NBA Trade Rumors: Why Dwight Howard Has to Expand His List of Teams

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard insists that his trade demand still stands, but if the All-Star center is serious about of getting out of Orlando, there is only one way to help make that happen.

Expand his list of teams.

The Magic have once again granted Howard's agent permission to talk to the Dallas Mavericks, New Jersey Nets and Los Angeles Lakers, but those three teams all have a couple of things in common.

For one, they don't have the assets the Magic want.

Secondly, they couldn't offer Howard as much money as the Magic could if he were to simply sign with them as a free agent next season.

Howard has said that he doesn't think the Magic will trade him anytime soon.

That all could change if he gave the Magic other options.

Magic general manager Otis Smith is in no hurry to deal Howard, nor should he be.

First of all, the All-Star Game is in Orlando and keeping Howard gives the Magic a representative in front of their home crowd at the Amway Center.

There's also the fact the the Magic are currently winning. That's more of a hard read, though. They are 6-3, but the combined record of the teams they've beaten is 12-37. While they certainly aren't title contenders, they can still beat the teams they need to beat.

So while Smith doesn't need to make a deal right now, he likely would if the right offer came by.

The only way for Howard to eventually get what he wants is to expand his list.

Every team will be in on him, but if Howard sticks to only those three teams, he could eventually cost himself around $28 million.

He played things wrong with the on again, off again trade demands at the beginning of all of this.

The Magic won't get an offer that the Hornets got for Paul or the Nuggets got for Carmelo Anthony.

At least not from the three teams on his list.