NBA Trade Rumors: Acquiring Monta Ellis a Mere Pipedream for Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic can try as hard as they want to get Monta Ellis, but if they're not willing to offer Dwight Howard, it's not going to matter. The bottom line is that to get a player like Ellis, you need something to offer. If Howard isn't going to be moved, the Magic don't have that. 

Earlier in the week, ESPN's Chris Broussard tweeted that the Magic are going after Ellis in hopes of enticing Howard to stay:

"

Orl has reached out to G State bout trading for Monte Ellis. No deal imminent, but Orl hoping to add Ellis to appease D Howard, sources say

— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) March 1, 2012"

He also added this in a later column:

"

Golden State is willing to listen to the Magic about a potential trade for its shooting guard, but there is little on Orlando's roster that appeals to the Warriors, according to sources.

Thus, the sides are not close to having the parameters of a deal in place. Instead, Orlando will begin looking for other clubs to get involved in a three-or four-team deal that would satisfy the Warriors and bring Ellis to Orlando.

"

Here's the problem with that. The Magic can bring as many teams as they want into these discussions, the fact is that they have nothing valuable to offer. The problem isn't just that there is little on the Orlando roster for the Warriors, but Orlando is a thin team. 

Whether it's just two teams, or every team in the NBA, negotiating a trade is a cycle of value. If you want a player of Ellis' caliber from the Warriors, you're going to have to give up something of that value, whether the team receiving that commodity is the Warriors, or some other team. 

For the sake of argument, let's say the Magic bring a third team in. Let's also say that said team has available players that the Warriors would be willing to receive after giving up Ellis.  

So, the Warriors get whatever that is from Team X, the Magic get Ellis, what does Team X get? They're not just going to step in to become a middle man between the Magic and Warriors if it doesn't benefit them to do so. 

I can only think of one possible comeback to that argument. While it's an extremely flimsy argument, it goes something like this...

The Magic may not have anything to offer Team X, but the Orlando and Golden State may be able to put a package together to make the deal happen. 

The hole in that argument is that the Magic basically have nothing to offer other than Howard. They have a lot of veterans who can be thrown in for cap purposes, but nothing more than that. If a team is going to give up the kind of talent that it would take for the Warriors to unload Ellis, they're going to need more than veteran contracts coming back their way. 

From there, the problem is that most of the value would come from the Warriors. It only makes sense that if the Warriors aren't interested in what the Magic have to offer than Team X wouldn't be either. 

In that case, it would just be easier for the Warriors and Team X to cut Orlando out and negotiate with each other. 

Sure, you can bring in a fourth team, but the problem still exists. The Magic would be getting back the best player in the trade while giving up the least. That isn't how trades work.

Their efforts to appease Howard are noble, but will go absolutely nowhere. 

Follow @mdixon1985