The New York Knicks received a nugget of good news Wednesday, a day after finding out that All-Star center Tyson Chandler will be out another week and Kurt Thomas won’t play until mid-April.

According to tweets Wednesday morning from multiple news outlets, Carmelo Anthony is listed as “probable” for Wednesday night’s game at Madison Square Garden against the Orlando Magic. Anthony hasn’t played since March 13 in a game against his former team, the Denver Nuggets, when he tangled his feet and went down after playing only 21 minutes.

Anthony had his sore right knee drained last Thursday and has missed three games since the injury, a stretch in which the Knicks have gone 1-2. This will be the fourth and final meeting between the Knicks and Magic this season as New York looks to go 4-0 on the season against Orlando.

Knicks are saying Carmelo Anthony is probable tonight.—
Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) March 20, 2013

Some good news: Carmelo Anthony now listed as probable for tonight's game vs. Orlando. Now if he can just find 7 or 8 healthy teammates.—
Howard Beck (@HowardBeckNYT) March 20, 2013

Carmelo Anthony is listed as probable for tonight versus Orlando.—
  (@NY_KnicksPR) March 20, 2013

Dwight Howard makes his return to his former team when the Lakers play the Magic in Orlando on Tuesday night. Howard garnered significant media attention during the shootaround — an estimated 75 media people attended, compared to a typical day which would have less than 10, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

I'm estimating there are about 75 media people here for shootaround. On a normal day in LA there will be about 7-8 people, if that.—
Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 12, 2013

Howard also apologized to the city for the way he handled his departure and for disagreements with former teammate Jameer Nelson:

Dwight has apologized to city of Orlando, fans, etc. Jameer Nelson: "I'm not looking for an apology."—
Brian K. Schmitz (@MagicInsider) March 12, 2013

He also reflected on his time in Orlando:

Dwight on the city of Orlando: "I came here a boy and left a man and it’s made me a better person being here."—
Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 12, 2013

Howard played with the Magic for his first eight years in the league before joining the Lakers last summer. The 27-year-old center is averaging 16.2 points and 12.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game so far this season. Howard also won the NBA’s Defense Player of the Year award in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Dwight Howard clarified comments he made in which called his former Orlando Magic team “ful of people who nobody wanted.” (Harry How/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard clarified comments he made earlier this week about his former Orlando Magic teammates, insisting he would “never say anything disrespectful to those guys and I think a lot of people took that and ran with it, twisted it into a negative thing.”

The controversial comments, made to CBS affiliate KCAL, regard his old teammates and how the roster was “full of people who nobody wanted:”

“My team in Orlando was a team full of people who nobody wanted, and I was the leader, and I led that team with a smile on my face.”

Howard clarified days later, after the Lakers beat the New Orleans Hornets Wednesday night, that he simply meant Orlando was full of “underdogs” and that he never meant to offend anyone on that team:

“My statement was just to say that our team that I played with in Orlando, we were the underdogs. Nobody really talked about our team. It was underrated. Everybody overlooked us for the whole time I was there in Orlando and I hated that. We all hated that. We thrived off that. My comments were never to say anything disrespectful to those guys. Those were my teammates for years. They helped me become the player that I am today and we all got to the Finals because of that. I would never say anything disrespectful to those guys and I think a lot of people took that and ran with it, twisted it into a negative thing. I love those guys.”

Those initial comments caught the attention of Magic point guard Jameer Nelson, who played with Howard when he was on the team. Nelson responded, saying in the Orlando Sentinel that Howard needs to be learn how to be a professional:

“At some point, when are you [Dwight] gonna as a man, when are you going to take ownership and stay out of the media in a professional manner?” [I] would be less of a man to comment on certain things that people comment on about me and my teammates.”

Jameer Nelson and Dwight Howard were Magic teammates for eight seasons. (Fernando Median/NBAE via Getty Images)

Dwight Howard recently said he starred on an Orlando Magic team of nobodies “with a smile on his face,” but former teammate Jameer Nelson isn’t smiling. Nelson responded Wednesday, asking when Howard was going to be a man and take ownership of his not winning an NBA championship in Orlando.

The simmering media feud could heat up as Howard approaches his first return to Orlando when the Lakers visit the Magic on March 12. Many in Orlando are still upset after Howard forced a trade to Los Angeles during the off-season.

“My team in Orlando was a team full of people who nobody wanted,” said Howard in a video interview with CBS2/KCAL9. “I was the leader and I led that team with a smile on my face.”

Nelson joined Howard as first-round picks in the 2004 NBA Draft, and got along with the All-Star center for almost eight seasons, helping the Magic’s run to the 2009 NBA Finals where they lost to the Lakers. Their relationship began to go south when Howard publicly admitted wanting to play with the league’s top point guards such as Chris Paul.

