NBA Trade Rumors: Magic Inquire About Chandler and Stoudemire for Dwight Howard

The Orlando Magic have inquired about a possible mega-trade with the New York Knicks, headlined by Dwight Howard heading to the Big Apple in exchange for Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler.

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith reported on his radio show on Sunday that sources have informed him that the Magic brass have reached out to the Knicks front office about a potential deal.

According to the staff over at IamaGM.com, Smith told his listeners:

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The Orlando Magic, I will preface my statement by telling you that they have categorically denied this, but my sources tell me that they have inquired about Tyson Chandler and Amar'e Stoudemire going to Orlando for Dwight Howard.

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Stephen A. is an extremely controversial figure in the basketball world, but there is no denying that he has been around since 1993 and has accrued a number of solid sources during his time as a journalist and media personality.

Overlooking the public denial by Orlando, this rumor could certainly be true and makes sense for a number of reasons.

The Magic know that they need to move Howard before the trade deadline or run a severe risk of losing him for nothing after this season.

They also know that the Knicks have some major problems right now and currently have an underwhelming 6-10 record on the year. They play in the biggest media market and are under constant scrutiny, which magnifies their problems even more.

Amar’e Stoudemire has been having his share of difficulties this season in coach Mike D’Antoni’s system and is proving that he may not be able to successfully coexist with Carmelo Anthony on his team.

He’s still one of the most explosive players in the game and could be a star with his hometown team, who is owned by the 85-year-old Rich DeVos.

DeVos is well aware of the closing window to raise a championship banner up to the rafters in his lifetime. That is why he is insistent that GM Otis Smith returns a player who can help them this season if they are going to flip their superstar center.

By adding Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler, the Magic would gain two big men to replace one, and it allows them a fresh start in a system which uses more half-court sets.

D’Antoni’s run-and-gun style is clearly not working for these two stars, and slowing the tempo down would give them a chance to excel and display more of their prowess on both offense and defense.

Dwight Howard would change the culture in New York by becoming a second-banana scorer to Carmelo and would play better defense than Stoudemire and Chandler are playing combined right now.

This eliminates the problem of ball movement and having two guys who want to take a shot every time they touch the rock, which is currently the Knicks' biggest issue.

It would take some crafty GM work to get this deal done, but throwing in additional players and perhaps involving another party or two are all possibilities.

It’s a win-win situation for both franchises that are desperate to make a move.