free agency question

[shaqattak]

I was just wandering, w/the lockout going on, what happens to guys like Dwight Howard if say there a full season lockout? After it can he then go to another team, or does the year not count and he still has to play w/Orlando for another year to fulfill his contract?

[tarheelsnipe]

The contracts are based on years with the team, not years played. It doesn't matter if there's no season. The year still counts. That means Dwight Howard may not be in a Magic uniform ever again.

There is a possibility that both sides (players' union and owners) can agree that 2011-12 never happened, and everyone's contracts get extended one year, but I doubt it will happen because the NBA will have two rookie classes coming in. Somebody's gotta go, and it's usually not the young talent.

[shaqattak]

thanks for the clarification