NBA Trade Rumors: Keeping Dwight Howard Would Be Foolish Move by Orlando Magic

Rumors of trades to the New Jersey Nets or Los Angeles Lakers have surrounded Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard in recent weeks, but it seems as though the Magic may simply keep him. That, however, could severely damage the team's future.

According to Chad Ford and Marc Stein of ESPN.com, the Magic turned down a three-way deal that would have brought Nets center Brook Lopez and Portland Trail Blazers swingman Gerald Wallace to Orlando, while sending Howard to New Jersey.

While it's understandable that the Magic might be apprehensive when it comes to trading their star player, it is senseless to keep him around if he isn't committed to the team. Even though Howard hasn't shown any indication that he might re-sign with Orlando, Magic CEO Alex Martins believes it's a possibility.

"

"I'm an optimist," Martins said. "I am confident that we can work with Dwight and convince him to stay here long term."

"

While Martins' optimism is great, it's also impractical. Holding onto a player based on an inkling or a gut feeling makes little sense, especially when that player can easily skip town at the end of the season. The Magic reportedly had a perfectly reasonable offer on the table, but they turned it down for no real reason.

Howard has been fairly wishy-washy with regards to his trade demands, at least publicly, but he doesn't seem like a player who is happy with his current situation. Some may say that the Magic shouldn't help him out by granting his wish, but the organization needs to look out for itself first and foremost.

With or without Howard, the Magic aren't going to be title contenders this season. Even with Howard in the fold, the Magic haven't made significant enough improvements to surpass teams like the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics or New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference.

With no championship run to be made, holding onto Howard is little more than wishful thinking at this point. The production of Lopez and Wallace may not exactly measure up to Howard, but it certainly wouldn't be that far off, even if Howard is clearly the best center in the game.

Lopez is constantly improving and should be a cornerstone on the interior for years to come, while Wallace is a very solid all-around player and a former All-Star. When you add those players to the likes of Jameer Nelson, Glen Davis and Jason Richardson, the Magic would still be a solid team.

Right now Howard is a distraction, preventing the Magic from moving forward. Unless something miraculous happens, I simply don't see Howard remaining in Orlando past this season. Because of that, the Magic need to accept defeat, cut their losses and take the best deal they can get for Howard.