Orlando Magic Would Be Crazy to Take Brooklyn Nets' Deal for Dwight Howard

The Orlando Magic would be wise to wait for a good deal, or to make Dwight Howard join the Brooklyn Nets via free agency after the season. The deal reported by Chris Broussard of ESPN doesn't compensate the Magic for losing their franchise player.

Broussard writes:

"

The Nets and the Magic are discussing a trade that would send Howard to the Nets for Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks and the Nets' first-round picks in 2013, 2015 and 2017, sources said. Lopez and Humphries, who are both free agents, would go to Orlando in sign-and-trade deals.

"

Let's take a close look at the components of this deal.

Lopez is a solid young center. He scores in the post (17.5 points per game for his career), shoots well from the free-throw line (.796), but he doesn't rebound excessively well (7.5 per game) and he's not a stout defender.

Humphries is an energetic power forward. He can hit the mid-range jumper and he is a very good rebounder (10.7 rebounds per game the last two seasons). Brooks is a young, offensively minded shooting guard. He showed he could score the ball well (12.6 points per game) with minutes last season.

Those are decent qualities, but you must remember, the Nets had these three players last year, minus Lopez who was injured. They had these players the year before that, minus Brooks, because his rookie season was last year.

Deron Williams was a part of the team for part of the 2010-2011 season, and all of last year. Even with him and this group of players, the Nets didn't sniff the playoffs.

So why would the Magic be better off taking them on for Howard, who almost guarantees the Magic a playoff berth in the east every year.

The Magic wouldn't have any star on their team, so they would presumably be worse this season than the Nets were last year. Then there's the matter of the three first-round draft picks.

Sounds great right?

Wrong.

The super-team the Nets are close to assembling would be picking at the bottom of the first round for the foreseeable future. They have already traded for Joe Johnson, signed Gerald Wallace and they are enticing Williams to re-sign with each deal they ink.

The Magic would only be killing the value of the picks by sending Howard to Brooklyn.

I'm almost always pro-player in these deals, as it feels good to see a player have leverage. But as a team, the Magic owe it to themselves to see if they can find a better deal.

If they can't find a deal with a team that Howard is willing to sign with, or a deal with a team willing to rent his services, then it's best to make him play out the season in Orlando.

Why take on players and contracts you don't want, just to get something for Howard?

The commitment to those players could end up setting the team back further than starting from scratch. The Magic would be better off spending Howard's money on players they like than taking the Nets' consolation package.

If Howard really wants to play for the Nets that badly, he'll sign as a free agent after the season.

For now, the Magic have to look out for them ourselves. 

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