Dwight Howard Rumors: Howard Refuses to Waive ETO, According to Report

Dwight Howard and agent Dan Fegan, in a conference call with members of the Orlando Magic management team, indicated Howard would not agree to formally waive his Early Termination Option, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Reports circulated Wednesday afternoon that Howard had told management he would indeed waive that option--which would, in turn, prevent him from becoming a free agent until July 2013--were accurate, but Stein cites a source as saying Howard "didn't fully understand the ramifications" of what waiving his ETO would mean.

During the pre-game show for Wednesday's matchup between the Magic and San Antonio Spurs, Paul Kennedy of Sun Sports reported Orlando would trade Howard before Thursday's 3 PM deadline unless he and Fegan--who, it's important to note, will not earn a commission from Howard until Howard signs a new contract--signed that waiver. Stein says Orlando continues to field trade offers for Howard.

By not waiving his ETO, Howard would keep the right to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. He could sign elsewhere in free agency and leave Orlando with no compensation in return.

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