Dwight Howard: Owner's Attempt to Keep D12 Will Hurt the Orlando Magic for Years

The Dwight Howard saga just won’t end, and a major reason for that is Orlando Magic owner Richard DeVos. The 85-year-old owner desperately wants Howard to remain with the Magic, but time is running out.

DeVos said in a recent interview that he doesn’t want to trade Howard, and he believes the team is making progress in re-signing the best center in the NBA:

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"I don't want to trade him...We like to think we're making headway," DeVos said of talks with Howard and his representatives. "But I don't know. He probably won't know until the end and I won't either."

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So DeVos says he thinks the two parties are making progress, but that he doesn’t really know. This type of ownership is part of the reason Howard wants out. DeVos and general manager Otis Smith have failed to put sufficient talent around Howard, and this additional stubbornness about trading Howard is only making things worse.

Howard wants to win and play with other superstars, in no particular order. Actually, playing with other stars must come first because he has been winning plenty in Orlando. He and New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams seem intent on teaming up in the offseason, on any team.

Speaking of winning, the Magic have been doing just that this season, sitting nicely with a 16-10 record. It also helps that the most recent victory came in an absolute thrashing of the in-state rival Miami Heat to the tune of 102-89.

But recent victories probably mean little to Howard, who realizes the team doesn’t have the assets to bring in any big-name talent anytime soon. Howard likely has his eyes set on free agency thanks to the recent quotes from DeVos.

As for DeVos, his stubbornness is going to kill the Magic for a decade or more. His unwillingness to aggressively pursue trade partners for Howard means the Magic will certainly be without the star center next season.

Who can blame the other teams for backing off? No one wants to rent Howard for a year while giving up the majority of their roster. After these recent quotes it has to be apparent to every NBA teams that Howard won’t re-sign and will be available in free agency next offseason.

Even when DeVos was entertaining trade talks, other teams reported that the Magic were looking for veterans in return so that the team could still compete. It doesn’t make sense to trade Dwight Howard for washed-up veterans that will only make the team competitive for a few years—it makes more sense to acquire young talent and draft picks to build for the future.

So while Howard moves closer and closer to free agency, the Magic move closer to being the laughingstock of the NBA yet again. Howard will likely go on to win championships for a team that knows how to build around him and the Magic will receive nothing for the loss.

From DeVos’ standpoint, the strategy of trying to retain Howard makes sense. He is confined to a wheel chair at 85 years old and wants to win a championship. It’s his team, and he can do with it as he pleases.

Despite the sense it may make to DeVos, his strategy is a selfish one, and one that will cripple the Orlando Magic for a decade.

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