Superman traded! The Magic aren't so when it comes to getting value.

As the Olympics finished up a trade of momentous proportions in the NBA went largely unheralded. The trade of Dwight Howard, a top three player NBA, from the Orlando Magic to the Los Angeles Lakers is the most significant move of the whole offseason. It concludes a long period of of postulating from Howard and the Magic in regards to whether he would stay or demand a trade. After several failed trade attempts between numerous teams this four team trade was finally accepted:


Los Angeles Lakers receive: Dwight Howard, Chris Duhon, Earl Clark (from Magic)

Denver Nuggets receive: Andre Iguodala ( from 76ers)

Philadelphia 76er's receive: Andrew Bynum (LA), Jason Richardson (Orlando)

Orlando Magic receive: Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, first-round pick in 2014, second-round pick in 2013 (from Nuggets); Nikola Vucevic, Moe Harkless, conditional first-round pick (from 76ers); Josh McRoberts, Christian Eyenga, conditional first-round pick in 2017, conditional second-round pick in 2015 (from Lakers)

• So we have the two best centers in the game (Howard, Bynum) and perhaps the best wing defender in the NBA at this stage (Iguodala) being traded, this changes the setting of the NBA significantly.
• First of all how is Pau Gasol not part of the trade? This is straight robbery from the Lakers!

•  How does the Orlando Magic, with the best player in the deal, get the worst outcome out of all the teams involved!?!?!?!  They didn't even receive the second or third best player in the draft!!!! They receive a solid but not spectacular shooting guard in Afflalo, veteran power forward Al Harrington who can score, as well as promising young players in Vucevic and Harkless. But all the other teams get ALL STARS!?!? The Orlando Magic execs must have had a gun put their heads by Howards representatives when this trade went through. Ok, but at least they got rid of some bad contracts right?
• Nope. Only Jason Richardson's $18 million over three years was traded. Hedo Turkoglus's ridiculous $24 million salary over two years and Glen Davis's $19 million over three apparently couldn't be moved. They traded Howards $19 million contract and they still are over the NBA team salary cap line!!This must be the first time where a team trading a top-3 NBA player doesn't get a significantly smaller payroll. Usually when team trades it's superstar it means they are able to reduce payroll at the same time, get rid of some of its worst contracts and rebuild through the draft. 
• Now some of you will be thinking "But they got three first round picks and a couple of second round picks, surely they can use those along with their own future picks to rebuild?" Well it's not as good as it looks for a couple of reasons:
• First of all the first round picks from the three other teams are 'conditional' picks. This means that if those teams struggle and there pick falls into the top-8, they get to keep it. How did the Magic allow the other teams to retain that right?! Is it not enough they all received the best players in the trade? These teams are highly unlikely to struggle anyway, so the picks will be in the 20's and it is very hard to strike gold when it comes to players that late in the first round of the draft.
• Then we come to Orlando's own picks, which you would think are going to be quite low due to them losing Howard. However the team that they have assembled isn't so bad that they will only win 20 games. Its made up of a bunch of saavy,solid veterans who can play and not disgrace themselves. This team is going to be fighting for the No. 8 spot in the playoffs, which is the worst place you can be in the NBA. Not good enough to make it far in the playoffs and not low enough to get a good pick in the draft. You can see the Magic have really thought this through haven't you?

Now Orlando had numerous trade offers from multiple teams until right up to the point the trade was made.

• The Brooklyn Nets proposals were publicised as the most attractive- Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries, four first round picks for Howard and bad contracts in exchange. This seems better to the actual Howard trade but the draft picks would again most likely be in the 20's and not too mention you would be trading your best player to a division rival. The Magic smartly declined this offer.
• The best trade offers came from the Houston Rockets who were willing to trade multiple unprotected first round picks, including a almost guaranteed lottery pick, some of their drafted players this year as well as some solid veterans in return for Howard. They were also apparently keen to take on multiple bad contracts and they weren't concerned on whether Howard would sign an extension or not at the end of the season when his contract runs out. It would have been a better in three ways, getting rid of the majority of your bad contracts, receiving first round picks for future and receiving young players who have potential but aren't going to win you games immediately. So why didn't they do it?

Well by the sounds of it there were major disagreements amongst the Magic management which has resulted in this trade being accepted. If rumours are true the team president Alex Martins pulled rank over general manager Rob Henningan and wanted this deal over the Rockets one. If this is the case I feel really sorry for the fans who pay money to attend games and buy merchandise. Ever since this episode with Howard started a couple of years ago the Magic franchise has dealt with the situation poorly. 

The fact they sold Howard, the best center in the NBA, for 40 cents to the dollar is a testament to their ineptitude. The Magic have created the worst scenario possible for a rebuild. Not bad enough to contend for the top lottery picks but not good enough to get high enough in the playoffs. This rebuild is going to be a long one.