“At some point, when are you gonna as a man, when are you going to take ownership and stay out of the media in a professional manner?” asked Nelson to the Orlando Sentinel on Wednesday.

“I would be less of a man to comment on certain things that people comment on about me and my teammates,” Nelson continued. “We had a great run as a group, as core guys, and he was a part of it and for him to say things about anybody in a negative manner, that’s up to him.”

Magic forward Glen Davis broke his left foot against the Knicks. (Ray Amati/NBA/Getty Images)

Orlando Magic forward Glen Davis broke his left foot in the Magic’s 113-97 loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday and it is feared he could be lost for the rest of the season, the team announced.

Davis had two points and three assists when he was injured in the first quarter. Davis missed time in December and earlier this month because of a sprained left shoulder.

“Injuries are a part of it and unfortunately it happened to (Davis),’’ guard Jameer Nelson said. “I just wish him the best. I gave him a hug, but there’s really nothing you can say to a man like that. I told him I’m here for him and I just hope everything goes well for him.’’

Davis, in his fifth season, is averaging 15.1 points and 7.2 rebounds a game for the Magic, who are 14-31 this season.

Magic forward Glen Davis has a left shoulder sprain but no structural damage, the team announced on Thursday. Davis suffered the injury during the team’s 90-83 win against the Wizards on Wednesday night. An MRI was done on Thursday, and Magic General Manager Rob Hennigan released a statement about Davis’s status:

“After further evaluation by our medical staff, Glen Davis has been diagnosed with a left shoulder sprain,” said Hennigan. “The MRI showed no significant structural damage. He will be treated non-operatively. Treatment will include rest and subsequent strengthening of the muscles around his shoulder. His return will depend on progress made during his rehabilitation.”

Although no official timetable has been announced for Davis’s return, he is expected to be out of action for four to six weeks.

Prior to the injury, Davis had been averaging career highs in minutes (33), points (16), rebounds (7.9) and assists (1.8). The injury occurred late in the fourth quarter after a hard foul by Wizards center Emeka Okafor:

Dwight Howard said he “liked the direction” the Lakers are going. (Noah Graham/Getty Images)

As he prepared to take on his former team for the first time, Dwight Howard gave what was perhaps his most ringing endorsement to date of his new team.

“From one to 10? I’d give it a good 12. I love it. It’s been a lot of fun,” Howard said of his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPNLosAngeles.com’s Ramona Shelburne. “Just everything here, from the practices, the motivation of everybody here is championship, that’s what we need.

“I like the direction we’re headed. We’ve had some tough losses but we’ll learn and we’ll grow from it. We’re going to stick together.”

After an offseason filled with Howard trade rumors and discussion, the Orlando Magic ended up dealing him to the Lakers. The Lakers and Magic will square off Sunday night in Los Angeles.

Howard is set to become a free agent after the season. His strong sentiments about his time with the Lakers are a good sign he’ll be willing to re-sign with the team. But he said upon arrival that he would wait until after the season to negotiate a deal.

“I think the best thing to do is talk about it at the end of the year,” Howard said. “We just went through that last season, basically, and I don’t want to go through it again or see anyone have to go through it.

“This is going to be my decision, and I’m going to wait ’till the end of the year. But I’m happy to be in L.A. This is a great place. I love the coaching staff and I love the organization for everything they’ve done for me since I got traded here.

“Hopefully, I’ll have a long career here in L.A.”

Magic’s guard Jameer Nelson will miss Friday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets with a sore left Achilles, per John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com. For the time being, Nelson is listed as day-to-day and E’Twaun Moore will start until Nelson is able to return.

#Magic PG Jameer Nelson will not play tonight vs. #Nets because of a sore Left Achilles' tendon. E'Twaun Moore will start.

—
John Denton (@JohnDenton555) November 30, 2012

Nelson has averaged 13 points and 32 minutes per game this season.

Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu will be out at least four weeks after breaking his left hand. (Fernando Medina/NBA/Getty Images)

The Orlando Magic will be without forward Hedo Turkoglu for a minimum of four weeks after he underwent surgery on Saturday to repair a broken left hand, reports the Orlando Sentinel. 

Turkoglu now has undergone surgery twice in the last seven months. In April, he suffered a broken left cheekbone when he was elbowed accidently in a game. Turkoglu said that injury was the worst of his career, but he secured teammates’ respect when he returned to the court three weeks after the procedure.

Turkoglu fractured the fifth metacarpal during the third quarter of Orlando’s season-opening 102-89 victory over the Denver Nuggets Friday night.

