Dwight Howard

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard has signed papers agreeing to waive the early termination option in his contract and he will be with the Magic to begin the 2012-13 season. Magic spokesman Joel Glass confirmed Howard had signed the papers Thursday morning. It is unclear if his agent, Dan Fegan, did as well. The trade deadline was set for 3 p.m. EDT. Howard's decision ends the season-long drama on whether he would be dealt before the Magic risked losing him in free agency.

Udonis Haslem insists he meant no harm. The NBA deemed otherwise, and the Miami Heat will be without one of their cocaptains when they try to close out the Indiana Pacers Thursday night. Haslem Wednesday was suspended for Game 6 of the Miami-Indiana Eastern Conference semifinal series, in which emotions boiled over in a Heat romp Tuesday night. The NBA also said Miami reserve center Dexter Pittman will miss three games in response to his flagrant foul against Indiana backup guard Lance Stephenson in the final seconds of Game 5. Indiana's Tyler Hansbrough was not suspended,...

Dwight Howard told ESPN.com he will have season-ending back surgery. Orlando's All-Star center will undergo surgery Friday morning in Los Angeles to repair a herniated disk. The operation will end his season and keep him from playing in the Olympics in London. Howard told ESPN: "I tried to play through it and it just made my back worse. " Howard has been dealing with back problems since early March, but it wasn't until last week that a doctor discovered the herniated disk.

You can't blame US Olympic men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski if he's rooting against the Heat in the NBA playoffs. An Indiana victory will free up LeBron James , Dwyane Wade , and Chris Bosh to join newly sprung Blake Griffin and Chris Paul of the Clippers. Also still playing are Kevin Durant , Russell Westbrook , and James Harden of the Thunder, Kobe Bryant of the Lakers, and Andre Iguodala of the 76ers. After the league's truncated, cram-jammed season, Krzyzewski would love for his 18 candidates to have as much gas in their tanks as...

Dwight Howard had 20 points and 17 rebounds and the Orlando Magic rolled to a 108-91 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday night. Howard, who can become a free agent in July if the Magic don't trade him by the March 15 trading deadline, got the loudest cheers from the crowd of 15,364 in the pregame introductions. And the center didn't disappoint in leading the Magic to their ninth straight win over the Brooklyn-bound Nets. Glen Davis, who hit his first seven shots, added 16 points for Orlando, which won for the eighth time in 11 games.

ORLANDO - A well-placed Orlando Magic source claims center Dwight Howard has asked the team to fire coach Stan Van Gundy. The well-placed source? Stan Van Gundy. "I know he has," Van Gundy said Thursday, in a moment of jaw-dropping candor hours before the Magic suffered a listless 96-80 loss to the New York Knicks. Asked how he knew that the long-circulating rumor was true, Van Gundy said: "I was told it was true by people in our management. So, you know, right from the top. " It was an extraordinary disclosure, and it led to a strange and awkward...

Dwight Howard is making his first steps toward recovery from season-ending back surgery. The All-Star center for the Orlando Magic was scheduled to begin his post-operative walking program Saturday, one day after a herniated disc was repaired and some fragments removed during a procedure in Los Angeles. Howard's surgeon, Dr. Robert Watkins Sr., said Friday's operation was "uneventful" and Howard was resting comfortably. "The more formal core stabilization program will begin in three weeks," Watkins Sr., who was assisted in the procedure by son Dr. Robert Watkins Jr., said in a...

Dwight Howard is usually one of the more visibly energetic players on the court. But last night, Howard and his Orlando Magic teammates produced one of their most lethargic performances, as well as lowest-scoring, in an 87-56 loss to the Celtics. Howard actually started the game strong, getting two dunks and lefthand hook in a 1:04 span and finishing the first quarter with 12 points. But Howard would add only 6 more points after that as the Orlando offense short-circuited. "They pressured us a lot, you know, we rushed shots," Howard said.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff The Orlando Magic want Dwight Howard to be a part of their long-term plans, but if Howard does not sign an extension this offseason, the team is willing to explore other options. Magic CEO Alex Martins told News 13 (Orlando) sports reporter David Baumann that the team would like to keep Howard. "Our No. 1 goal is to get him to sign an extension, so we don't go through a season like we did last year," said Martins. There was major drama surrounding the Magic last season, with Howard...

