NBA Rumors: Orlando Magic Smart Not to Rush into Trading Dwight Howard

So long as Dwight Howard doesn't pull a Carmelo Anthony (i.e. turn into a cancerous force on the court and in the locker room), the Orlando Magic really have no impetus to rush into any trade that would ship their franchise center out of town.

At least, that's what the team is thinking, and rightfully so. According to Steve Kyler of Hoopsworld, the Magic are intent to let the schedule play out and revisit the possibility of moving Superman elsewhere at the trade deadline in March and, if he's still in a Magic uniform after that, in July via a sign-and-trade.

Such patience certainly makes sense, given both Orlando's present run of success and the offers that remain out on the table for them to consider if/when the time comes. The Magic have performed surprisingly well so far this season, racking up an 8-3 record while ranking in the top 10 in the NBA in points scored and points allowed.

Granted, they've only beaten one quality opponent—the Portland Trailblazers. Still, if the playoffs started today, Orlando would be the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, ahead of the likes of the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks.

Contrary to popular belief, this Magic squad isn't just DH12 and a bunch of scrubs. Orlando currently sports four double-digit scorers other than Howard, including emerging forward Ryan Anderson (17.2 points, 7.3 rebounds), a resurgent Hedo Turkoglu (14.4 points, 5.2 assists), J.J. Redick (12.2 points) and Jason Richardson (11.1 points).

And that's without a whisper about Jameer Nelson (7.9 points, 5.4 assists) or Glen "Big Baby" Davis (8.3 points, 4.8 rebounds).

Ultimately, the Magic may not have the pieces in place to challenge for an NBA title this season, but they owe it to themselves and their fans to find out over the next two months, at the very least, if they can hang with the supposed beasts of the East.

If it works out and the Magic make a run at a ring, then they'll have made the most of Howard's time in town and might even be able to convince him to stick around awhile longer. If not, potential deals involving Andrew Bynum, Robin Lopez or whomever the Dallas Mavericks or the Chicago Bulls would put on the chopping block will still be available to Magic GM Otis Smith.

For now, Orlando might as well live in the moment and hope that winning games today will be enough to keep Dwight Howard around tomorrow.

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