By Josh Cohen July 11, 2012 ORLANDO -- While the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks are said to be the most likely trade partners of the Orlando Magic for Dwight Howard, there are other clubs that seem to have far better assets. The Oklahoma City Thunder with James Harden, Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins and Perry Jones are very attractive as the Magic aim at rebuilding around young, but already experienced, talent. The Chicago Bulls with Joakim Noah, Luol Deng and Taj Gibson are appealing because of how defensively committed they are to evolving into an elite team. And the New York Knicks with Jeremy Lin, particularly, and Tyson Chandler are enticing because of marketability and global magnetism. I have scripted letters to each of the general managers of these three teams explaining to them why they each should get involved in the Howard trade talks. OPEN LETTTERS: Thunder | Bulls | Knicks Dear Mr. Sam Presti: I am writing this letter to open your eyes to a very exciting and rewarding opportunity for you and your organization. As you probably already know, Dwight Howard is on the trading block. And while the Orlando Magic would love to retain Howard for many years to come, he hasn’t given indication he wants to be in Orlando any longer. In fact Mr. Presti, Howard has requested a trade despite having another year on his contract before becoming a free agent next summer. 
Understanding your job responsibilities, I know you are in the loop of all the various rumors surrounding Howard and other players around the league. You are probably aware the Nets, Lakers, Rockets and Hawks are teams trying desperately to make a deal happen to acquire Mr. Howard. In case you are a little uninformed, however, let me remind you that Brooklyn – Howard’s preferred landing destination at this point – is incapable of attaining Howard next summer as a result of the assorted transactions it has completed over the last week. The contracts of Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace and assuming they preserve Brook Lopez are too steep and lengthy for the Nets to sign Howard next summer when he does indeed become an unrestricted free agent. And with that detailed for you, it’s also important for you to be reminded that Howard has specified that there are no other teams he desires to play for at this moment. I have great admiration for your team and what they have accomplished over the last few years. You have two future Hall of Famers and an eventual perennial All-Star steering the ship. Congrats on all that. But, I must warn you that if the Nets or Lakers happen to acquire Howard, it will make it even more difficult for you and your franchise to capture the NBA championship. You saw first-hand that the Miami Heat are already a beast to deal with and if Howard were to join Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash in Hollywood or D-Will, Joe and GW in Brooklyn, your chances of winning that title become more intricate. With your experience as an NBA executive, you, I am sure, know that if Howard united with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, you could form the one of the most complete, balanced and dominant trios in NBA history. And Mr. Presti, I know what you are thinking. If Howard decides to leave your organization after just one season and you happen not to win the title in 2013, you will feel disenchanted by the decision you could make now. However, with your rasping fans and with blossoming leaders like KD and Russ, D12 could be convinced to stay in your town for the foreseeable future. Of course, like any business decision, there is a price to this extremely gratifying opportunity. The Magic know you have some outstanding assets that could help the city of Orlando get excited about their team. For the price of James Harden, Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins, Perry Jones and a future First Round draft pick, the most governing center of the last five years and next five years could be all yours. I hope you will take this opportunity to review this package and reach out to your good friend and protégé Rob Hennigan to discuss any details to get this moving in the right direction. Sincerely, Josh Cohen P.S. I have stapled a picture in this letter to illustrate what you could see on a nightly basisNote: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by Josh Cohen are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors.[poll:53696]
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