Breaking Down How Orlando Magic Lost All Leverage in Dwight Howard Trade Talks

The Orlando Magic have found themselves captive to superstar Dwight Howard's shifting demands for well over a season now, but it appears that one thing isn't changing.

He wants to be traded...or else.

According to ESPN's Chris Broussard and Ramona Shelburne, the Orlando front office's most recent attempt to change Howard's mind was unsurprisingly futile:

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Dwight Howard reiterated to Orlando Magic general manager Rob Hennigan during a meeting Wednesday in Los Angeles that he still wants to be traded and will leave as a free agent after next season.

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Not only was Howard uncompromising in his stance, but he was reportedly disappointed the Magic weren't approaching him with either trade options or a coherent vision of Orlando's future (via HOOPSWORLD's Alex Kennedy):

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Instead, Rob Hennigan wanted to talk things out with Dwight Howard and improve their relationship. Howard was frustrated after the meeting.

— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) July 26, 2012"

It appears we are far beyond the time for making amends.

But Orlando's last-ditch sign of desperation also reminds us that this organization is slowly but surely running out of options. That's almost hard to believe when you're moving a guy like Howard. Surely there would be a market for such a rare talent, right?

Not exactly.

That market has collapsed largely because Howard will refuse agreement on a future long-term extension before he has the chance to officially test the free-agent market in 2013.

Of course, chances are that would be merely a technicality in some instances. Were he traded to the Brooklyn Nets or Los Angeles Lakers, there's little doubt he would stick around.

Nevertheless, the risk of Howard coming on board as nothing more than an incredibly expensive one-year rental is enough to scare most teams away. The Houston Rockets may be willing to roll the dice on such a deal, but they're quite the outlier in that respect.

Orlando might have been able to keep the situation under control if it could have kept mouths closed. Even commissioner David Stern has suggested Howard's party (namely his agent) are guilty of loose lips, and that kind of unchecked flow of information has absolutely sabotaged the Magic's ability to posture vis-a-vis potential trade partners.

So long as other teams know what Dwight's thinking, they also know exactly what Orlando's interests are.

A gentleman's agreement to handle things more quietly would have been in order, though that certainly would have required anyone in Howard's circle to qualify as a gentleman.

It also hasn't helped that Orlando's front office has been a work in progress. The mess with which general manager Rob Hennigan has been left isn't of his own doing. Nor is the fact that the club still lacks a head coach and vision for the roster's future.

The new GM inherited a topsy-turvy game of brinksmanship that no one would envy. That may be Orlando's biggest mistake of all.

The shake-up should have happened long ago. It's not as if the team could have been any more distracted during the year than it already was. The Magic brass needed to get out in front of the situation, but it's been merely reacting from the outset.

Howard has been more than happy to take the reins, wherever that might lead.