Dwight Howard Reportedly Asks For Trade to Nets, Thinks Magic Blackmailed Him

With the Draft in the rear-view and free agency kicking off Saturday night at midnight, trade season is about to hit full gear. And with Dwight Howard’s situation far from settled, we were expecting him to be in the news this week—but even for what’s been a pretty absurd story thus far, this just took things to a new level. According to ESPN’s Chris Broussard, the Magic big man met with GM Rob Hennigan Friday and asked for a trade up to the BK, and he also believes Orlando blackmailed him into signing that opt-in cause back in March. OK then. More details: “Dwight Howard met with new Orlando Magic general manager Rob Hennigan on Friday and told him he wants to be traded to the Brooklyn Nets, according to sources with knowledge of the situation. Howard and Hennigan sat down face to face in Los Angeles, meeting for the first time since Hennigan became Orlando’s GM nearly two weeks ago. Hennigan was noncommital when Howard told him he wants to be traded to Brooklyn, sources said. Hennigan did not tell Howard whether he would trade him. His intentions were merely to hear the thoughts of the Magic superstar. Howard picked up the option for the final year of his contract with Orlando on March 15. But since then, he has grown increasingly disgruntled with the organization, even telling people close to him that he feels the Magic blackmailed him into signing the ‘opt-in’ clause. Howard shared his feelings of being blackmailed by the Magic with the NBA Players Association last week, sources said. He — either himself or through his representatives — approached the union wondering if he might have a legal complaint against the club.”