NBA Rumors: Dwight Howard Will Still Be Problematic for New Orlando Magic Regime

It won't much matter whom the Orlando Magic bring in to replace outgoing general manager Otis Smith and head coach Stan Van Gundy.

That is, unless those (somewhat unfortunate) men brought in by owner Rich DeVos and CEO Alex Martins have a new, more useful answer to the same question that's been hanging like a dark cloud over central Florida all season:

What do we do with Dwight Howard?

According to ESPN NBA Insider Marc Stein, the Magic have already considered former Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks GM Donnie Walsh to the same post in Orlando, where he would serve as a mentor of sorts to Adonal Foyle, the team's current director of player development.

As for coaching candidates, Orlando's short list will likely begin where everyone else's will—with Nate McMillan and Mike D'Antoni among the retreads, and Brian Shaw and Mike Malone from the crop of assistants in waiting. The candidacy of each will likely depend on his ability to appease Howard, which Van Gundy often ignored while actually trying to coach the team.

Howard's leverage isn't quite as strong as it once was, though. A season-ending back injury (the first major malady of his career) makes him at least marginally less attractive to those teams that would otherwise leap out of their seats to talk shop with the Magic. It might also be enough to plant a seed of doubt into Howard's mind, one that could convince him to accept a max contract with the Magic and the job security, in "sickness" and in health, that comes with it.

He's heading into the last year of his current deal and would likely have to leave millions on the table to play elsewhere.

That being said, Howard's still the best big man in the league when healthy and, as such, remains an indispensable peace of the Magic's puzzle.

Assuming, of course, that he isn't still hell-bent on leaving the Magic Kingdom for Brooklyn, Dallas, Los Angeles or wherever else the pastures appear greener from afar.

Even then, he'd clearly be the key to whatever rebuilding project upon which Orlando would embark. Perhaps the new management will be able to coax another team into taking on, say, Jason Richardson or Hedo Turkoglu if Ryan Anderson, J.J. Redick and/or Jameer Nelson (pending his contract decision) are involved in an attempt to reshape the roster once again to Howard's liking.

In any case, the men hired to replace SVG and Otis Smith will be no more effective than puppets if they don't first figure out which way the wind blows—and whether that gust will direct Howard toward or away from Amway Arena.

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