Hedo Turkoglu suffered a broken hand in the Magic’s season-opener. (Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)

Small forward Hedo Türkoğlu will be sidelined for “some time” with a broken left hand diagnosed by the Magic.

Türkoğlu, 33, suffered the injury in the third quarter of Friday’s season-opener.

With backup small forwards DeQuan Jones and rookie Maurice Harkless already dealing with injuries, the Magic may be forced to shift Arron Afflalo over from two-guard.

Kobe Bryant says he’s still top dog in L.A., but he plans to mentor Dwight Howard on his new team. (Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images)

As Kobe Bryant spoke to reporters during the Lakers’ media day on Monday, he made it clear that the addition of Dwight Howard wouldn’t change his status as team leader, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin:

“I got a question earlier about whose team this is,” Bryant said. “I don’t want to get into the, ‘Well, we share …’ No, it’s my team.”

But Bryant plans to mentor Howard and pass the team after he retires:

“I want to make sure that Dwight, when I retire, this is going to be his. I want to teach him everything I possibly know so that when I step away this organization can ride on as if I never left.”

And Howard appears to be willing to learn:

“I’m willing to go through that process, learn from one of the greatest to ever play the game and I think it will be great,” Howard said. “I think learning from a guy like Kobe, I know he’s going to be tough on me but I expect that and I want him to do that. So, I’ll take all the heat that he’s going to give me because I know at the end of the day that’s going to make me a better player and a better person and it’s going to make this team better.”

Howard, 26, was traded to the Lakers in a four-team trade in August. He led the Magic with 20.6 points and 2.1 blocks per game last season. Bryant, 34, has played for the Lakers for the entirety of his 16-year career and averaged 27.9 points and 38.5 minutes per game last year, tops on the team in both categories.

An Orlando Magic fan is suing the team for using her image in a marketing campaign. (Fernando Medina/Getty Images)

A Florida woman is suing the Orlando Magic after claiming the franchise used a picture of her at a game for marketing purposes and without her permission, according to a report from Stephen Hudak of The Orlando Sentinel.

Kristi Slavin, 30, is reportedly suing the team for $15k for “uncomfortable and embarrassing encounters and questions” from family, friends and coworkers. Last season, the team displayed an enlarged image of her face on the back of a Lynx bus, on light-post banners and in a magazine. She further alleges that the team altered her public image.

Magic spokesperson Joel Glass confirmed that the Magic are aware of the  lawsuit. He also said that she would not be used in marketing initiatives moving forward, a rather obvious comment given the context in which she is marketed; the image is of her holding up her arms, wearing a Dwight Howard jersey.

But as the report cites an intellectual-property law professor, Slavin may have little leverage in the case. On the back of every ticket to an NBA game exists language that allows the team “the irrevocable and unrestricted right and license” to use the image of a ticket holder in “any medium or context.” Within this language is another line that states that the ticket holder is not entitled to any compensation nor does the ticket holder have to issue further authorization for the team to use the image.

Her lawyer, Hank Hornsby, contends that she was not merely a face in the crowd, but rather a woman who was targeted for use in a marketing campaign because she’s young and attractive. Among other reasons why she is entitled to a settlement:

Slavin’s lawyer said no fan reasonably expects to surrender privacy rights simply by walking into a sports venue. Hornsby said the ticket’s fine print also should not serve as a waiver or permission to allow the team to “plaster your face on a bus.”

Dwight Howard said he never wanted anybody to hate him. (Noah Graham/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard said he never wanted anybody to hate him, calling his last year with the Orlando Magic a “tug of war between my feelings and the fans.”

In a Sunday conversation with ESPN’s Ric Bucher, Howard said that he wanted to avoid an offseason like the one Miami Heat star LeBron James had in which the former Cleveland Cavalier alienated an entire fan base for signing with another team:

“Everybody hated him for leaving Cleveland and what he did. I never wanted anybody to hate me, you know. I wanted everybody to love me, you know, like me, for sticking around and doing what they wanted me to do. And making everybody else happy. And that was a valuable lesson for me, you know.

Howard also admitted that the Brooklyn Nets were the team that he wanted to play for, and that part of the reason he initially didn’t want to go to the Lakers was that he was afraid people would hold him to the same standards as former Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal.

Then, Howard said he realized that he can’t make everyone happy and decided that the Lakers were the best fit.

He said that one of the first people he spoke to after the trade to Los Angeles was his former Magic coach, Stan Van Gundy. Howard said he had no say in the coach’s firing and talked to him after the trade to thank him for helping him get to the level that he’s at today.

