The Orlando Magic will miss the playoffs once again despite having a young, talented core.
After accumulating assets from the Dwight Howard trade along with eventual lottery picks, the Magic seem stuck as they could not make the breakthrough without a star. As their desperation sinks in, Dwight Howard is again, a free agent.
What if D12 is the answer to fill in their weakness (interior defense, something Nik Vucevic is not known for) and Orlando fails to lure a big name to Disney World?
Shaquille O' Neal, another superstar center drafted by Orlando who bolted in free agency believes that if it's the best for both parties, it should happen no matter how ugly Howard's departure was as he tells ESPN.
"If you have respect for one another, I think you have to delete the word differences 'cause business is always going to be business," O'Neal said. "The DeVos family [which owns the Magic] I have respect for. It can definitely work, as a general manager and owner we're not just going to be bringing people back, we're trying to get to that next level. If that guy can't get us to the next level, then it don't make sense."
Apparently, the door is not closed for Howard. The burned bridges were merely an impression that most people believe but the Orlando Magic has never really ruled it off.
According to Hoops Habit, Howard could still have a positive effect on this current generation of Orlando Magic players. He is still a top five player in his position and despite his decline, a very able rim protector who can still haul down the rebounds.
There are certain caveats, though. Howard is most likely to demand the max salary if he opts out and he may be the only big free agent acquisition of the Magic if that's the case. Will adding D12 to the current roster make them contenders? Not at all.
So why would Orlando even think about D12? The answer is that the Magic are realistically short on options. It is unlikely that Kevin Durant will choose Orlando over all his suitors (which is basically the entire league). Al Horford is another player they could max out, but he will not make them contenders any more than Howard does. Also, Horford also has aggressive suitors with the Boston Celtics at the forefront.
Should the Magic let bygones be bygones? If the team has no other option to improve, a title-hungry Dwight Howard who's eager to prove himself after the Houston debacle could make the humble pie worth it. What's more, if the rumored collusion between Chandler Parsons and Howard holds true, the Magic should be definitely sign on.