NBA Trade Rumors: Otis Smith Needs to Cave and Deal Dwight Howard

With the way the Orlando Magic crowd was celebrating a preseason win over the Miami Heat, you'd think that they were in the Conference Finals.

Actually, they're cheering because they might not be doing so much more of it in the future. All-Star center Dwight Howard continues to throw his name into trade rumors, even after a nullified deal that would have him playing in New Jersey with Deron Williams right now.

The deal was meant to send Brook Lopez, Gerald Wallace and a few others to Orlando, but was voided by the Magic ownership at the last minute to stop the trade from happening. Howard was reportedly extremely frustrated that he wasn't with a new team, which could mean that we'll end up seeing a less motivated and uninspired player in Orlando this season.

Dwight has flip-flopped on his stance with the team over the past few months. Over the summer, he made it seem that he was thinking about leaving. His name would be brought up in trade rumors over this short offseason period, but he'd actually deny the rumors and would say that he'd stick with Orlando if the organization can create a championship caliber team to surround him.

That didn't last long as Howard's name would once again spring up in trade rumors involving him going to New Jersey.

Dwight has spent his entire career with the Magic since being drafted by the team with the first overall pick in the 2004 draft. Straight out of high school, Howard didn't find the growing up process difficult as the Orlando fan base embraced  Dwight and the thought of having another All-Star center that wouldn't leave this time around, much like what Shaquille O'Neal did when he departed for L.A. the first chance he got.

He'd only average 12 points, 10 boards and two blocks per in his rookie season, but we all saw the potential that was there. Dwight was only going to get bigger, stronger and wiser, and it would eventually pay off with win totals that the Magic hadn't seen since the O'Neal and Penny Hardaway days.

Sure enough, Howard did improve and so did his team. Three years after his rookie season, Howard would average 20 points per for the first time to go along with his first-ever rebounding crown. It would be the first of three consecutive rebounding titles as he'd average 14 boards per in that span, including a career high of four offensive caroms per.

Howard was an unbelievable athlete that could use his athleticism and strength to score at will, but it was his defensive presence that led the Magic to being relevant. Dwight's averaged two blocks per in all but one year and has led the league in blocks per twice. His shot-blocking prowess, his intimidating figure in the middle and his individual defense has led Dwight to winning the past three Defensive Player of the Year awards.

It's also led the Magic to being atop the Southeast Division for three consecutive seasons before the big three in Miami sprouted up. To go along with those division titles, they'd also have four consecutive seasons with at least 50 wins and a Finals appearance in 2009, where they would fall to the Los Angeles Lakers. It was only the second NBA Finals for Orlando, and their first since 1995.

Right then and there, the organization should have brought in quality talent that was capable of making it to the Finals again. Instead, minimal moves would be made, and the Magic would continue running an offense that focused more on the perimeter, rather than the inside where Howard dominated any time he touched the ball.

The Magic offense is designed to have Howard in the middle taking up attention and then having shooters on the perimeter to space the floor. The only problem is that the team relies too heavily on its perimeter shooting, rather than its presence in the middle. By living and dying by the three, the Magic find themselves as a wildly inconsistent team that only goes through momentary spurts of prosperity.

Since the '09 Finals, the Magic have lost in the Conference Finals and the first round. Just like LeBron James and Cleveland and Chris Paul and New Orleans, Howard has grown disgruntled by the fact that he is carrying this team, while management stands idly by and continues playing the same game.

Once you reach a peak, it's at that point that you're supposed to begin making improvement and bringing in talent. James made the '07 Finals with Cleveland and got Antawn Jamison and Mo Williams after; Paul won the Southwest division in 2008 and actually lost key pieces; Howard won the Eastern Conference in 2009 and the team has regressed.

Otis Smith needs to take a history lesson because Howard is in the exact same boat as two other superstars who left their team. The Hornets were fortunate enough to trade Paul and get pieces for him. The Cavaliers, on the other hand, trusted James that he would return, but he departed for Miami and Cleveland finished the season 19-63 without him leading the way.

If the Magic don't want to finish with under 20 wins for the next decade, they'll make a trade involving Howard as soon as possible. He's going to leave in the offseason no matter what, so it would only be best that they can get some key pieces out of his departure. It's mind boggling to think that the organization truly thinks that they can keep Howard, when he has been so adamant about leaving.

The ball is in Smith's court and he has the say on what to make of Howard. If he wants to salvage a franchise, he knows that moving Dwight is the only right move they can make at this point in order to ensure any sort of success in the future.