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Howard poised to choose Magic
By Jerry Brewer | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted July 13, 2003, 11:00 PM EDT
Coveted free agent Juwan Howard has quietly declared his intent to play in Orlando through the prime of his career. Howard has verbally agreed to join the Magic and sign a five-year deal, several NBA sources told the Orlando Sentinel.
The deal would start at the mid-level exception, which is estimated at $4.8 million. Over the course of the contract, Howard would earn somewhere in the $28 million range.
Free agents cannot sign until Wednesday, so the Magic will have to wait and even ponder worst-case scenarios. Detroit and Minnesota also were interested in Howard and until he signs the contract, they have a chance to pull off a miracle.
But Howard wants to play in Orlando. It is the Magic's most significant signing since Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady joined them three summers ago.
Howard, who is 6 feet 9 and 250 pounds, averaged 18.4 points and 7.6 rebounds last season for the Denver Nuggets. While he does not address the Magic's need for a center, he is considered an upgrade in the frontcourt. Instead of overwhelming teams with size, the Magic came to the realization that they needed talent and versatility in the frontcourt. They believe they can win with Howard and power forward Drew Gooden along the frontline and a center-less situation. They should be able to rebound and run with this tandem and in today's NBA, they won't get punished for being slightly undersized as much as many would suspect.
In addition, Howard gives the Magic a more accomplished No. 2 option behind Tracy McGrady. Howard, 30, has averaged 17.9 points over his nine-year career. He has never averaged less than 14.6 points in a single season.
He is not a true back-to-the-basket presence, but he can score in many different ways. And he can score independently of McGrady, a trait the Magic have been seeking the past three years.
Signing Howard is a coup for the Magic in several ways. First, most media reports had Detroit and Minnesota as the frontrunners for Howard. But in the background, the Magic worked in silence.
The team used Coach Doc Rivers' record in dealing with players as a recruiting tool, then relied on the star power of McGrady. The Magic also leaned on the long-term relationship between General Manager John Gabriel and David Falk, Howard's agent. Howard's wife, Jenine, is also a Florida native.
Seven years ago, Howard signed a $105 million contract with Washington, and he never lived up to those expectations. He was supposed to become a superstar, but he instead played solidly and may have developed an unworthy reputation because of it. He later was traded from Washington to Dallas and then to Denver, where Howard resurrected his career.
Even though it was a contract year, Howard was impressive in leading a young, offensively challenged Nuggets team last season. He led them in points, rebounding and free-throw percentage.
The Magic identified Howard as their No. 1 target early in the free-agent process. While they eventually want a shot-blocking, space-filling center, they are intrigued by a versatile lineup. Howard and Gooden likely will take turns defending the opponents' biggest player. Both players also should play both forward spots at times.
It seems like an odd approach, but the Magic have not competed with a true center since Shaquille O'Neal left town. Because free-agent Brad Miller was out of their price range and because they didn't want to wait to see if Michael Olowokandi would fall to them, they chose this option. If Rivers can make it work, they may be on to something.