NBA Trade Talk: 5 Worst-Case Scenarios in Dwight Howard Sweepstakes

As the NBA season draws closer to the trade deadline on March 15th, talks about where Dwight Howard will be playing on March 16th will only get hotter than the scorching level they have already reached.

Even if Howard stays with the Orlando Magic through the 2011-12 season, the talks won’t cease any time soon, considering Howard becomes a free agent this offseason.

In the following slides, you will find five worst-case scenarios for the Orlando Magic.

Whether Howard leaves Orlando as a free agent, the team trades him before the deadline or he decides to stay in Orlando, this article has every less-than-savory outcome for the Magic covered.

5. The Orlando Magic Re-Sign Dwight Howard, but the Team Doesn’t Improve Overall

One possible scenario that could unfold if the Orlando Magic do indeed keep Dwight Howard in Central Florida for the next several years, but they fail to put enough, or the right the amount of players around Howard to build the Magic into true title contenders.

Howard would get some of the blame for deciding to re-sign with the team, but I have a feeling the team would lose a lot of credibility with both fans and media for not being able to accommodate their start after sticking with them in favor of a bigger market.

4. The Orlando Magic Try to Mimic the Denver Nuggets Success

After the Denver Nuggets traded Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks last winter, the team has managed to (surprisingly) be a playoff team in the Western Conference, despite not having one true superstar (or some would argue one clear-cut star) on their roster.

But something tells me the situation that’s unfolded in Denver is a unique one.

If the Magic hope to trade Howard for a slew of non-expensive, borderline stars in hopes of saving money and trying to mimic what the Nuggets have done, it could very easily backfire.  

3. They Trade Dwight Howard for Andrew Bynum, Bynum Turns out to Be a Bust

What if the Orlando Magic trade Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers for Andrew Bynum, and the within the first 25 games playing in an Orlando uniform, Bynum suffers another knee injury, sidelining him for the entire season?

Right now the trade seems as as fair as it ever has, given the fact Bynum is playing the best ball of his career, averaging career highs in both points (15.9) and rebounds (13.2). Even Shaquille O’Neal, although we don’t know if his statements were grounded in honesty or jealousy, recently said he thought Bynum—rather than Howard—is the game’s best big man.

It’s possible the Magic would rather start from scratch rather than see Howard flourish in L.A. while Bynum sits in a knee brace watching the action from the pine.

2. The Orlando Magic Don’t Get the Right Talent in Return for Dwight Howard

OK, the Orlando Magic decide they are not taking any chances, and trade Dwight Howard before next summer to ensure they receive something in return for the reigning Defensive Player of The Year.

Now, let’s say on paper the Magic get some nice pieces in return for Howard. But for whatever reasons—chemistry, players being too old, etc—the players don’t come together like originally thought and the Magic, although they wouldn’t be a lottery team, would be nothing more than a middle-of-the-road team in the Eastern Conference.

Some may think this would be better than being in last place, which would likely be the case if they let Howard walk this summer as a free agent with nothing guaranteed in return.

But at least with the latter scenario, the team could replenish their stock with top prospects from the college ranks.

1. Dwight Howard Exits Via Free Agency, and the Magic End Up with Nothing

Let’s say the Orlando Magic feel really confident they can convince Dwight Howard, who becomes a free agent this summer, to re-sign with the team this offseason and decide not to trade him before the March 15th trade deadline passes.

Orlando General Manager Otis Smith and Co. better be really confident. Otherwise, the Magic run the risk of being in the same, empty-handed boat the Cleveland Cavaliers were when LeBron James signed with the Miami Heat in the summer of 2010.

If the team feels they are not the front runner in the “Howard sweepstakes," they may as well trade him now to get something in return and potentially save the franchise from being one of the league’s worst for the next several seasons.