Golden State Warriors: Dubs Smart to Drop out of Dwight Howard Sweepstakes

According to Scott Howard-Cooper, the Golden State Warriors "are not expected to resume pursuit after the superstar center told the Magic he wants to be dealt."

This comes after the New Jersey Nets agreed in principle to trade for Joe Johnson.

A proposed deal for Howard would probably be a rental, considering that he has expressed no desire to play in the Bay Area, preferring either Brooklyn or Dallas, according to Ric Bucher.

Renting Howard for a year and risking he leaves would be a horrible decision for Golden State, because this team is far from contending in the Western Conference.

With a young core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes, the Warriors will likely be lethal on the perimeter for the coming years. A big man duo of David Lee and Andrew Bogut is one of the better ones in the league.

This starting five could possibly contend for one of the bottom seeds in the Western Conference, but Golden State still lacks a deep enough bench to contend with the big boys like the Thunder, Lakers, Grizzlies, Spurs and Clippers.

A Howard trade would cost at least Thompson, Barnes and Bogut, leaving the Warriors with only Curry, Lee and D-12 in a best case scenario.

Instead, Golden State is smart to hold onto their young assets, and look to build for the future. Owner Joe Lacob made a very good point saying that Bogut "wants to be here."

Keeping Bogut is far better than bringing in Howard who would likely hold the organization hostage, much like he has for the Orlando Magic.

While it is easy to fall into the trap of "winning now," the Warriors are not and are prudent to do so.

It is going to take at least a few years before the Dubs will make a major impact in the playoffs. However, as we have learned from Oklahoma City, patience is the key.