Dwight Howard has been the focus of trade talk for the better part of a year now. Since he hasn’t signed an extension with the Orlando Magic yet there is plenty of speculation that the team will look to trade him before the trade deadline on Feb. 24.
Still, Howard has managed to play well despite the potential distractions this situation can create. Even though he didn’t have his best performance of the season Sunday night, scoring just five points with four rebounds, Howard continues to do whatever he can to help the Magic win.
According to Sam Amick of SI.com, Howard hasn’t changed his stance on wanting to be traded to either New Jersey, Dallas or Los Angeles. But, that doesn’t mean Howard isn’t going to work hard every night on the court.
“Nothing has changed. There’s no need to focus on anything else besides going out every night and playing hard for 48 minutes or however long I’m on the court. All that other stuff is up to the Magic and up to my agent.”
There’s no question that the trade demands have been a distraction in Orlando. Head coach Stan Van Gundy even admitted as much. But that hasn’t stopped Howard from doing whatever it takes to help his current team win.
In this end this makes Howard look better in the eyes of Orlando fans, as well as the eyes of potential suitors looking to trade for him. Much like Kobe Bryant or Carmelo Anthony, two players that both asked for trades at some point in their careers, Howard is still playing well with this looming uncertainty.