Howard is still recovering from spinal surgery in April and is expected to miss the Lakers’ first preseason game Oct. 7. He said he doesn’t want to return if he’s 85-percent healthy and will instead wait until he is 100-percent.

Dwight Howard was traded last month from the Magic to the Lakers. (Kevin Reece/Icon SMI)

New Los Angeles Lakers acquisition Dwight Howard posted an open letter Sunday in the Orlando Sentinel.

In the letter, Howard said ‘to have had the opportunity to play before the Orlando fans for eight years was truly a privilege and an honor’.

Sentinel blogger George Diaz said the letter was ‘a joke for Magic fans’.

Howard, a six-time All-Star center who played eight seasons in Orlando, was traded August 10 from the Magic to the Lakers.

Dwight Howard professed ‘love’ for Orlando and Magic. (Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)

Dwight Howard’s “love letter” to the City of Orlando and Magic fans may do even more damage to his already tainted image in Florida.

Howard paid for a full-age ad that appeared in today’s Orlando Sentinel newspaper.

The ad reads:

“To play the game of basketball in the NBA is a blessing and to have had the opportunity to play before the Orlando fans for eight years was truly a privilege and an honor.

“Words cannot express the love that I have for Orlando. With your support we have done great things in this city from hanging banners to impacting our youth.

“Although my career with the Magic has come to a close, my love for the city and the people that make it beautiful will never end.”

Howard’s profession of love for Orlando comes less than a month after the All-Star center’s persistent trade requests became the catalyst for a four-team deal that sent him to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Sentinel writer George Diaz may have captured the hurt feelings of many Magic fans by relating Howard’s questionable display of affection a comedy song written and performed by the late comedian and actor Sam Kinison, titled “Love Song.”

 He wrote a tune about getting dumped by his girlfriend, who reached out and asked if they could still be friends.

After a soft mellow introduction on the piano, (“I wrote her this song and it goes like this..”) Kinison goes into his usual ballistic rampage:

“You used me! You never loved me! I hope you slide under a gas truck and taste your own blood! DIE! DIE! DIE! I want my records back! I want my [bleeping] records back!”

That’s how Magic fans feel about Howard, hopefully without the gas truck dying thing.

Sorry Dwight.

It is now an unrequited love.

Jeff Van Gundy doesn’t like the deal Orlando made in getting rid of Dwight Howard (David Dow, Getty Images)

As the dust settles on the Dwight Howard-to-LA deal, it seems everyone in and around the NBA has an opinion on the trade and the many months of drama that preceded it.

ESPN NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy’s opinion is more blunt than most, as expressed in Gordon Monson’s column in today’s Salt Lake Tribune.

“Depending on your vantage point, [Orlando] got totally shafted or semi-shafted,” Van Gundy said. “I feel for Magic fans. They’ve had three stars in their time. Shaquille O’Neal left for free agency [to L.A.]. [Tracy] McGrady forced his way out to Houston. Now, Howard forces his way out to the Lakers.

“If I was an Orlando Magic fan, I’d be asking: Is this worth it? Do I want to be paying the huge, enormous, extravagant ticket prices to see a below-average product for … what, five years?”

Not to be forgotten: Jeff Van Gundy’s brother Stan coached the Magic for each of those five “below-average” years, each of which ended with an appearance in the playoffs and included a trip to the NBA Finals.

Is Dwight Howard finally headed out of Orlando?

Sources tell ESPN’s Chris Broussard that the proposed four-team trade involving the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers that would send center Dwight Howard to L.A. is “very close” to happening and could be finalized on Friday.

Broussard’s sources have the trade exactly as reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports earlier on Thursday, but there is at least one subsequent report that Lakers forward Pau Gasol will not be included. Sources told ESPNLosAngeles.com’s Ramona Shelburne that Gasol has been in and out of the talks, but that the deal could still happen on Friday.

The Magic had long been said to want to dump some of their undesirable contracts and pick up young players and/or high draft picks in exchange for Howard, and the reported deal doesn’t seem to address either goal.

UPDATE: A source tells Marc Stein of ESPN.com that the deal has been completed, pending NBA approval. And Gasol indeed is not part of it.

