With the NBA tradline closing in on Thursday, Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard committed to remaining with the franchise through the 2012-2013 season.
Howard had the option to opt out of the final year of his contract and become a free agent this summer, but after flip-flopping on his intentions several times over the last few days, decided against it on Thursday, signing an agreement to waive the early termination option in his contract.
The Mavericks were considered one of the favorites to land Howard if he made it to free agency, a major reason why they didn't re-sign Tyson Chandler last summer.
But even with Howard out of the picture, Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson said Thursday that Howard's decision was good for basketball.
"At the end of the day, I think it's a good thing for basketball," Nelson said. "As a general manager, I think continuity is good for teams. I think generally speaking, top-flight free agents, it's a good thing when teams can have fans that have continuity at their superstar positions."
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