HoopsHype.com Rumors

Orlando president Alex Martins was a member of the Magic organization when O'Neal was there as a player and has a solid relationship with him. ESPN.com

Orlando Magic, Shaquille O'Neal, Alex Martins 

“We are extremely honored and humbled that Amway Center has been named as the best sports facility in the nation for 2012,” said Magic CEO Alex Martins. “The judges have recognized that the facility has been designed and operated with the patron in mind first.” Orlando Sentinel

Orlando Magic, Alex Martins 

Royce Young: "Dwight did not want to be part of this decision, he didn't make this decision, he never asked me to make this decision>" -Alex Martins Twitter

Orlando Magic, Coaching, Dwight Howard, Stan Van Gundy, Alex Martins 

Royce Young: "Dwight Howard never asked me to fire Stan Van Gundy." -Alex Martins. So SVG was just making that stuff up, is what he's saying. Nice. Twitter

Orlando Magic, Coaching, Dwight Howard, Stan Van Gundy, Alex Martins 

Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins said Tuesday night that his evaluation process of the team’s basketball operations department is still ongoing. “No decisions have been reached,” Martins told the Orlando Sentinel via text message. Orlando Sentinel

Orlando Magic, Otis Smith, Alex Martins 

Martins and Chairman Dan DeVos have said team officials evaluate the performance of the basketball-operations department and other areas within the organization after every season. But the status of Otis Smith, the team’s president of basketball operations and general manager, and coach Stan Van Gundy are in doubt. Smith reportedly will meet with team officials Wednesday. Orlando Sentinel

Orlando Magic, Otis Smith, Alex Martins 

Smith has told the Sentinel he was not sure whether he wants to return for the 2012-13 season, the final season of his contract. Smith did not return a phone call from the Sentinel on Tuesday. Orlando Sentinel

Orlando Magic, Otis Smith, Alex Martins 

Alex Kennedy: Rumor has it that Magic CEO Alex Martins is on a cruise and nobody has been able to reach him. He'll be shocked when he gets off that boat. Twitter

Orlando Magic, Coaching, Dwight Howard, Stan Van Gundy, Alex Martins 

“Whatever happens at the end of the season is not under my control. I am a player for the Magic,” he said. “I am not the GM. I am not [team owner] Rich DeVos. I am not [CEO] Alex Martins. So that’s not my job. So you guys should stop with every other week it’s trying to find something, because there’s nothing. There’s nothing. I haven’t said anything to anybody about anything. Our main concern is winning. So all the other stuff should stop.” Whatever, Van Gundy, by coming forward Thursday, made it impossible to believe there is “nothing.” He made it clear that if he were to be fired at some point that Howard had something to do with it. Orlando Sentinel

Orlando Magic, Coaching, Dwight Howard, Stan Van Gundy, Alex Martins, Rich DeVos 

Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins said the franchise will stick with its longstanding policy of waiting until the end of the season to evaluate the performance of coach Stan Van Gundy and General Manager Otis Smith . But Martins added that coaches and players have done an "incredibly commendable job" dealing with the rumors and speculation that have hovered over the team this season. Orlando Sentinel

Orlando Magic, Coaching, Otis Smith, Stan Van Gundy, Alex Martins 

Both Van Gundy and Smith are under contract through 2012-13. Martins insists that he did not make any specific promises to Howard to convince Howard to waive his early-termination option. "Nothing specific has been pledged," Martins said. "The conversations all centered around wanting the same thing, and that's to win a championship, and the only pledge made is that we will do what it takes to win a championship. "Rumors happen in our league every single day, and coaches and players work through those rumors. I think, as I've said several times, that our coaches and our players have done an incredibly commendable job working through every rumor that we've had this season, every speculation that we've had this season, every concern about whether a specific player would be traded or not traded. For us to have the fifth-best record in the NBA [at the trade deadline] with all that swirling around, to me, is a great testament to our coaches and our players." Orlando Sentinel