Source close to talks tells ESPN that trade call with league office has been scheduled for Friday morning to process four-team Dwight deal—
Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) August 10, 2012

Names in deal still emerging but sources say ORL definitely getting Afflalo, Harrington, Vucevic & one future 1ST from all three other teams—
Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) August 10, 2012

Sources tell ESPN trade also calls for Sixers to get Jason Richardson with Bynum, with Iguodala to Denver & Dwight, obviously, to Lakerland—
Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) August 10, 2012

Other names likely to emerge. Example: Just heard Harkless to Orlando. But deal that's being submitted for league approval indeed Pau-less—
Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) August 10, 2012

ESPN source says Dwight definitely NOT doing extension with Lakers. Will test drive Lakerland for season and go to free agency in July 2013—
Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) August 10, 2012

If L.A. does not work out for Dwight, says source briefed on his thinking, he knows "Dallas will be there for him." Mavs will have cap space—
Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) August 10, 2012

Dwight Howard may go to the Lakers in four-team deal. (Ron Tureene/NBA via Getty Images)

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports is reporting the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers are crafting a four-team deal – including the Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers – that would send center Dwight Howard to the Lakers.

Wojnaraowski reports league sources consider the deal “serious” if not yet “imminent.”

There are multiple moving parts in the fluid talks, but the framework of a possible deal includes Howard and Denver forward Al Harrington going to the Lakers, Philadelphia guard Andre Iguodala going to the Nuggets, Los Angeles center Andrew Bynum moving to the 76ers, and Los Angeles forward Pau Gasol and Denver guard Arron Affalo going to the Magic, sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Dwight Howard will not attend his own youth basketball camp this year. (Gerardo Mora/Getty Images)

Dwight Howard will not attend his annual youth basketball camp in Orlando, reports the Orlando Sentinel‘s Mike Bianchi.

The Magic center, who has been the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason, typically attends the camp that bears his name. But this year, in what will likely be an unpopular move, he will skip the event. Andrew Nicholson, Orlando’s first-round pick in the NBA Draft, will replace Howard.

Camp members pay a $199 fee to attend. While they will still receive the same level of instruction from the coaches at the camp, the chance to meet Howard, Orlando’s best-known player, was likely one of the motivating factors for many to attend.

Howard, who will reportedly stay in Los Angeles to continue rehabbing his injured back, will almost certainly receive criticism for the decision. He has been criticized for the way he has handled his trade demands, and this decision could further hurt his popularity.

The latest Dwight Howard rumor is that the Orlando Magic will try to trade him in the next week now that they’ve found a coach in Jacque Vaughn. (Fernando Medina/Getty Images)

After a week of pause while the Orlando Magic settled on San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Jacque Vaughn as their next head coach, the Dwight Howard trade rumors seem to be back in full swing.

The latest news is that the team will try to trade their franchise center in the next week, according to a report on Sunday from Sam Amico of Fox Sports, citing multiple league sources:

[M]ultiple league sources predict  the Orlando Magic will again step up efforts to find their All-Star center a new team. Several of those sources told FOX Sports Ohio on Saturday they believe Howard could be traded by the end of next week.

Howard had reportedly reiterated to Magic general manager Rob Hennigan his desire to leave Orlando, but as talks cooled down for the past week, many speculated the team might hold on to Howard for the start of the season, perhaps beyond the league’s February trade deadline.

If that were the case and Howard remained with the Magic beyond February, he could end up signing with the Dallas Mavericks in the next offseason, a team he said he would like to play for if he doesn’t sign with the Los Angeles Lakers or Brooklyn Nets.

The Lakers have long been courting Howard but Andrew Bynum’s reluctance to sign long-term with another team has proven to be a snag in executing a trade for Howard.

Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.com was first to report that a meeting between center Dwight Howard and Orlando Magic general manager Rob Hennigan ended with Howard reiterating that he wants to be traded.

Meeting between Dwight Howard and Rob Hennigan is over. Howard wouldn't drop his trade demand, per source. Magic's last-ditch effort failed.—
Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) July 26, 2012

Jarrod N. Rudolph of RealGM.com reported that the meeting took place in Los Angeles, and that Howard expected Hennigan to outline how he planned to turn the Magic into a contender. When that didn’t happen, Howard told Hennigan that he would “never sign another contract with the Magic,” sources told Rudolph.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports says that Hennigan told Howard that he is trying to trade him but has not found an acceptable deal. Wojnarowski writes that the Magic’s decision to wait so long before getting serious with trade discussions has hurt the market for Howard.

Howard wondered to Hennigan why offers on table w/ Nets and Lakers prior to Joe Johnson and Steve Nash deals were rejected, source says.—
Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 26, 2012

Wojnarowski later added this twist:

If Howard gets to free agency in '13 without having been traded to Nets or Lakers, Dallas is overwhelming favorite to sign him, sources say.—
Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 26, 2012

Might the Dwight Howard trade rumors be going on reprieve?. (Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Orlando Magic might bring the on-again, off-again Dwight Howard trade rumors to a halt — for now.

Citing multiple league sources ESPN.com’s Chris Broussard reported Monday night that the Magic are holding out for a trade that would be “great” for the franchise. The organization has shifted to this position in the past “week or so.” From Broussard’s report:

Another executive who has talked with Orlando said he thinks the Magic may start the season with Howard and wait until the February trade deadline to move him.

