Orlando Magic Must Move on Without Dwight Howard

Orlando Magic fans may as well be prepared for Dwight Howard's departure, because it's inevitable.

After an ugly season, Magic CEO Alex Martins declared on Tuesday that either Howard signs a long-term extension before the start of free agency or "necessary decisions will be made," via local News 13 reporter David Baumann. Martins also said that he wants Howard to sign an extension before July 1 “so we don’t go through a season like we went through this year.”

Of course, we all know what happened this year. Head coach Stan Van Gundy claimed that Howard asked management to fire him, and Howard's once-pristine image went up in flames, along with the Magic's title hopes.

Martins' stance on Howard signing an extension is a bit unrealistic. Given the new collective bargaining agreement, Howard can only re-sign for two more years, and then three more years after that. In that sense, he stands to make much more money if he enters free agency.

Regardless, the Magic still figure to trade Howard, either during the NBA draft or shortly thereafter, when Howard has completely recovered from surgery on a herniated disk in his back. If the New Jersey Nets land a top-three pick in the draft lottery, they stand as the favorite to land Howard in my opinion.

However it goes down, it's time for Magic fans to start taking down their Dwight Howard posters, and burning their Dwight Howard jerseys (if they haven't done so already). Nothing short of LeBron James' reception in Cleveland will suffice.

If or when Howard is traded, he will become the next great villain in the NBA, alongside James. Some say he already is. He will be regarded as just another superstar with a massive ego and a me-first attitude.

Then, of course, he'll win a title to a chorus of boos, a la LeBron James in (insert year here).

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