Nelson and Dwight Howard, who were close friends since their rookie seasons, were on opposite sides of a trade that sent Rashard Lewis to Washington in exchange for Gilbert Arenas (Nelson considered Lewis one of the team's leaders while Howard reportedly pushed management into making the trade). Their relationship was further strained when Howard publicly stated his desire to play with a superstar point guard like Deron Williams or Chris Paul, and was reportedly the driving force behind the firing of coach Stan Van Gundy. Howard eventually forced a trade to the Lakers in the 2012 offseason. Despite this, Nelson re-signed with the Magic on a three-year deal.