Dwight Howard Trade Rumors: Magic Should Have Been More Firm with Ultimatum

The Orlando Magic have allowed Dwight Howard to bend their organization over backwards for months, but they have finally stood up for themselves. It's months overdue, but it's a start. 

According to SI.com reporter Sam Amick, the Magic have set a tentative deadline in this saga. Amick reports that they hope to have a deal done by early August. 

It's about time. One player has held the NBA hostage for entirely too long, and it needs to end. It doesn't even really matter where he goes at this point. He just needs to go. 

Of course it matters where his numbers go. Howard is going to make one team extremely happy, at least for the short time it takes before he starts whining again. He's typical. Unless the situation completely suits his primadona, "get mine" attitude, he will be a cancerous cyst on the underbelly of one unlucky franchise. 

Howard's suitors can't change that. I mean, they could, but that would require turning away the NBA's best center. In today's win-now world, that just isn't going to happen.

So that leaves the Magic to put Howard in his place so to speak.

The reported ultimatum isn't going to do that now, but it's the right idea. This right idea is too late, but it shows that NBA front offices actually have a backbone. 

Everyone has heard the "inmates run the asylum" idea. This is a classic example. The entire NBA is on watch because of ONE guy. I don't care who he is, or who he thinks he is; if a player is willing to hold up trade talks for this long, he's not a guy any team should want on their team.

The dwindling faction of Howard's supporters hope that he will find a home somewhere and avoid all of this again, but why? At this point, what could possibly make you believe that Howard isn't just that guy?

This is the equivalent of a timeout for Howard. I'm hoping the Magic have finally said "Dwight, I don't care where you want to go. By this date, you are moving." 

Good for Rob Hennigan and the Magic brass. It's not about what Dwight wants, and it never should have been. He's done nothing to command respect from the Magic higher-ups, and it's about time they show him who really runs the show. 

We've seen this saga twist way more times than we should have. Don't be surprised if this changes, but for the Magic, and every other NBA franchise, I hope it holds up. 

The franchises run the Association, not the players. It's time for Howard to learn that.