Despite indications to the contrary, NBA legend Hakeem Olajuwon doesn't think embattled L.A. Lakers center Dwight Howard will be heading anywhere before the Feb. 21 trading deadline.
As several reports have indicated in the last few days, the Lakers are opposed to the idea of trading the seven-time NBA All-Star away prior to the trading deadline. Howard, who is battling a shoulder injury, has been said to be unhappy with the current state of affairs in Los Angeles as of late, and has been clashing with teammate Kobe Bryant in the headlines.
What may surprise people, given the circumstances, is that Howard at this time last year, as a member of the Orlando Magic, wanted to head out and join L.A. quite badly, according to Olajuwon.
In an interview with Fox Sports, Olajuwon, who won two NBA titles with the Houston Rockets and has spoken with Howard on the matter, said that in 2011, Howard told him that he wanted out of Orlando, where he had spent the first eight seasons of his nine-year career because he was unhappy with how coach Stan Van Gundy used him.
Howard and Van Gundy led the Magic to the 2009 NBA Finals, where they were ousted by the Lakers in four games, but they had a public and nasty falling out last season which led to Van Gundy being fired and Howard being traded eventually to the Lakers in a four-team trade.
Olajuwon, who is close to Howard and lives in Texas, says he plans to catch up with Howard when the All-Star Game comes to Houston next week. However, despite the signs of trouble in L.A., Olajuwon believes that the talented big man will still opt to stay with the Lakers when his contract expires this summer.
"He loves L.A.," Olajuwon said. "He feels like it's a great chance for him to win a championship, and he wants to be another great center for the Lakers of the future. He thought it was the best fit for him personally. He came to us (in 2011 with one of his representatives to Olajuwon's ranch outside Houston) and they already thought that should be the destination."
Garnett: I want to retire a Celtic
And speaking of players likely to stay where they are--or, at least, hoping to--Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett declared Thursday after his Celtics toppled the Lakers that he wants to remain in Boston until his career is over.
"I just want to say that I love my situation here," Garnett told reporters in a postgame press conference. "I don't know what all your sources are, or whoever's making up this [expletive] articles about me getting traded to Denver and all these other places.
"But I bleed green, and I will continue to do that. And if it's up to me I'm going to retire a Celtic."
Garnett has already reportedly nixed the idea of him being traded to the Denver Nuggets, which he can do due to the no-trade clause in his contract, and scored his career 25,000th point Thursday night when the Celtics crushed the visiting Lakers in Boston, 116-95.
Memphis Grizzlies Say Zach Randolph is off the market
Despite word that they are shopping their star power forward Zach Randolph, Memphis Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien said Thursday that the team has no plans to trade Randolph this season.
Since the Grizzlies dealt Rudy Gay to Toronto earlier this month in a cost-cutting move to get under the salary cap, speculation has followed that Randolph, who signed a four-year, $71 million deal with the team in 2011, was next to go on their list.
However, while Levien acknowledged that the team has fielded calls inquiring about Randolph's ability, Levien said Memphis' 2013 NBA All-Star is not on the table this year.
Randolph, in the meantime, is taking the trade rumors in stride.
"I understand this is a business, and my confidence has always been the same," Randolph said Friday to the Commercial Appeal. "I try to come out every night and play my game, whether I give us rebounding, defense, whatever is needed."
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