You can't blame US Olympic men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski if he's rooting against the Heat in the NBA playoffs. An Indiana victory will free up LeBron James , Dwyane Wade , and Chris Bosh to join newly sprung Blake Griffin and Chris Paul of the Clippers. Also still playing are Kevin Durant , Russell Westbrook , and James Harden of the Thunder, Kobe Bryant of the Lakers, and Andre Iguodala of the 76ers. After the league's truncated, cram-jammed season, Krzyzewski would love for his 18...

For months the Orlando Magic have been trudging through the aftermath of a preseason trade request by Dwight Howard that sapped the life out of the franchise as internal team issues quickly affected the product on the floor. Now after one of the most tumultuous seasons in their history, they made the first in what promises to be a huge offseason shake-up. The Magic fired coach Stan Van Gundy on Monday and agreed to part ways with general manager Otis Smith , severing ties with two of the architects of one of the most successful runs in team history.

For months the Orlando Magic have been trudging through the aftermath of a preseason trade request by Dwight Howard that sapped the life out of the franchise as internal team issues quickly affected the product on the floor. Now after easily one of the most tumultuous seasons in their history, they made the first in what promises to be a huge offseason shake-up The Magic fired coach Stan Van Gundy on Monday and agreed to part ways with general manager Otis Smith, severing ties with two of the architects of one of the most successful runs in franchise history.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff The Orlando Magic want Dwight Howard to be a part of their long-term plans, but if Howard does not sign an extension this offseason, the team is willing to explore other options. Magic CEO Alex Martins told News 13 (Orlando) sports reporter David Baumann that the team would like to keep Howard. "Our No. 1 goal is to get him to sign an extension, so we don't go through a season like we did last year," said Martins. There was major drama surrounding the Magic last season, with...

Tyson Chandler, the catalyst for the New York Knicks' defensive improvement, was voted the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday. Chandler beat out Oklahoma City's Serge Ibaka and three-time champion Dwight Howard of Orlando to become the first Knicks player to win the award. The Knicks ranked in the NBA's top 11 teams in both opponents' field goal percentage and points allowed. They gave up an average of 94.7 points, an improvement of 11 per game from the 105.7 they surrendered in 2010-11, when they tied for 27th in the league.

JaVale McGee scored 17 points, throwing down a half-dozen dunks in the second half, and the Denver Nuggets pulled away to beat the Orlando Magic 101-74 on Sunday night Danilo Gallinari also scored 17, Arron Afflalo had 15 and Ty Lawson 13 for the Nuggets, who swept the two-game season series with Orlando, avoiding the Magic's injured Dwight Howard both times. Ryan Anderson scored 24 points for the Magic, who lost their third straight. Glen Davis added 14 points for Orlando, which also lost guard Jameer Nelson to a calf injury.

When asked if he had learned anything about himself as a general manager in a season that can only be described as trying and tumultuous, Orlando's Otis Smith smiled as if he had no words to describe his emotions over the past few months. Smith's organization was held hostage in free agency by its franchise center, who then changed his mind and decided to stay for at least one more season. Then the center began experiencing back problems that required surgery. In between, he was called out by his coach for asking management to fire the coach.

For months the Orlando Magic have been trudging through the aftermath of a preseason trade request by Dwight Howard that sapped the life out of the franchise as internal team issues quickly affected the product on the floor. Now after easily one of the most tumultuous seasons in their history, they made the first in what promises to be a huge offseason shake-up The Magic fired coach Stan Van Gundy on Monday and agreed to part ways with general manager Otis Smith, severing ties with two of the architects of one of the most successful runs in franchise history.

Dwight Howard is making his first steps toward recovery from season-ending back surgery. The All-Star center for the Orlando Magic was scheduled to begin his post-operative walking program Saturday, one day after a herniated disc was repaired and some fragments removed during a procedure in Los Angeles. Howard's surgeon, Dr. Robert Watkins Sr., said Friday's operation was "uneventful" and Howard was resting comfortably. "The more formal core stabilization program will begin in three weeks," Watkins Sr., who was assisted in the procedure by son Dr. Robert Watkins Jr., said in a...

Dwight Howard told ESPN.com he will have season-ending back surgery. Orlando's All-Star center will undergo surgery Friday morning in Los Angeles to repair a herniated disk. The operation will end his season and keep him from playing in the Olympics in London. Howard told ESPN: "I tried to play through it and it just made my back worse. " Howard has been dealing with back problems since early March, but it wasn't until last week that a doctor discovered the herniated disk.