DH12 return to Magic? Is this even valid?

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

also remember, this poll isn't asking you if Dwight is #1 on your free agent list. it's if you'd be ok with him coming back.

[Svanxx 30]

For me it's complicated. If he acts like a professional player and actually wants to clean up his image AND comes at the right price, then I'm all for it.

 

However, that's a lot to ask for. I'd really prefer a 2 year deal at no higher than $16 to $18 per year max but I don't see that happening either.

[gAmE.oVeR 4]

Emotions aside, I still think Dwight's skillset is what we lack most and he can be extremely serviceable. As much as I believe we shouldn't pay him max money, I just don't see him signing on any team without a max offer. With that said, I'm all in on the idea of his return. I would like to see the Jimmy Butler trade revisited if and only if Dwight is signed.

[Voodoo Man 99]

When the Hornets were shopping Chris Paul, and everyone on here was praying that the Magic would be a possibility, I remember listening to Jim Rome interview him and he said that he and Dwight were tight, and that it would be cool to play with him. In 2013, check it out if you don't believe me, Chris Broussard reported that Chris and Dwight were in constant touch with each other, and Chris said that it would be cool if he and Dwight could wind up on the same team. Now I have no idea if these guys still communicate, but if they do.......................................

[Franchero MVP 391]

When the Hornets were shopping Chris Paul, and everyone on here was praying that the Magic would be a possibility, I remember listening to Jim Rome interview him and he said that he and Dwight were tight, and that it would be cool to play with him. In 2013, check it out if you don't believe me, Chris Broussard reported that Chris and Dwight were in constant touch with each other, and Chris said that it would be cool if he and Dwight could wind up on the same team. Now I have no idea if these guys still communicate, but if they do.......................................

 

Really ....we're back to talking about cp3 now? Let it go man! How tightly strapped were you?

[God Hates Otis Smith 153]

I think peoole are way to emotional here. This is sports not reality drama tv. You do what is best for the team to win.

Dwight is not the same player as he was once but is still a very good defender capable to do 15 ppg amd 10 rbg with 2 bpg.

He is not a very likeable basketball player but has always been good for the community here and in houston.

I still see 4more years in him.

Now, saying that, he is not a max player. I think 18 to 22 mills per year is fair. Nothing more.

If he brings others with him then i will be all for it.

Im ok with a combination of dwight/horford/whiteside and Derozan/chandler/batum and sign a 3rd good role bench player Scola/biyombo/noah/deng/green/terrence jones/jr smith/crabble.

Im ok letting Fournier go if we can get two players out of that bunch with his salary.

So if we can get Dwight, Derozan, jones and deng/crabble and later trade vUc for a guy like teague then we will be back on top.

Teague/Payton

Dipo/Hezonja

Derozan/Deng

Gordon/Jones

Dwight/Dedmon

I will not mind getting Dwight back with this scenario.

"emotional"

or people just don't want all the baggage that comes with a declining player with a bad back and the financial investment it will require

[Tankdaddy 0]

In honor of Nancy Reagan "JUST SAY NO". The guy may still have some skills but he is a cancer, especially to a team that is trying to be a team. He is a ball hog and wants the game to revolve around him. We are finally starting to move the ball around and playing with decent team chemistry. Now that we finally got rid of Harris and his 3 point missing cousin, I think everyone has finally bought into Skiles system. We do need a go to player down the stretch not a "hack a Dwight" where we have to cringe every time he goes to the freethrow line. He would listen to Skiles for about 10 minutes before he demands that he is fired. I am fine with Vuc although I feel he should get a bit more physical and even Dedmon put up Dwight numbers the last game. It is like a bad divorce why would you want to repeat it. He made it clear that he doesn't care about Orlando so why would we bring him back. Thanks anyway, let him go find another team to screw up. Let's pass on the drama.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

In honor of Nancy Reagan "JUST SAY NO". The guy may still have some skills but he is a cancer, especially to a team that is trying to be a team. He is a ball hog and wants the game to revolve around him. We are finally starting to move the ball around and playing with decent team chemistry. Now that we finally got rid of Harris and his 3 point missing cousin, I think everyone has finally bought into Skiles system. We do need a go to player down the stretch not a "hack a Dwight" where we have to cringe every time he goes to the freethrow line. He would listen to Skiles for about 10 minutes before he demands that he is fired. I am fine with Vuc although I feel he should get a bit more physical and even Dedmon put up Dwight numbers the last game. It is like a bad divorce why would you want to repeat it. He made it clear that he doesn't care about Orlando so why would we bring him back. Thanks anyway, let him go find another team to screw up. Let's pass on the drama.

 

Vucevic's usage rate this year is higher than every single season of Dwight's career with the exception of 2010-2011. Vucevic is averaging 16.1 fga per game this year. Dwight hasn't averaged more than 11.3 fga/game since he left Orlando and hasn't averaged more than 13.4 in his career.

[Soul Bro 1,419]

These are the moments as a Magic fan when I miss Smackdaddy's take

[TommacoJuice 16]

dont fool yourself people. I say yes to Dwight because when its all said and done

 

DWIGHT HOWARD IS THE BIGGEST STAR WE ACTUALLY CAN SIGN EVEN WITH THE EXTRA MONEY THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE.

 

I will not be fooled into thinking that Kevin Durant actually would be an option here.