Orlando Magic, Coaching, Otis Smith, Stan Van Gundy, Alex Martins 

Magic executives, including CEO Alex Martins, GM Otis Smith and owner Rich DeVos, were expecting Howard to lead off the conversation Wednesday night -- hours after Howard had informed a high-ranking team official that he wanted to sign the ETO waiver, commit to Orlando and not be traded. But when the Magic officials got on the call, the first voice they heard was Fegan's, according to a person who was briefed on the call. Fegan spoke for about 10 minutes, the person said, informing team officials that Howard was not willing to relinquish his ability to become a free agent after the season. When it was Howard's turn, all he could muster was a plea for DeVos and the Magic brass to "trust" that things would work out. "Then you're watching the game," a person familiar with the chronology of events said, "and you're thinking, 'Oh my God, this is his last game.' " CBSSports.com

Orlando Magic, Free Agency, Trade, Otis Smith, Alex Martins, Rich DeVos 

Alex Kennedy: Source says Dwight Howard met with Magic CEO Alex Martins and owner Rich DeVos this afternoon, informing them that he'll opt-in next season. Twitter

Orlando Magic, Trade, Dwight Howard, Alex Martins, Rich DeVos 

Brian Schmitz: Magic CEO Alex Martins says "several" teams willing to "rent" Dwight without assurances he'll stay Twitter

Orlando Magic, Trade, Dwight Howard, Alex Martins 

With the combination of Howard’s disdain for confrontation, desire to be liked and a pragmatic belief that a trade is no longer in his best long-term interests, Howard has created an illusion with the Magic that there are factors that could cause him to sign an extension with the team. “Dwight’s gone, and [Magic CEO] Alex Martins is the only person who doesn’t believe that,” a league source with knowledge of Howard’s intentions told Yahoo! Sports. Yahoo! Sports

Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic, Free Agency, Trade, Dwight Howard, Alex Martins 

“But we’ll have to wait and see what happens,’’ Van Gundy said. “But if Dwight stays, then we’ll have the same storylines.” As for the team’s ongoing discussions surrounding Howard, Magic CEO Alex Martins told the Orlando Sentinel yesterday the team has yet to decide. “We’re not at the point where we’re ready to answer that question yet,” Martins said. “Sometime in the next four days we will be, but we’re not at the point where we’re ready to answer that question yet.” New York Post

Orlando Magic, Trade, Dwight Howard, Alex Martins 

Orlando Magic Chief Executive Officer Alex Martins indicated Sunday that the team has not decided whether it will trade Dwight Howard before the NBA trade deadline on Thursday afternoon. The Magic face one of the most momentous personnel decisions in franchise history: Do they trade the best center in the sport before the deadline to ensure they receive assets in return or do they hold onto Howard and accept the risk that he could sign a free-agent contract with another team in July and leave the Magic with no assets in return? Orlando Sentinel

Orlando Magic, Trade, Dwight Howard, Alex Martins 

"We're not at the point where we're ready to answer that question yet," Martins told the Orlando Sentinel before the Magic hosted the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. "Sometime in the next four days we will be, but we're not at the point where we're ready to answer that question yet." In the meantime, Martins continues to speak with Howard in an effort to convince Howard to remain with the team. On Friday, Martins met with Howard and at least one of Howard's key advisers. Martins would not disclose specific details, but Martins did say that he outlined the team's marketing plan for the next year "as it relates to the team and how our plan is for Dwight an integral part of that." Orlando Sentinel

Orlando Magic, Trade, Dwight Howard, Alex Martins 

All signs are that Magic Chief Executive Officer Alex Martins continues to speak with Howard almost daily to convince Howard to stay. And it also appears that Smith has attempted to upgrade the roster since the All-Star break in an effort to sway Howard. Martins has said he is "hopeful" that Howard will remain long-term, which jibes with the team's overall message that it will do whatever it can to retain the superstar center for years to come. Orlando Sentinel

Orlando Magic, Trade, Dwight Howard, Alex Martins 

There’s a part of me that still believes Dwight Howard is long-gone. He’s been looking for reasons, albeit not many good ones at times, to bolt the tiny little suburb of Bore-Lando. Not I’m not so sure. One reason: Alex Martins. The man who once handled media relations for the Orlando Magic way back when has risen to power in the organization, and deservedly so. Martins is the last man standing who might be able to convince Howard to stay. Orlando Sentinel

Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard, Alex Martins