Golden State Warriors: Why a Deal with the Orlando Magic Makes No Sense

If there's one thing you can say about the Golden State Warriors front office it's this: you can't say they're not trying.

When the Magic approached the Warriors about the availability of Monta Ellis, Golden State's front office could hardly contain their excitement. Unlike a large portion of the fan base, the Warriors were not enthralled about dumping Ellis and the $22 million he's owed over the next two seasons. Rather, general manager Larry Riley and company were ecstatic because they may have the piece to lure super talented (and headliner of owner Joe Lacob's wish list) Dwight Howard to the Bay Area.

Whether Riley and friends misinterpreted that inquiry or simply ignored everything the Magic said is irrelevant. What is relevant is the fact that the only reason the Magic want Ellis is to help convince Howard to stay in Orlando after this season. Howard has said many times that he'd like to play alongside Ellis, and Orlando General Manager Otis Smith knows that his job is likely on the line if he's unable to convince Howard to stay with the team.

The two sides will likely continue kicking the tires on trade talks up to the March 15 trade deadline, but it's hard to imagine any deal emerging.

For the Warriors, they are asking for an All-Star in return for Ellis. While Howard would certainly fit that bill, the Magic do not want to move the big man and have more attractive options on the table than Ellis-plus-filler. The next most "attractive" assets the Magic possess (guards J.J. Redick, Jameer Nelson and Jason Richardson or forward Ryan Anderson) do not fill any needs for the Warriors nor resemble anything close to an All-Star.

For the Magic, the only reason they engaged the Warriors was to keep Howard and acquire Ellis. If the request of a Howard-for-Ellis swap did not end talks right there, then perhaps a quick look at their other options would.

In terms of Howard, the Magic could get significantly better offers from New Jersey (Brook Lopez, draft picks) or Los Angeles (Pau Gasol and/or Andrew Bynum with filler) than what the Warriors could offer.

And in terms of finding a player to convince Howard to stay, Phoenix Suns' guard Steve Nash should be much more affordable. Unlike the Warriors, Phoenix understands where they are at as a franchise (they are three games under .500 with a roster led by two players over 38-years-old) and would ask for the same type of talent in a trade for the impending free agent Nash. Perhaps Nelson and draft picks would appease the Phoenix brass.

Anything is certainly possible at the NBA trade deadline, but a deal between these clubs would mean that one side settled for far less than they hoped for. It wouldn't be the first time in this league, but that doesn't mean it would make sense for either franchise.