NBA Rumors: Keeping Dwight Howard Is the Wrong Move for Orlando Magic

Players like Dwight Howard don't come along very often. One might go as far to say that No.12 is a once in a decade talent. It would certainly be understandable, as Howard has proven himself to be one of the most dominant players in this generation, drawing more double teams than any big man since Shaq in his prime. 

The Orlando Magic would love to keep their All-Star center. The owner himself has gotten involved in the push to get Howard to stay. Although he has only become more valuable, finally developing an offensive game to complement Hall of Fame-worthy defensive prowess, the Magic would be better off dealing Howard.

Dwight has made his intentions of leaving quite clear over the last several months. And although he started off by requesting a trade privately, the situation has devolved into another media circus. Only more destinations will be added to Howard's wishlist as the season goes on.  The Magic have some good talent on the team, and despite righting the ship this month, performance has suffered because of the distraction he has been. And it's only going to get worse.

Magic fans should look to the bounty that teams like the Nuggets and Jazz received in exchange for their superstars. When the dust settled, both Denver and Utah ended up improving their teams with the high draft picks and lottery players they got.

Contrary to popular belief, there are some scenarios where the Magic would be fairly compensated in a Howard trade.One possibility is Andrew Bynum, the Lakers' $8.9 million trade exception and multiple draft picks from L.A. Another would be Tyson Chandler and Amar'e Stoudemire, in addition to some other pieces from the Knicks. 

Either choice would be preferable to letting Howard walk and getting nothing in return. And both would still put Orlando on a different, but faster path to rebuilding while making the team better and deeper.

A small hope that the Magic can hold to is that they will be able to swing some kind of trade to bring in a top player to complement Howard. Although highly unlikely with their toxic contracts, anything is possible, with the Pau Gasol trade a few years ago being a good example. 

Orlando's team structure has remained the same in the last several years. Dwight Howard, and complementary shooters around him. The Magic have always lacked a legitimate scoring threat to go with Dwight's 20/10 average. They have tried again and again to find the missing piece, with Turkoglu, Arenas, Vince Carter and Jason Richardson. None have worked out.

Ryan Anderson has been a pleasant surprise this year, showing an ability to rebound and score. But he is still more of a 3 to Howard's 1. 

Perhaps, the only way Howard could be appeased is if the Magic win the NBA Finals. Orlando is currently in control of the sixth seed, and although they may be able to get through probable first-round opponents in Philly and Atlanta, it's unlikely they make it to or past the Eastern finals. So there's no point in keeping Howard just to be "competitive" when there's ultimately no way that can end in a championship.

The best ending for the Magic would be to take one of the attractive packages offered to them and reload on talent immediately through a Howard trade. There's nothing to gain by keeping him, and whatever happens in the future, free cap space and potential lottery picks, this is the crucial first step to improving towards a championship run.