ESPN filed a report early Friday morning saying Howard would soon tell the Magic to trade him to the New Jersey Nets. Since then, however, Chris Mannix has reported New Jersey has not even made an offer to Orlando for Howard. The validity of Broussard's report also came into question when doubts surfaced that Howard--who, by all accounts, wants to do right by the Magic even if he does want to leave--would inform him of his decision to leave on the day training camp for the abbreviated 2011/12 season is to begin.
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