Each executive left the door open for posturing, noting that the Magic may be bluffing in hopes of coaxing better offers out of opposing teams. But the overriding sense is that Howard may not be moved for weeks, if not months.

Because the Magic could just be taking a hard-line public stance, the rumors probably won’t go away just yet. Just last Thursday, a three-team deal between the Lakers, Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers picked up steam as reports emerged that Howard would be willing to sign an extension with Los Angeles.

But Broussard reported Monday that both the Lakers and the Houston Rockets, the other team most in the mix for Howard right now, believe that, at the moment, “are not interested in trading” him.

If the Magic wait until the season to deal Howard, the Brooklyn Nets could also again become a potential trade partner. The Nets recently re-signed center Brook Lopez, who would be the main piece in a deal for Howard. But he cannot be traded until January 15, about a month before the trade deadline.

The Orlando Magic’s coaching search appears to be coming to a close, with current San Antonio Spurs assistant Jacque Vaughn the seeming front runner according to a report from the Orlando Sentinel.

This development does not please former Magic big man Shaquille O’Neal. The TNT analyst took to Twitter this afternoon to vent his feelings on the potential hire, and its impact on the Magic’s wantaway star Dwight Howard.

Orlando magic is about to hire jock Vaugh over mike Malone or Brian shaw are u kidding me, wow, good luck winning wit Dat team Dwite howard—
  (@SHAQ) July 22, 2012

O’Neal and Vaughn met on the court in the 2006 Eastern Conferense semi-finals, when O’Neal’s Miami Heat defeated Vaughn’s New Jersey Nets 4 games to 1 en route to the Heat’s first NBA championship. Vaughn got a measure of revenge two years later as a backup for Tony Parker and the San Antonio Spurs, who beat O’Neal and the Phoenix Suns 4-1 in their opening round playoff series.

Prospective teams seeking assurances that they will be able to get Dwight Howard’s John Hancock on a contract extension before he hits the open market next summer might be waiting a long time, according to his agent.

Dan Fegan told Ric Bucher of ESPN.com: “Dwight’s position has remained unchanged since the end of this past season. He fully intends to explore free agency at the end of next season, regardless of what team trades for him, including Brooklyn.”

Nets general manager Billy King confirmed to Bucher that his team never insisted that Howard commit to an extension.

Earlier on Thursday, RealGM.com reported that Howard would re-sign with the Lakers if he were traded to Los Angeles.

Of course, this could all be semantics. Because Howard is limited to a three-year extension by the CBA, and he can sign a five-year deal if he reaches free agency, even if he intends to re-sign with the team that acquires him, it makes sense for him to do so via free agency rather than via extension.

Magic forward and Mexico-native Gustavo Ayon will play against his former Hornets team in a preseason game in Mexico City. (Rocky Widney/Getty Images)

The NBA announced on Thursday that the Orlando Magic and New Orleans Hornets will play a preseason game in Mexico City on Oct. 7, according to Philippe Moggio, NBA vice president, Latin America, in a report from NBA.com:

“As the most frequent international host for NBA games, Mexico will again provide a great showcase for the game of basketball as the New Orleans Hornets and Orlando Magic put on an exciting show for our passionate fans at the new Mexico City Arena.”

Mexico-native Gustavo Ayon, who averaged 5.9 points in 54 games for the Hornets last season, now plays for the Magic and will compete in the game for Orlando against his former team.

The league’s first game in Mexico City took place in 1992, when the Dallas Mavericks played the San Antonio Spurs. The city hosted a regular season game in 1997 when the Houston Rockets played the Dallas Mavericks.

Japan, England and Canada are the only other countries to host a regular season NBA game. The league has had a total of 107 games played outside of the U.S. and Canada, sending teams to 17 countries throughout Europe, the Americas and Asia.

Andrew Bynum and Dwight Howard could be swapping coasts, with Bynum headed to Cleveland or Orlando and Howard headed to the Lakers. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Dwight Howard is reportedly ready to join the Lakers and would re-sign long-term if the Orlando Magic traded him to Los Angeles, according to a tweet from Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com, whose report was confirmed Thursday morning by ESPN.com:

Magic center Dwight Howard signaled that if he is traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, he would be prepared to sign a long-term extension after the 2012-13 NBA season, the basketball website RealGM.com reported Wednesday. Two sources confirmed to ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard that Howard is willing to re-sign long term with the Lakers if Orlando trades him there.

