Dwight Howard Trade Rumors: Magic Would Be Better off Without D12 Drama

They've gotten rid of Stan Van Gundy, just like he asked. They've fallen all over themselves for the past two years to meet his needs and desires, and still, it's not enough.

If Dwight Howard still wants out of Orlando, it's time to let him go. Enough is enough.

Less than a day after the Magic fired their coach as well as general manager Otis Smith, SheridanHoops.com's Chris Sheridan reports that Howard is still not satisfied with the situation in Orlando and is singing the same refrain he repeated for much of last season: He wants out, now more than ever.

Sheridan said that according to a source, Howard "desperately" wants to be gone by the start of the 2012-13 season, and the Brooklyn Nets are "the front-runner" for his services but the Mavericks, Knicks, Clippers and Lakers are also in contention.

Fine. Let them deal with the perpetual headache he causes.

Howard is an All-Star. He's proven to be a game-changer who can make or break his team's playoff chances, as we saw from the Magic's lackluster performance this postseason after Howard was ruled out. But he also has the capability to make or break his team's playoff chances with his attitude, with the distraction he inevitably brings, on and off the court.

Even before Howard went down with a back injury at the end of this season, the Magic were done. The will-he-stay-or-will-he-go dialogue didn't die even after the trade deadline passed, even after Howard insisted he was, in fact, committed to staying in Orlando. It seemed like a sure thing that he'd be moved, but after he apparently agreed to waive his no-trade clause and stick it out in Orlando through the end of 2013, things were looking up.

For a couple of weeks. Then it was back to the same old complaining and trade speculation.

Sheridan writes that Howard is more eager to leave than he ever was before, and the team is ready to make a permanent exit from the "soap opera" these negotiations have become over the past year.

If Howard wants to leave, it's time for him to go. Even if he doesn't want to leave, it's time for him to go. The Magic cannot possibly deal with the distraction he inevitably brings for another day, let alone another season. Now that Van Gundy and Smith are out of the picture, the Magic have the opportunity to start all over again and build a team around players who actually want to be there and coaches who can control them. They have the opportunity to build a team that can get back to the top of the Eastern Conference.

Howard is no longer a player who can make that happen in Orlando, all talent aside. It's time for both parties to just move on.