NBA Trade Rumors: Why Rush To Trade Dwight Howard is Stupid Move

There is going to be an immediate rush by some among the Orlando Magic community to trade Dwight Howard now. However, to do so would be a flat-out stupid move. The best course of action for the Magic is to exercise patience. 

Essentially one thing is certain in regards to Howard: almost anyone would be happy to have him. There is going to be a market for him. There are the rumored teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. Then there are the teams with a ton of cap space, like the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers. 

In fact, there are probably about 25 teams at minimum that would be willing to try to put a package together for Howard. There are a smattering of teams, namely the Bulls, Thunder, Grizzlies and Heat, who are pretty set to compete with their current rosters. They aren't looking to overhaul young developing teams. 

Aside form that, it's an open market, and the principle of capitalism is at work here. Supply and demand drive the market. If you have an original Da Vinci you don't sell it to the first bidder; you let the process play out. 

Look at what the Denver Nuggets did with Carmelo Anthony last year. By letting the bidding process play out they ended up getting the store for him. That's the lesson the Magic (and the Hornets, for that matter) need to learn. 

For right now they shouldn't even be concerned with what the deals are. Just the fact that they exist is plenty. Every bid will be bigger than the last, and Howard should bring a windfall. 

There is another reason at play here too. With the new CBA, the amnesty clause gives the Magic a glimmer of hope of keeping him. Buying out Gilbert Arenas' contract gives the Magic sudden, though marginal, financial flexibility. In fact, it drops them below the cap.

The Magic could be a competitive team this year. Brandon Bass started to emerge a bit last year, as did Ryan Anderson. Jameer Nelson is ready to step into the starting role. The Magic should at least start the season and see how they play. 

They should entertain the notion that Howard might stay. If the season gets a month old and they find out they are in the playoff race, Howard might start talking about staying. If they aren't in the thick of things, all they've done is drive up the price. 

Whether it's Howard staying, or just getting more for him, then there's plenty of reason to wait, and not a lot to rush. The smart thing for the Magic to do is hold off on trades, but keep up on trade talks. 

The Magic owe it to Howard and their fans to at least try.