Dwight Howard Trade Rumors: Why Howard to Bulls Doesn't Guarantee an NBA Title

Sorry Chicago,  Dwight Howard isn't the Superman you're looking for.  The Superman you're looking for is already on your roster, and his name is Derrick Rose.

I know NBA teams are all about star power and trying to consistently improve the talent of their teams, but I'm amazed at how many solidified playoff contenders are willing to dismantle their current rosters for a chance at adding a superstar.

The newest trade rumor circulating around the NBA is that the Chicago Bulls are interested in trading for Orlando Magic's center Dwight Howard.  While it seems like every NBA team is interested in Howard, the Bulls definitely are the front runner.

It goes without saying that the Chicago Bulls have an incredible amount of players and draft picks to offer the Orlando Magic, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a smart move for the Bulls to make.

To get Howard the Bulls would have to give away a package like this; C Omer Asik, SG Luol Deng, PF Taj Gibson and a 2012 first round draft pick.  For the Magic, getting that kind of talent in return for a player who will most likely be gone at the end of the season anyway, is an absolute steal and they would be dumb to pass up that opportunity.  

For the Bulls however, giving away that kind of talent for Dwight Howard just doesn't make sense.  I understand that Howard is a truly elite athlete and top-tier NBA all-star, but breaking up a young athletic team that has made the playoffs the last two season isn't a wise move.

The Miami Heat proved last year that you don't win championships solely by adding NBA All-Stars to your team.  The Dallas Mavericks, on the other hand, proved by winning the 2011 NBA championship just how valuable team chemistry is when it comes to becoming an elite team.  

It takes an enormous amount of chemistry and trust between teammates to win an NBA championship and if the Bulls trade for Howard, they will give away just that.

By adding Dwight Howard, the Bulls will add production to the tune of 18.2 points per game, 12.9 rebounds per game and 2.2 blocks per game.  That production is undoubtedly dominant, but I don't think it warrants all that the Bulls will have to give up.

Don't get me wrong, I think Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose could create one of the most dynamic duos in all of NBA history, but I don't think it would turn the Bulls into the NBA title contender that everyone thinks it will.

Derrick Rose could make almost any NBA player look better than he actually is, and that is what he's done with the current Bulls roster.  Rose has helped the Bulls become a true contender with the average talent that the they have, and he will continue to do that with whoever the Bulls put around him.  

That is why the Bulls don't need to trade for Howard, because all it will do is break up the incredible chemistry the Bulls already have.

If the Bulls traded for Dwight Howard, the Bull's starting five will look like this; C Dwight Howard, PF Carlos Boozer, SF/SG Kyle Korver, SG Ronnie Brewer and PG Derrick Rose, with the first two players off the bench being C Joakim Noah and SG Keith Bogans.  That first seven isn't bad by any means, but trying to imagine immediate chemistry amongst that motley crew is hard to see.   

What the Bulls need to do instead of trading for Howard is target a talented shooting guard like Richard Hamilton or Jamal Crawford to compliment an already strong and athletic roster. 

Uprooting an entire roster for one player is sometimes worth it, especially if your team is no good anyway, but that's not what the Bulls are.  The Bulls are a solid team and have proven to be a real contender with the talent they have, and they need to simply stick with that.

If the Chicago Bulls are serious about contending for an NBA title against teams like the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics, they need to stop dreaming about getting Dwight Howard and start making acquisitions that compliment the talent they have.