Josh Smith to the Magic: Guide to the Potential Move

Josh Smith has been heavily linked to the Orlando Magic because of NBA trade rumors during the 2011-12 offseason.

With Orlando needing to find a way to surround franchise center Dwight Howard with better talent on the roster, Smith's name has popped up as a potential possibility to join the fold.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports was the first to report that the Atlanta Hawks were "gauging interest" in Smith's value on the open market, and Smith had gone as far as to identify four teams for his preferred landing spot: Boston, Houston, New Jersey or Orlando.

Adding fuel to the fire, Ken Berger of CBS Sports followed up the report with a source who claimed the trade talks between Orlando and Atlanta as "totally legit," and that the Hawks were looking to move the athletic forward's sizable contract in an effort to achieve increased financial flexibility.

Given the fact that Howard and Smith have been lifelong friends since they traveled together on the same AAU team, it's not surprising that the two may want to play together in the NBA.

Let's take a look at how it could come together.

How It Could Happen: Trade

As alluded to in the previous slide, the Magic are looking to surround Howard with talent right now in an effort to convince the center to sign a long-term extension with the team.

Smith has not only identified Orlando as one of his preferred landing spots should he be dealt away from Atlanta, but the pairing of his athleticism alongside Howard's would undoubtedly be one fearsome duo.

At just 26 years old and a former first-round draft pick, Smith's talent hasn't evaporated, and a change of scenery could be exactly what's necessary for him to return to previous form.

Statistically, Smith posted one of his strongest seasons last year in 2010-11, but he regressed in terms of his shot selection and relied on his mid- and long-range jumpers with far too much regularity.

In 2007-08, he averaged 17.2 points per game while pulling down 8.2 rebounds and blocking 2.8 shots per contest, and that's exactly the type of presence that Howard needs with him along the front line to thrive.

The two are familiar with one another on the court, and building chemistry between them shouldn't be an issue.

Potential Trade: Three-team deal between Orlando, Atlanta and Los Angeles (Clippers)

Orlando receives: PF Josh Smith, PG Mo Williams, second-round selection from Los Angeles

(The Magic acquire the player the team covets in Josh Smith and a capable point guard to replace Nelson. Williams can help to stretch the defense away from beneath the basket for Howard and Smith.)

Atlanta receives: C Chris Kaman, PF Brandon Bass, SF Ryan Gomes, lottery-protected first-round selection from Los Angeles, second-round selection from Orlando

(The Hawks acquire a true center, allowing Al Horford to kick back to his natural position. Bass and Gomes would provide frontcourt depth.)

Los Angeles receives: PG Jameer Nelson, PF Ryan Anderson, SF Marvin Williams, SG Quentin Richardson

(The Clippers acquire Williams, who can play the small forward spot until Aminu is ready for a larger role. Anderson would also be a phenomenal reserve behind Blake Griffin.)

How Smith Fits in with the Magic

Smith would be an excellent addition to a team that could really use his services.

An insanely athletic power forward, Smith is 6'9" and 240 lbs of raw skill that knows how to use his natural abilities to a distinct competitive advantage.

Orlando has lacked a true presence next to Howard down low, and Smith's arrival would indicate a clear-cut sign to both Howard and the fanbase that the club has an actual interest in improving long-term.

The team currently doesn't have a perimeter threat on its roster, and that will allow teams to key in on Howard for the entire 48 minutes unless the club adds another piece to the puzzle.

While Smith is not a threat from the perimeter, he is capable of hounding the opponent with his mid-range approach and has even proven capable of draining the occasional three-pointer.

It's in Smith's best interest to stray away from those jumpers, as there simply isn't a defender that can keep up with him when he uses his athletic abilities as an advantage to clear out space and drive to the hole.

He'd provide an element to the team that's currently vacant, and any time a team has an opportunity to fill a void with a player with Smith's incredible skill, it would be wise to aggressively pursue that avenue.

Chances of Magic Winning a Championship with Smith

Orlando isn't going to win a championship with just an addition of Smith to the current crop of talent.

The team has more holes on its roster than just on the low block next to Howard, and even if Smith is added to the fold, the team isn't a favorite to emerge out of the Eastern Conference.

Miami, Chicago and Boston are considered the cream of the crop sitting atop the standings, and Orlando would face an uphill battle to knock off any of those teams and reach the final round of the postseason.

While Smith would definitely be a step in the right direction into building Orlando into a contender, the Magic need to undergo an expedited rebuilding process in an effort to keep Dwight Howard with the team for the future.

The club simply doesn't have the luxury of being able to bank on the center's presence after 2012, and the competition is stiff in the pursuit of a title for the 2011-12 season.

There needs to be more pieces added to this puzzle before the Magic can be considered legitimate contenders.

Odds of Smith Landing in Orlando

Current Odds: 25 percent

Howard and Smith have been ballin' together since before either one could grow facial hair, but it's going to be tough for the two to play together in Orlando.

In addition to the limited trade assets that the Magic have, the team simply can't afford to wait until Smith's contract to bring him aboard, as the entire effort behind bringing J-Smoove to the team is to find a way to keep Howard from testing the free-agent waters.

There's definitely a chance that the Magic could put together a package enticing enough for the Hawks to bite if the team is more concerned with financial relief than return of talent in a deal, but there's no doubt that Atlanta could get a more intriguing return elsewhere if willing to absorb an unwanted contract in return.

Additionally, the Hawks and Magic have become playoff rivals due to the back-and-forth between the clubs recently, and it's not exactly in the best interest of Atlanta to help out a rival in its quest to leapfrog in the standings.

The front line would be the most athletic in the league if Smith and Howard were playing next to one another, and that would make for a very interesting combination for opposing defenses to defend.