Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

Dwight Howard signed a waiver Thursday that keeps him with the Orlando Magic through next season.

The waiver denies him the right to terminate his contract after this season. After going back and forth regarding his intentions, Howard said Wednesday that he would sign.

A source had told ESPN The Magazine’s Ric Bucher that the New Jersey Nets had been told earlier Thursday that Howard would not be available in trade.

RealGM.com initially reported Howard had decided not to opt out and become a free agent this summer.

Howard’s about-face is the latest change of heart during a wild 24-hour period for the superstar center and Orlando’s fan base.

Early Wednesday, Howard told Magic management he would not opt out of his contract and would remain with the club next season. Later that evening, he told select teammates the same thing.

Then, during a conference call before Wednesday’s game in San Antonio, Howard told the Magic he was not prepared to sign the ETO (early termination option) waiver, ESPN.com’s Marc Stein reported.

One source close to the NBA’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year insisted Howard “didn’t fully understand the ramifications” of surrendering his ETO.

Dan Fegan, Howard’s agent, then added in a statement to ESPN.com that Howard only did so in conversations with teammates and team officials earlier Wednesday because he had been warned by the Magic that they would definitely trade him by Thursday’s deadline if he didn’t take that step.

“Dwight has chosen not to waive his ETO under pressure from the team that he might be traded,” Fegan said. “However, Dwight expressed once again on a call today with the DeVos family and Alex Martins that he very much desires to pursue a championship this year with the Magic. Dwight also expressed that he had no intention of leaving the Magic high and dry at the end of the season.”

But after the game in San Antonio, Howard again reversed his decision and told Magic officials he wanted to stay, sources said. After mulling it over on the club’s postgame flight from San Antonio to Orlando, Howard told the Magic he was ready to sign the waiver right then and there, at about 3 a.m. ET.

The Magic, according to sources, told Howard to continue thinking about his decision and made plans to meet with him and have him sign the waiver early Thursday.

“They did not want him to sign the paper at 3 a.m.,” one source said. “They wanted him to sleep on it and come back with a clear head in the morning.”

Howard told RealGM.com that he was having a hard time leaving Orlando, the only NBA city he’s called home since entering the league out of high school.

“Man, listen, you know my heart, my soul and everything I have is in Orlando. … I just can’t leave it behind,” Howard told RealGM.com.

Howard also told the website that he was sorry for the way the situation has played out.

“I have gotten some bad advice,” Howard said, according to the report. “I apologize for this circus I have caused to the fans of our city. They didn’t deserve none of this. I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart. I will do whatever I can to make this right and do what I was put in Orlando to do.”

By signing the waiver, Howard passes up the opportunity to sign a long-term contract this offseason. If he had opted out and re-signed with Orlando, Howard could have secured a max contract of $109 million over five years. If he signed elsewhere, he could have received $81 million over four years.

He is eligible to sign a two-year or three-year extension with the Magic, or he can collect his $19 million next season and then become a free agent, but Howard runs the risk of incurring an injury before signing another long-term deal.

The Nets, who have been counting on teaming Howard with Deron Williams either this season or next in their new Brooklyn home, are the biggest loser in this situation, as there is widespread speculation that Williams will leave the club as a free agent this summer to play with his hometown Dallas Mavericks if Howard remains in Orlando.

The Nets, however, are adamant that they will not trade Williams before Thursday’s deadline, regardless of Howard’s decision, a source close to the situation said. The Nets, according to sources, believe it would be better to start from scratch rather than make a rash trade for a collection of players they do not want.

Another source told Bucher Thursday that the Nets will work on some kind of deal at the deadline.

WRITTEN BY Chris Broussard | ESPN The Magazine- ESPN.com senior NBA writer Marc Stein and ESPN NBA Insider Larry Coon contributed to this report & FULL STORY HERE