Orlando, Fla. ? Atlanta high school standout Dwight Howard believes he can help persuade Tracy McGrady to remain in Orlando if the Magic–and T-Mac–just give him the chance before the June 24 NBA draft.

Howard told The Orlando Sentinel on Thursday he should be the No. 1 overall pick and that he’d “love” for McGrady to watch him work out in Orlando for the Magic.

Howard, speaking by phone from Atlanta, says he believes he’s a better player than Emeka Okafor, describing himself as a “a young KG (Kevin Garnett) and Tim Duncan mixed together. That’s me.”

McGrady has said he doesn’t think a player in this draft can dramatically improve the team enough to make him want to stay. McGrady, who can opt out of his contract after next season, has been pushing the Magic to trade the pick and acquire proven players. The Howard camp feels it can change his mind.

Magic general manager John Weisbrod says the club could deal the pick and has fielded at least a dozen calls from teams interested in trading for the No. 1 selection, presumably Connecticut center Emeka Okafor or Howard, a 6-11 forward from Southwest Christian High School in Atlanta.

Howard’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, said he will try to arrange for McGrady to attend Howard’s workout with Orlando.

“We want Tracy to see Dwight work out. We’d like to have Tracy there. I think he’ll see this is an opportunity to have someone special,” Goodwin said. “I think it would be useful just to have T-Mac see Dwight. Tracy has been in this situation before himself.”

McGrady also made the leap from high school to the NBA, selected by the Toronto Raptors with the ninth pick in the 1997 draft.

“I think Tracy would love to play with me,” Howard said. “I know I’d love to play with him.”

Most experts say Okafor is the top pick and the most NBA-ready, and Howard generally has been listed as the second-best player. But Howard and his camp are not shy about selling themselves.

Asked why he should be drafted No. 1, Howard, 18, said, “Because I’m a great player. I have a great attitude and I’m never satisfied with what I did today. My potential has no limit.”

Goodwin said he doesn’t have a feel for what Orlando might do with the pick, but says there would not be an Okafor-Howard debate “if Dwight had gone to one year of college.”

Goodwin compares Howard to his other famous client, LeBron James. James was the top pick last year out of high school by the Cleveland Cavaliers and won the NBA’s rookie of the year award.

“Both have great attitudes, great drive, great desire,” Goodwin said. “Like LeBron, Dwight is the kind of special person who, since an early age, understands how to prepare yourself to play the game.”

Howard says Okafor naturally has received more exposure after playing at a high-profile college for three years and being part of a team that won the NCAA championship this spring.