Dwight Howard Now Wants to Stay in Orlando

The last 24 hours for Orlando Magic star Dwight Howard have been crazy, to say the least. He wants to stay, he wants to leave, he wants to be traded, he doesn't want to be traded. He can't make up his mind. Or can he? The NBA trade deadline is just a few hours away, and now Howard apparently has told the Magic he wants to stay through the 2012-2013 season.

A report by RealGm.com quotes Howard as saying he got bad advice, and he wants to make amends with Orlando fans. It might not matter, the team could still trade him today and be rid of the headache this has all become. Or they could keep him through next year, look to sign another star and hope Dwight doesn't change his mind again, putting them through the same drama.

Howard is a special talent, and he should be treated that way. He's also still really young, so it's hard to get mad at the guy for changing his mind the way he has. It looks like he realized he was acting out of character, and told RealGm he had a message for Magic fans.

I apologize for this circus I have caused to the fans of our city. They didn't deserve none of this. I'm sorry from the bottom of my heart. I will do whatever I can to make this right and do what I was put in Orlando to do.

He seems contrite, but we'll see if he's saying the same things next year if the Magic haven't upgraded their roster. Dwight's always been one of the NBA's good guys, so it's hard to root against him or demonize him for the way the last few days have been playing out. Hopefully he'll be at peace with whatever decision he makes. 

No doubt the thought of Cavaliers fans burning LeBron James jerseys after 'The Decision' hasn't crept into Howard's mind at some point. He doesn't want to be the villain, and that's fine. He just needs to do what's right for him and play where he feels comfortable. Then again, he might get traded today and have to start all over.

Article by Eric Gray