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

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