Where's Dwight Howard Going?

Where’s Dwight Howard Going?

As a diehard Orlando Magic fan, it’s hurts to say that Dwight Howard won’t be returning next year. The big man is the face of our franchise and has been the most dominant center in the league for the past five years. Unfortunately, his continued poor attitude and the Magic’s recent free fall have all but secured this fact.

I’ve decided to put on my GM cap and analyze a few potential trades for Dwight Howard. This week, Howard added the Chicago Bulls to his “Wish List,” so I’ve evaluated the five teams, picked (in my opinion) the best possible trade, and organized the deals from least to most plausible. To make things less complicated, I only considered trade scenarios with two teams. I used the ESPN Trade Machine to ensure that all my deals pass the league standards.

New Jersey Nets

Odds: Impossible. You might see Newt Gingrich in Kanye West’s latest video before this happens.

New Jersey simply can’t trade for Howard without a third team. Deron Williams is not on the trading block and the only other contract that can comes close to Howard’s is that of Mehmet Okur and it’s still short by $8 million per year. The Magic have repeatedly stated that the only player they’re interested in on the Nets is Brook Lopez (damaged goods) so trading for Okur is out of the picture. In order for this trade to be approved financially, the Nets would have to basically send their entire (crappy) team minus Williams to Orlando for Howard. This clearly won’t happen, sorry Jay-Z.

Dallas Mavericks

Dallas gets: C Dwight Howard, SF Hedo Turkoglu

Orlando gets: C Brendan Haywood, SF Shawn Marion, SG Jason Terry, G Rodrigue Beaubois

Odds: Almost impossible. The only way this trade will happen is if Magic GM Otis Smith suddenly develops a crystal meth addiction

Although Orlando gets rid of Turkoglu’s bloated contract, this trade will never happen because of Brendan Haywood. He’s not a franchise center and his huge contract will not work with Orlando’s current salary cap. It’s better to not trade Dwight and let him leave instead of accepting this deal.

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers get: C Dwight Howard, SF Hedo Turkoglu, SG Jason Richardson

The Magic get: G Mo Williams, C DeAndre Jordan, SF Caron Butler

Odds: Very unlikely. If Smith is desperate, this trade might happen.

Richardson, Butler and Jordan cannot be traded until March 1^st, so this trade could not be analyzed with the Trade Machine. Orlando gets upgraded at SG and SF while the Clippers have the holy trinity of Howard, Griffin, and CP3. Smith won’t take this trade unless he’s desperate because it ignores Orlando’s need for a true power forward.

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls get: C Dwight Howard, SF Hedo Turkoglu

The Magic get: C Joakim Noah, PF Carlos Boozer

Odds: Good. This trade has about the same odds as Kim Kardashian dating another professional athlete.

This is a great trade for the Orlando Magic. Noah isn’t as dominant as Howard but he’s a very good defender who will neutralize other centers. The addition of Boozer allows Ryan Anderson to play the three—a position that will free him up for more three-pointers. The Bulls will be a little wary about this trade. Chicago has the best record in the Eastern Conference and its management might be hesitant to change a formula that’s already won 18 games.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers get: C Dwight Howard, SF Hedo Turkoglu

The Magic get: C Andrew Bynum, PF Pau Gasol

Odds: Very Good. I’d bet money on this one.

Now that Chris Paul is on the Clippers, the Lakers have lost their title as the only relevant team in the city. Additionally, the Lakers are currently in eighth place in the Western Conference and could potentially miss the playoffs the mediocre play continues. LA has repeatedly said that it won’t offer both Pau and Bynum, but GM Mike Kupchak might change his mind if the Lakers’s playoff spot is in jeopardy.

- Chad Hollis
Twitter: @DJHollisto

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February 3rd, 2012 | Dan | Comments Off |