The Magic told Dwight Howard before the deadline that “he would be a Laker by the end of the day,” according to one source, if he did not sign an agreement to waive the opt-out clause for the final season of his contract.

Even though Howard's camp had permission to talk to the Nets, Mavericks and Lakers, he only wanted to go to the Nets.

“He was adamant: New Jersey, New Jersey, New Jersey,” a source claimed.

The Magic want to avoid a repeat of Howard's indecisiveness this summer.

“[The Magic] do not want to go through it all again,” said one source who claimed Orlando wants a commitment from Howard on an extension before training camp to avoid his bolting as a free agent in 2013. “[The Magic] are determined to avoid another year of that.”

Orlando preferred the trade offer from the Lakers that would include Andrew Bynum, Devin Ebanks and Steve Blake.