Kobe Bryant, Andrei Kirilenko, Shawn Marion, Jermaine O’Neal ... Now Juwan Howard Wants Out Of Minnesota?

CNNSI.com reports on another disgruntled NBA superstar requesting a trade:

Soon after Garnett was dealt, Juwan Howard asked vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale and owner Glen Taylor to trade him to a contender.

"Yes I would love to play for a contender and put myself in the position to win a title before my career is over with," the 34-year-old Howard said Friday in his first public comments about the situation. "If I was 27 or 30 years old, this situation wouldn’t be bad at all. That would mean I would still have time to grow with this team, because this is going to be a growing process."

I’m not trying to hate. But this is getting silly. Howard hasn’t been good since, well, his days in Denver. The former Michigan star was a baller back when Bill Clinton was in power at the White House. So what business does he have requesting a trade out of Minnesota? Where does it stop? Is Mark Madsen, fresh off his summer jet skiing injury, next to ask for a trade?

I get where Howard is coming from. He wants to ball for a winner. But there’s only one NBA champ each year. Last I checked he signed with Orlando as an unrestricted free agent back in 2003-04. He picked where he wanted to play. And he picked the Magic. If winning was the priority, Howard could have pursued a deal with San Antonio or Detroit. But the Magic offered the most cash, a multi-year deal worth the mid level exception. 

Trades are part of the business. And Howard must accept that teams still decide most players’ fate. I like Howard. From all accounts, he’s a decent enough guy. He just can’t have it his way all the time.

Agree or disagree with Howard asking for a trade? Let us know in the comment box below.

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