 

I say Dwight put us in this hole, let him have the opportunity to dig us out of it. Its sooooooo hard to be worse then we have been since he left.

 

The future star of this franchise is Aaron Gordon lets get him a taste of wining and playoffs to push his growth in the right direction and when the time comes maybe just maybe we can actually keep one of the stars that are farmed here in Orlando.

[Mike1989 68]

2016/2017 Contracted Players

PG: Payton / Watson / Napier

SG: Oladipo

SF: Hezonja

PF: Gordon

C: Vucevic

 

2016/2017 Free Agents

Brandon Jennings, Jason Smith

 

2016/2017 Qualifying Offer

Andrew Nicholson, Evan Fournier, Dewayne Dedmon

 

2016/2017 Team Option

Ersan Ilyasova, Devyn Marble

 

---

 

Looking at the above we have a decent young core under contract to build around. Obviously we could keep that core together and try to attract difference making free agents without having to give any of the contracted players up in trades. It would be nice to see our young contracted players become a big part of our future and be successful. It would be great if we looked at players like: Mike Conley (PG), DeMar DeRozan (SG), Bradley Beal (SG), Kevin Durant (SF), Harrison Barnes (SF), Handler Parsons (SF), Nicolas Batum (SF), Pau Gasol (PF), Ryan Anderson (PF), Al Horford (PF/C), Andre Drummond ©, Hassan Whiteside ©. But the big question is whether any of them would want to join a young team with no all star on the roster. We might have potential all stars on the roster, but with no all star, we would be betting on them wanting to come here and have a big pay day and make this their team and carry this team to the next level. I am not convinced that some of the big team free agents would give up their current situations to come here. For me, the likely players who would consider joining us would be someone like Harrison Barnes. He has star potential but on the Warriors he is like the fourth or fifth option in their starting line up. If he wants the best situation to win, he stays with the Warriors in a toned down role. If he wants to become a star, maybe he takes the chance somewhere else. But outside of him I doubt the big name free agents would join our young core.

 

That probably means we may need to seriously consider Dwight Howard if he wants to come back here. While some of us will have our reservations because of how he treated this team when he left, and others will have reservations because he's struggled with injuries, the one fact we cannot deny is that Howard is still a star player when he is healthy. Furthermore, a player of Howard's standing can help recruit other players to come play for with them. For instance, maybe he can persuade someone like DeRozan, Durant, Parsons or that level of player to come join him here in Orlando. If he can pair himself with another star here in Orlando, combine that with our young athletic core, and we could be onto a winner. With Howard at C, we would likely trade Vucevic and he could land us another piece of the puzzle. In essence, bringing Howard back would change the line up and potentially the direction of this team and make us a play off team again - something we clearly want to be.

 

Now I am like a lot of fans on this board. I want our young core to lead us to the play offs and develop into a great side. However, based on what we have seen from our young players over the past few seasons I am not sure we have a star on this roster. We may think highly of our young talent, but they strike me more as the third or fourth option on a successful team, rather than the first or second option on a successful team. What I mean is when you look at the Clippers they have Chris Paul and Blake Griffin as the go to guys, then Redick and Jordan as the supporting cast. The Warriors have Curry and Thompson leading the way, with Green, Barnes and Bogut supporting them. The Raptors have Lowrey and DeRozan, with the likes of Valanciunas and Carroll supporting them. We have talent, but what we are missing is star talent. Bringing back Howard is one way to get star talent and better talent to help take us back to where we want to be. It is not the only way, maybe we can persuade a Harrison Barnes to come here and break out similar to what McGrady did when he came over from the Raptors. But we are betting on Barnes doing a McGrady, which is just as much a risk as betting on Howard coming back and staying healthy and being a good recruiter.

 

Ultimately both ways to take this team forward have their risks and rewards. If we decide to go forwards with our young talent and try to persuade free agents to come here, I'll support this team's decision and get behind them. The same goes for if we bring back Howard. What we need to do this off season is be ambitious and swing for the fences. We need to take that next step and be a play off team again. We've sucked and lost for too long, this off season we need to change that, and with the right moves we will.

[Voodoo Man 99]

In honor of Nancy Reagan "JUST SAY NO". The guy may still have some skills but he is a cancer, especially to a team that is trying to be a team. He is a ball hog and wants the game to revolve around him. We are finally starting to move the ball around and playing with decent team chemistry. Now that we finally got rid of Harris and his 3 point missing cousin, I think everyone has finally bought into Skiles system. We do need a go to player down the stretch not a "hack a Dwight" where we have to cringe every time he goes to the freethrow line. He would listen to Skiles for about 10 minutes before he demands that he is fired. I am fine with Vuc although I feel he should get a bit more physical and even Dedmon put up Dwight numbers the last game. It is like a bad divorce why would you want to repeat it. He made it clear that he doesn't care about Orlando so why would we bring him back. Thanks anyway, let him go find another team to screw up. Let's pass on the drama.

I have no idea what makes you think that everyone has bought into Skiles system now that Harris is not here. Are you referring to the game we played against Chicago? We were 23-29 with him and 7-14 since he left. I will admit that some of that has to do with injuries, but this team is a hot mess right now, and I have no confidence in Henny or Skiles turning things around with free agency. Dwight, as much as I hate to say it, might be the best we can do. The team as it stands right now, is barely better than Philadelphia.