Coveted free agent Juwan Howard has quietly declared his intent to play in Orlando through the prime of his career. Howard has verbally agreed to join the Magic and sign a five-year deal, according to several NBA sources, the Orlando Sentinel has learned.

The deal would start at the mid-level exception, which is estimated at $4.8 million. Over the course of the contract, Howard would earn somewhere in the $28 million range.

Free agents cannot sign until Wednesday, so the Magic will have to wait and even ponder worst-case scenarios. Detroit and Minnesota also were interested in Howard and until he signs the contract, they have a chance to pull off a miracle.

But Howard wants to play in Orlando. It is the Magic's most significant signing since Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady joined them three summers ago.

Howard, who is 6 feet 9 and 250 pounds, averaged 18.4 points and 7.6 rebounds last season for the Denver Nuggets. While he does not address the Magic's need for a center, he is considered an upgrade in the frontcourt. Instead of overwhelming teams with size, the Magic came to the realization that they needed talent and versatility in the frontcourt. They believe they can win with Howard and power forward Drew Gooden along the frontline and a center-less situation. They should be able to rebound and run with this tandem and in today's NBA, they won't get punished for being slightly undersized as much as many would suspect.