NBA Rumors: Magic Must Change Stance on Dwight Howard Trade Immediately

Dwight Howard has been speaking out about his frustration with this Orlando Magic team recently. He sounds like he is losing faith in this franchise and the sooner that general manager Otis Smith realizes that this isn't going to work, the better it will be for everyone involved. 

Smith, to his credit, isn't giving up yet. He told reporters on Monday, before the team lost against Philadelphia by scoring just 69 points, that he is not inclined to make any major roster moves. 

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"If a string of losses causes you to change your plans, then I'm in the wrong job," Smith said.

"I think you look at your team as a whole and understand that we have to fight through whatever we have to fight through and you continue to evaluate everything top to bottom. That's what you do. When it's time to make a change, you make a change."

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I hate to break it to Smith, but it's time to make a change. Howard is the face of the franchise and trying to justify a trade to the fans is not going to be easy, but this team just keeps spiraling out of control. 

The Magic had a promising start to the season, winning 10 of their first 13 games, but losing five of their last seven has left them with a lot more questions than answers. 

Smith can't afford to watch this team keep failing on a nightly basis, otherwise Howard is going to end up leaving via free agency after the season and he could find himself out of a job.

Even if Magic fans revolt after seeing Howard dealt, they can feel a little more optimistic because they will get valuable pieces back in return. It doesn't matter who trades for Howard at this point, just that the team maximizes his value if they decide to trade him. 

The clock is ticking on Smith and the Magic. They have just over one month to figure out what they want to do, but the writing is clearly on the wall that this team has to make the deal they have long dreaded.

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