Dwight Howard Rumors: Magic Star Still Hoping to Be Traded out of Orlando

Fortunately for the Orlando Magic, the team could soon be parting ways All-Star center Dwight Howard.

According to HoopsWorld writer Alex Kennedy, Howard not only wants a trade, but has already moved on from the team and has the Brooklyn Nets atop his list of preferred teams. 

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Sources say Howard no longer wants to be in Orlando and he won’t give the franchise the long-term commitment they’re seeking.

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Although the Magic would lose arguably the best center in basketball, they would also give up one of the bigger headaches in the league. Since the start of last season, Howard has been flip-flopping on his future with Orlando.

There were times when Howard said he was seeking a trade, and others when he said he feels the team has a great future ahead of them. It is outright blasphemous that a top-notch playoff contender to start the season, lost more games than it won in the second-half because of trade rumors. The team was 20-11 through 31 games and finished the season just 17-18.

Regardless of the talent he possesses, it is inexcusable and not worth the trouble to keep a player with that much of a negative impact on the team's success.

The production is clearly there from Howard on a regular basis. The Magic would still finish the season as the No. 6-seed in the East with 20.6 points and 14.5 rebounds per game from Howard. However, this team had no shot at making a run in the playoffs with the constant media frenzy surrounding their center.

Much like the case with Andrew Bynum and the Los Angeles Lakers, Howard's presence is damaging to this team's charisma on the hardwood. Even if the Magic were to go out and find talent to surround Howard with, which is especially difficult given the team's cap room, his negativity is too big of a detriment. 

There are a litany of teams that will be interested in trading for Howard's services, and it's hard to imagine a scenario where the team relives the "Dwightmare" that swept through Orlando during the 2011-12 season.