The deal that seems to be picking up steam would send Howard to the Lakers, Bynum to the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Cavs’ Anderson Varejao, draft picks and “cap relief” to the Magic.

But the snag in the trade is still the uncertainty of whether a team would give up assets for the mere chance at re-signing Bynum to a long-term deal. Bynum, who becomes a free agent next summer, has reportedly been reluctant to say he’d sign a long-term deal with the Cavs, Houston Rockets or Magic, opting instead to test the free-agent market in Summer 2013, according to the report:

Although Bynum has not completely ruled out playing with the Magic, sources said, he will not sign an extension with them, and instead will wait until after the season to potentially test the free-agent market.

Sources: Dwight Howard is ready to join Lakers. If traded to Los Angeles Howard will re-sign long-term with team after 2012-13 season.—
Jarrod N Rudolph (@JRudolphSports) July 19, 2012

Sources confirm @JRudolphSports report that Dwight Howard is ready to join Lakers. If traded to LA DH will re-sign long-term with team—
Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) July 19, 2012

The Los Angeles Lakers are meeting with the Orlando Magic today to discuss a potential trade for center Dwight Howard, reports Yahoo! Sports‘s Marc Spears.

Lakers pushing hard to land Magic center Dwight Howard & meeting with Magic today,sources tell Y! LAL wants DH contract extension commitment

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Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) July 17, 2012

Brooklyn was long considered the favorite to land Howard, but the Nets reportedly dropped out of trade talks with Orlando last week.

The Lakers and Rockets are now considered the two most likely destinations for Howard if he is still traded before the season starts.

Los Angeles can offer a package built around center Andrew Bynum. It would be hard for Houston — or any other team — to top that deal. But Orlando would also want Bynum to agree to stay in Orlando for the long term, and there have been indications that Bynum wouldn’t sign a contract extension.

The Magic, Lakers and Cavaliers are discussing a three-team trade that could send Dwight Howard to Los Angeles. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)

So much for the Orlando Magic focusing on their coaching search. Dwight Howard-to-the-Lakers rumors are heating up again.

The Lakers, Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers are discussing a three-team trade that would send Howard to Los Angeles and center Andrew Bynum to Cleveland, Hoopsworld’s Alex Kennedy reported Saturday. From Kennedy’s report:

The three teams have discussed a number of scenarios. While no trade is imminent, the talks are ongoing.

One scenario would send Howard to Los Angeles, Andrew Bynum to Cleveland and a package of picks and prospects to Orlando, according to sources.

The Lakers would land Howard, who they have been aggressively pursuing for quite some time.

The latest Howard-to-the-Lakers rumors involved a three-team trade among the Lakers, Magic and Houston Rockets, who have also been trying to land Howard.

But the latest rumor could be an attractive option for all teams involved, if they can make it work. The Lakers would get Howard, who they have coveted since last offseason. The Cavaliers would get Bynum, a young big man who they could pair with point guard Kyrie Irving and draft pick Dion Waiters. Bynum would also reportedly be willing to sign an extension with the Cavaliers if traded there.

The Magic, meanwhile, would get young talent, draft picks and cap space in what’s becoming a rebuilding process. The Rockets have also been involved in talks for Howard recently, but they are reportedly not close to a deal with the Magic.

Sources tell David Aldridge of NBA.com that the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets are not as close on a Dwight Howard trade as has been speculated.

Two sources told Aldridge that talks between the clubs have been suspended. “There’s nothing happening,” one said.

Moreover, a league source said that the Rockets are willing to take one bad contract from the Magic and give up one of their three first-round draftees from June, a future pick and a veteran in exchange for Howard.

This stands in stark contrast to the ESPN.com report that Houston is trying to put together a package that would include various draftees and draft picks, while taking back multiple bad contracts.

Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon tells Chris Tomasson of FoxSportsFlorida.com that he has been asked to speak to Dwight Howard about signing a contract extension with the Houston Rockets — assuming that Houston is able to acquire Howard from the Orlando Magic.

“The Rockets asked me to reach out, and I’ll talk to him (if the deal goes through),” Olajuwon said. “I’d like the talk to be more like real, and I’ll let him make his decisions after that.”

Howard worked out with Olajuwon at Olajuwon’s ranch outside Houston last summer, so the two are familiar with one another.

Olajuwon believes that the Rockets chances of trading for Howard are “really high.”

With Orlando Magic general manager Rob Hennigan putting the Dwight Howard trade talks on the back burner while team officials look for a new coach, it appears that Spurs assistant Jacque Vaughn has become the leading candidate to replace Stan Van Gundy, according to a tweet Friday morning from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Vaughn, currently an assistant under San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, last played in the NBA in 2009 as a member of the Spurs.

