As trade rumors continue to swirl around Dwight Howard, Magic GM Otis Smith insists he doesn't intend to make any major moves, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Having lost its lost four games, Orlando has struggled recently, but Smith says the team's slump doesn't change his plans.
"I think you look at your team as a whole and understand that we have to fight through whatever we have to fight through and you continue to evaluate everything top to bottom," said Smith. "That's what you do. When it's time to make a change, you make a change."
Although Howard has requested a trade and is an incredibly desirable commodity, Smith is hamstrung by a number of the team's other assets. Hedo Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson are underperforming and are on expensive multiyear contracts, while recent free agent signings like Jason Richardson, Glen Davis, and Earl Clark can't be moved until March 1st.
I expect the team's front office to stay the course for the next month, hoping for an improvement in the team's performance. It seems highly unlikely the Magic make a move before March 1st, particularly since the All-Star Game takes place in Orlando on February 26th. If the team is still struggling at the start of March though, all bets are off.