Magic Want to Trade Howard to Bulls
By Josh Hill
Last offseason we were infatuated with ‘The Decision’ and where LeBron James will land. That following season, we became obsessed with where Carmelo Anthony would be traded. Now, because we’re all like hopped up kids craving another sugar high, we are biting our nails and trying to finish the algorithm that will tell us where Dwight Howard will land.
According to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, the Orlando Magic would like nothing else then to trade Howard to Chicago.
But as flattering as that is to be named Prom Queen, it’s still at the end of the day nothing more then a meaningless gesture of acknowledgement.
Not only would it destroy the Bulls to trade for Howard (although the more Howard heats up again the more intense and probable the fantasy gets), Howard doesn’t want to play in Chicago.
The Bulls were on his ‘A-Okay’ list for about half a minute when he gushed to the Chicago Tribune about how much he would love to play with Derrick Rose.
But who wouldn’t?
That statement was gobbled up by most as Howard wanting to come to the Bulls and it opened the door to the masses drawing up various trade scenarios that actually didn’t seem that crazy for either side. But the statements needed to (and still need to) be taken with a grain of salt.
The Magic were struggling and Howard was growing very vexed with his teammates and their effort. It was one of the peaks of his trade attention spikes, so naturally it was an attention grabber.
But as it opened doors to the masses and their video game trade scenarios, the hype about Howard and the Bulls hasn’t died down. Now it’s gotten to the heads of Magic execs who have been in contact with Gar Forman and the Bulls.
But that’s where the trade talks end — and there are no if’s ands or candy and nuts about it.
The major sang keeping Howard form coming to Chicago is is negligence to commit to a long term deal with the Bulls. If — and even if this HUGE if comes to be — Howard does say he’ll sign long term with the Bulls, the pieces that would have to be given up may end up not being worth it in the long run.
Forman has been resistant to trade Omer Asik and/or Taj Gibson since last season’s trade deadline when the Bulls could have easily grabbed O.J. Mayo for either or the pair and fill the hole at shooting guard. One of, if not both, would be involved in the deal.
Carlos Boozer and Jokaim Noah would be part of the deal and the Magic would try for Luol Deng as well because at that point, why not?
It would be a blockbuster, there is no doubting that. But the price the Bulls would have to pay is a stiff one and then puts unprecedented pressure on Rose and Howard’s shoulders (although Howard’s could probably bare the weight for them both). As if last season for the Bulls didn’t heighten the stakes for this year, adding Howard would mean anything less then a championship this year and the following years would be an utter disaster and a failure in the most complete sense.
And before you even get to all the above mentioned, it has to be reiterated that Howard still doesn’t have the Bulls on his approved, certified Howard Fresh list of teams he wants to play for. He said it in passing to the Tribune, what was he supposed to say?
Howard is obsessed with being Raymond, everyone has to love him.
But he won’t be landing in Chicago and this needs to be beaten into the heads of everyone as Thursday’s deadline approaches, especially when blurbs like the one mentioned begin to surface and turn the rumor wheel into hysteria.