Orlando Magic: 5 Reasons Dwight Howard Stays with the Magic

With all of the talk surrounding Dwight Howard centering on him leaving the Magic, I'm here to tell you why he will be staying put.

A day hasn't gone by this entire offseason where a new "hot" trade rumor is swirling around Howard, even though general manager Otis Smith has made it very clear he will not trade his star center.

Is it so crazy to think that Dwight Howard will stay with the team that drafted him back in 2004? Let's find out.

5. Otis Smith

If their is one thing that general manager Otis Smith has proved over the past few years, it's that he is not afraid to make a move. 

Smith will do anything and everything to convince Dwight Howard to stay in Orlando, even if that means trading away every other player in an Orlando Magic uniform. Okay, so maybe not all of that—but every player not named Dwight Howard on the Magic is possible trade bait.

If there is any possible move out there for the Orlando Magic to lure another star or playmaker to play alongside Howard, I'm confident Smith will go at it head on. 

4. Orlando Is Dwight Howard's City

The City of Orlando might as well be owned by Dwight Howard; he's that important to it. Sure, LeBron James was equally as important to Cleveland—but Dwight Howard actually likes the City or Orlando. 

If there is one thing he's made clear, it's just that. 

Dwight Howard loves Orlando, and he's meant more for it then any other player since Shaq. Without Howard, the Orlando Magic are still playing in the old arena and the Magic never make it to their second Finals appearance in franchise history. The Amway Center is better known by Orlando fans as "The House that Dwight Built."

3. "Create My Own Path"

When Dwight Howard was quoted earlier in the summer as saying he wants to "create his own path," that alone should have eliminated any talks of him running off to L.A.

Howard does not want to be seen by the NBA World as the next LeBron James; all he really wants is to win a title. By staying in Orlando, he can win a title with the Magic and be one of the few players these days to do so by playing with the team that drafted him.

If Howard wants his own path, being the player to lead the Orlando Magic to their first ever NBA Championship would be doing just that. 

2. Contenders

No, the Magic are not favorites in the East by any means, but they are still going to win over 50 games, and they are one good trade away from being back to where they were in 2008-2009. 

The Magic have a good balance of veteran and young players, but it all comes back to one player—Gilbert Arenas. 

If Arenas can just be a 18 and seven kind of guy, the Magic are instantly better team. Many people have written Arenas off, and I wouldn't just yet.

Bottom line is, Dwight's on a contending team already in the NBA, even if they are one or two moves away from being real title contenders, but nearly any team Howard would be traded too would lose so much to attain Howard that they may or may not end up better in the long-run—look at the New York Knicks.  

1. Chris Paul

The best shot for the Orlando Magic have to get Dwight Howard to re-sign will be to pair him up with another NBA Superstar—like Chris Paul. 

If general manager Otis Smith can workout some kind of trade for Chris Paul, or just gamble on them signing him in the summer of 2012, Howard would undoubtedly stay with the Magic and win multiple championships. 

It will be tough for Orlando to sign Chris Paul with their current contract messes of Gilbert Arenas and Hedo Turkoglu, but if the new CBA allows a team buyout their worse current contract (in this case Arenas), then Magic would be able to sign and land CP3.