NBA Trade Rumors: Is Josh Smith Enough for Orlando Magic to Keep Dwight Howard?

Dwight Howard trade rumors continue to run rampant throughout the social media world, but at times, we tend to overlook the fact that the Orlando Magic are going to try and do whatever possible to retain their star, and those ambitions have led them to exploring a deal for Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith.

According to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, talks of Smith heading to the Magic are “totally legit,” citing Atlanta’s desire to shed salary as the primary motivating factor in any deal.

Last season, Smith averaged 16.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. At 6’9”, Smith has caught the attention of the rest of the league with his 7-foot defensive capabilities.

However, he has also drawn attention because of his larger-than-life ego.

Ego aside, Smith would be a great fit along side Howard. He is defensive minded, which is something Howard values and Orlando lacks, and his inside out game is one of the best in the league.

Additionally, Smith, at times, has shown he has the potential to be one of the more prolific scorers in the league. Howard’s 22.9 points, 14.1 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game have carried this Magic team for years, and he would welcome Smith’s impressive stats.

Smith relieves some of the offensive burden from Howard’s shoulders, as well as gives Howard another competent defender to work with, who is also capable of crashing the boards.

With the Magic frantically searching for a player, unofficially of course due to the lockout, to persuade Howard to commit long term to the team, Smith seems like the most likely target right now.

That being said, is he enough? Would the acquisition of Smith be enough to convince Howard that this team is championship caliber?

Orlando took a risk last year, trading for the hefty contracts of Gilbert Arenas and Hedo Turkoglu, hoping that would be enough to catch Howard’s attention.

It wasn’t.

All the aforementioned trades led to were an increase in payroll and decrease in assets for the Magic. Arenas, while still possessing potential, is a shell of his former self, and Turkoglu is not nearly effective enough anymore.

Smith on the other hand would be a different story. He is only 25 and playing at his peak right now; his addition certainly improves the Magic’s chances of retaining Howard.

Unfortunately, he alone may not be enough to keep Howard in Orlando.

Let’s put aside the feasibility of the Magic being able to strike a deal that suits the needs of both parties involved. Smith, while a terrific player, is not on the same level as a Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony or Kobe Bryant, players Howard is known to have interest in playing with.

The previous players are heralded superstars, while Smith, partly because of his public persona, is not. Should Howard ever be forced to miss extensive time due to injury, Smith could not carry Orlando as Howard has up until this point.

It is someone of that caliber the Magic need to target. Paul or Williams could be available by midseason if their respective teams decide to cut their losses.

Assembling an adequate package for either player would prove to be complex, but both are better targets for what Orlando needs to accomplish.

If the Magic were able to acquire Smith and someone else of his caliber, then perhaps Howard would stay. As previously mentioned though, Orlando is thin on assets.

Trading for one high-impact player is a long shot as it is, notes Orlando Sentinel’s Brian Schmitz, and two could prove to be impossible.

Orlando’s biggest trade chip is point guard Jameer Nelson, and it is more than a stretch to say he would be enough to pry Smith away from the Hawks, even if they are looking to dump salary.

Given that acquiring Smith will prove difficult, the Magic may be better off turning their efforts to a superstar with more clout. Simply put, if you are going to dream, dream big.

Orlando needs to inquire about the availability of players like Paul and Williams. Heck, while they are at it, why not see if the Lakers are interested in moving the aging Kobe Bryant.

Crazy? Absurd?

Certainly. But while the above three targets are unrealistic goals, and yes name-dropping Kobe was a joke, they all have more realistic chances of convincing Howard to remain in Orlando and are the caliber of player Orlando needs to pursue.

Because Smith is not going to be nearly enough.