Dwight Howard: Moves Magic Must Make to Keep D12 in Orlando Beyond Next Season

The deadline has just been extended.

According to WFTV in Orlando, Dwight Howard has told teammates he will fulfill his obligations and play out the remainder of his contract through the 2012-13 season.

That might be a pipe dream, however. Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski reports that multiple players on the team confirm that Howard has made no guarantees about next season: 

"

Three Magic players tell Y! Sports (2 to @SpearsNBAYahoo) and one to me that Dwight Howard did not tell them he was opting in for next year.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) March 14, 2012"

This means that Howard is still more than capable of walking away from the team in the offseason and the Magic would get nothing in return. They would get LeBron'ed. 

So what does a team with the second-highest payroll in the league supposed to do?

Here are five different directions the team could go that would be a big help to keep Howard in the Sunshine State for the next decade. 

Follow Eric Ball on Twitter.

1. Sign New Point Guard

Jameer Nelson is good, but the Magic can do better.

Nelson has one year and $7.88 million left on his deal, and the market for his services should be there. Shedding his deal while having the horrendous Gilbert Arenas contract officially off the books opens up space to make a run at free agent Deron Williams.

He won’t be cheap, but he has been the superstar most often connected to Howard. The duo would instantly form one of the scariest in the league and Howard’s offensive stats would go through the roof.

If Smith can make the cap numbers happen, this should be the dream scenario. 

2. Fire Stan Van Gundy

Van Gundy is a great coach that isn’t afraid of stars...which is not what Howard wants.

D-12 prefers to be pampered and never challenged, something Van Gundy refuses the do. They are better off firing him and finding a replacement that can appease to his superstar’s every need.

Is it what’s best for the franchise? No. Is it what has to be done to ensure Howard stays in Disney World? Yes.

3. Get Rid of Salary Cap Crippling Contract of Turkoglu

It’s not an easy thing to do, but somehow, the team must find a way to shed Hedo Turkoglu and the two years, $23.6 million remaining left on his deal. The younger and more effective player they could land would be huge. It’s the difference between the No. 3 seed and No. 1 in the Eastern Conference.

But they can’t just cut him and be done with it. Thy have to find a trading partner, and that’s going to be incredibly difficult, yet with Howard potentially a goner if they don’t, Smith has to find a way.

As long as they don’t take on too much in contracts to get rid of Turkoglu, it’s a move that has to be made.

4. Trade For Josh Smith

The Hawks were informed by Smith’s camp that he would prefer to be traded, and while it won’t happen this season, he can be had this summer.

Howard has never played with such an athletic and versatile player. He would finally bring some help on defense so everything isn’t on the two-time defending defensive player of the year’s shoulders.

Tons of draft picks, Ryan Anderson and Jameer Nelson may be enough to make this happen. 

5. Give Him More Power

It’s a star-driven league, and the amount of money the Magic would be inclined to lose without Howard would be a devastating blow. To ensure he stays, why not consult him on every transaction the team makes?

Why not make sure he is OK with every hiring in the entire organization all the way down to the ball boy? Howard clearly wants to be wanted, and the only real way to show him is by giving him power. It seems like that is more important than winning in some regards.

The Magic have to alter their roster; no question about it. But the real way to ensure Howard stays is to keep reminding him of the thousands of Orlando fans that bow down to him. Remind him how he owns the city and how much the franchise itself cares about him.

Give Howard the keys and hope he doesn’t take a left turn into a gator infested swamp. If not, the Magic will become less relevant than the New Jersey Nets...a fate nobody in the organization could survive.