NBA Rumors: Magic Must Trade Dwight Howard to Build a Winning Team

Earlier Thursday morning, Hoopsworld's Alex Kennedy reported something we've widely assumed for months now: Dwight Howard has no interest in giving the Orlando Magic a long-term commitment and wants a trade as soon as possible.

Kennedy writes:  

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Dwight Howard’s departure from the Orlando Magic seems inevitable, with sources close to the situation characterizing the relationship between the superstar and the organization as irreparable. Sources say Howard no longer wants to be in Orlando and he won’t give the franchise the long-term commitment they’re seeking this summer. Howard hopes to be traded and he has been exploring all of his options in recent days.

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With the Brooklyn Nets atop Howard's wishlist and the Houston Rockets attempting to stockpile picks in order to make a trade for the center, Magic general manager Rob Hennigan's hand seems forced into the best center in the league and one of the league's five most recognizable faces.

But the dirty secret of the Howard-Orlando situation is that, at this point, the Magic need the divorce just as bad as Howard does if they ever plan on contending for championships. Here are a few reasons why:

1.  You cannot rebuild with Dwight Howard on your roster.

Put Howard on any roster this side of the Charlotte Bobcats and they're an instant 45-win team. The only other player in the NBA who can say that is LeBron James.  

Just take a moment and soak in the supporting cast around Howard:

PG - Jameer Nelson (below replacement level)
SG - Jason Richardson (this isn't 2003)
SF - Hedo Turkoglu (ditto)
PF - Ryan Anderson (breakout player, but a free agent)

Now remember that the Magic paid the second highest salary figure in the NBA and you tell me why D12 is unhappy.

That's a cast built to tank, not to win playoff series. There are no tradeable assets and boundless bad contracts. Howard just prolongs the rebuilding process by propping up those around him.

With Dwight in place, this team is destined to a perpetual first-round exit. And, if there's one cardinal rule in the NBA, it's that seeds 5-8 are the absolute last place you want to be as a franchise. 

2.  BREAKING: Howard is unhappy in Orlando.

Unmitigated fact: Only Dwight Howard can put up 21 points and 15 boards on a nightly basis while coasting through games completely detached from his teammates, coaches and fans.  

Throughout the whole "will he or won't he" fiasco, I found myself watching more Magic games than I care to admit on my NBA Season Pass. It was, what I imagine, watching Wilt Chamberlain was like during the period where he got bored and decided to lead the league in assists.

Every block, dunk and rebound felt as if it was accompanied with a shrug. You don't win championships or contend for conference titles when your superstar isn't invested in your franchise. And Howard has been checked out for nearly a year now.  

3.  Big men and back injuries? Get out while you can.

For all of the hysterics about Howard's landing spot, people seem to conveniently forget that the center is still two months from returning from the April 20 surgery he had to repair a herniated disc in his back.

While the surgery was said to be successful and Howard's injury history is surprisingly spotless for a man his size, back injuries often resurface and are difficult diagnoses.  

If the Magic can still get 85 cents on the dollar for D12 and maybe get young players and cap space in return, they need to do it. Not only because Howard will leave as a free agent if they don't, but because it will help send the franchise on a necessary path to rebuilding.  

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