NBA Trade Rumors: Should Orlando Magic Risk Losing Dwight Howard for Nothing?

The Orlando Magic are in a precarious situation with superstar center Dwight Howard as to whether or not they should trade him to another NBA team.

Superman has told the team that he wants to see significant changes to the current roster before he considers signing a long-term extension with the team, and that means General Manager Otis Smith still has a large amount of work ahead of him.

Although Smith has shown a willingness to pull the trigger on a deal in an effort to improve his club, he doesn't really have many assets to bring to the negotiating table.

While just about anyone not named Dwight Howard is likely available in a trade, the financial commitment owed to some of the Magic players makes it unlikely that they will fetch much, if anything, in any potential scenario.

So what should the Magic do? They can either move Howard to a different club in the hopes of re-building through youthful talent, or the team can attempt to pacify the big man and bring in some other moving pieces in an effort to win a championship next season.

Throughout the entire process, Howard has identified his eagerness to win at the highest level as his primary concern.

Otis Smith has to make an unbiased decision as to what is best for the team unless he wants to wind up in the exact same position as Danny Ferry was during his tenure as general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Season after season, Ferry attempted to move the pieces around in an effort to make them fit alongside LeBron James to spark a championship run.

Unsurprisingly, that approach didn't work.

In today's NBA, a successful general manager cannot have a patchwork style. The person in charge cannot identify an area of weakness and look to simply fill it with a veteran that has had success in the past, because the game is not played on paper.

Instead, chemistry has to be built between the players that translates onto the hardwood. Currently, the Orlando roster is a mishmash of talent that may or may not perform up to their optimum level of play.

With only Jameer Nelson, Brandon Bass and Ryan Anderson as the Magic's most attractive pieces in a trade, it's unlikely that they can swing a deal to pair another superstar alongside Howard.

Should the Magic deal Howard? It may be their best chance at achieving long-term success sooner rather than later.

Howard is the most electric figure that the Orlando franchise has seen since Shaquille O'Neal was patrolling the paint, and they do not appear ready to part ways with the big man.

If they hold onto Howard and let him walk for nothing, they're going to regret it.

If the team stands pat and attempts to compete for a championship with the current core of players, they've got absolutely no shot.