The other candidates for the job are Brian Shaw, former Lakers assistant coach to Phil Jackson, and Mike Malone, currently an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors.

Former Detroit Piston Lindsey Hunter, now a player development specialist with the Phoenix Suns, and Jeff Hornacek, the former Jazz guard who is now an assistant with the team, have also reportedly been in talks with the Magic. Quinn Snyder, the Lakers assistant coach, was in the running to fill the vacancy but has since taken a job as an assistant coach for CSKA Moscow.

The candidacy of San Antonio assistant Jacque Vaughn has gathered momentum in Orlando's coaching search, league sources tell Y! Sports.—
Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 13, 2012

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports that the Houston Rockets are considering using the amnesty provision on forward Luis Scola, likely within the next 48 hours, in order to create enough salary-cap room to take on the additional contracts the Orlando Magic want to package with Dwight Howard.

Scola has three years and $21 million remaining on his contract. The Magic are said to be trying to move the contracts of guard Jason Richardson (three years, $18.6 million remaining), forward Hedo Turkoglu (two years, $23.8 million) and guard Chris Duhon (two years, $7.5 million).

A source told Feigen that at one point on Wednesday the two sides appeared close to an agreement on a trade for Howard, but the Magic backed off to consider their options.

The Orlando Magic have called off all trade talks for Dwight Howard and will instead shift the team’s focus to finding a coach, according to a tweet late Wednesday afternoon from Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.com.

Magic general manager Rob Hennigan told Dwight Howard on Wednesday that the team tried to make a deal but none of the offers were good enough, reported Jarrod Rudolph of Iamagm.com.

The Nets are reportedly finalizing a contract to sign Brook Lopez to a four-year, $58 million deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Regarding the Magic’s coaching search, Rudolph reported that Lindsey Hunter, Brian Shaw, Michael Malone and Jeff Hornacek are on the short list of candidates to join the team as head coach next season.

The Magic informed Dwight Howard that they are suspending trade talks, according to source. Orlando will now focus on their coaching search.—
Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) July 11, 2012

Sources: Lindsey Hunter along with Brian Shaw, Michael Malone and Jeff Hornacek are believed to be on the Magic's short list of candidates,—
Jarrod N Rudolph (@JRudolphSports) July 11, 2012

The Brooklyn Nets will end their attempt to acquire Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard today, whether they are successful in completing a trade or not, ESPN’s Ric Bucher and Chad Ford report on Twitter.

Source: Nets will "resolve" their pursuit of DH today; either get him or move on.

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Ric Bucher (@RicBucher) July 11, 2012

Following up on @RicBucher report: Nets have told Magic if there's a Dwight Howard deal, must be done by end of business day

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Chad Ford (@chadfordinsider) July 11, 2012

The Nets have been considered favorites to land Howard for much of the past year, but the teams have never been able to close the deal.

In the past week alone, reports on a potential trade between the two sides have often conflicted. At one point Monday, the Nets were said to be “close” to acquiring Howard in a four-team deal. Then, the Cavaliers reportedly dropped out of the trade, reopening the process.

More recently, reports that the Rockets and Lakers were again involved in discussions to trade for Howard have made Brooklyn’s chances look worse.

Ford reports the Nets are concerned that free agent center Brook Lopez, who would be the centerpiece of their package for Howard, will sign an offer sheet with another team.

Lopez's agent pushing Nets to either sign Lopez for themselves or do a sign-and-trade by end of the day.

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Chad Ford (@chadfordinsider) July 11, 2012

Nets fearful of an offer sheet for Lopez from another team if they don't act by end of day. Offer sheet would kill sign-and-trade anyway

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Chad Ford (@chadfordinsider) July 11, 2012

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Brooklyn Nets are “progressing” toward a max contract with restricted free agent center Brook Lopez, who was the centerpiece of their offer to the Orlando Magic for Dwight Howard.

Nets president Billy King and Lopez’s agent, Arn Tellem, are finalizing the length of the deal — four years for $58 million, or five years for $78 million — and ironing out protections on the back end to account for a right foot that Lopez broke twice in the past year, sources said.

King is scheduled to travel to Los Angeles on Wednesday to work on completing the deal with Tellem.

Here’s the rub: Once Lopez re-signs, he can’t be traded until December, making it unlikely that Howard would be wearing a Nets uniform on opening night.

Sources tell Wojnarowski that the Nets are starting to believe that Magic general manager Rob Hennigan simply wants to do a deal elsewhere.

“The Nets are pushing hard on Lopez’s deal to apply pressure to Orlando,” Wojnarowski writes, “but there’s nothing left for them to offer Orlando that they haven’t already made available to them.”