NBA Rumors: Chicago Bulls Must Continue to Resist Dwight Howard Temptation

The Chicago Bulls have managed to steer clear of any potential trade for Dwight Howard despite constant links between the two sides. The Bulls must continue to avoid any temptation to add the Orlando Magic center as the trade deadline approaches.

Howard has not made a long-term guarantee to Chicago, which would make any move for him an unnecessary risk for the Eastern Conference leaders. Ken Berger of CBS Sports reports that hasn't stopped the Magic from tying to work out a deal.

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But the team that can make the strongest case for Orlando to depart from its risky strategy of holding onto Howard are the Bulls, who could offer 7-footer Omer Asik, Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer for Howard and Hedo Turkoglu, sources said.

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If Howard said he would immediately sign an extension with the Bulls, that would actually be a pretty fair offer for both sides. It would certainly give Chicago more firepower for a potential conference final matchup with the Miami Heat.

He hasn't given any indication he'd be willing to agree to a deal, however. There's no way the Bulls should risk that much talent and leave themselves in the same situation Orlando is currently in. It just doesn't make any sense.

The Bulls aren't in first place by mistake. Their roster is already good enough to make a deep playoff run, and potentially win an NBA title.

Any significant move at the deadline would run the risk of ruining team chemistry. Who knows how long it would take to incorporate Howard and Turkoglu into the mix. It certainly wouldn't happen overnight.

Since the NBA is working on a condensed schedule, practice time is limited. That means it would take longer than a normal season to get everything operating like a well-oiled machine.

Then what happens if the Bulls don't win a championship and Howard walks away? All the hard work by the team's front office to build a contender goes down the drain because they went all-in. Sometimes it's better to just fold your hand and maintain the chip lead.

Chicago, led by general manager Gar Forman, has done a nice job of staying out of the sweepstakes so far. But you know the temptation will be there every time the phone rings and it's the Magic. The Bulls need to keep standing strong.

Howard is one of the league's most dynamic players, so it's only natural to have some level of interest. That said, even superstars have a certain price that can't be exceeded, especially when they're potential free agents at season's end.

It might not be the most exciting decision, but the Bulls are best off standing pat at the deadline.