Knicks Trade Rumors: Could Dwight Howard End Up in New York?

The Knicks have made a few big moves in the past few years, but have yet to achieve a lot of success.

In nine playoff games with New York, Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony have just one win. Even adding defensive specialist Tyson Chandler couldn't help them get higher than the seventh seed in the East.

Since they are over the salary cap, the only way the Knicks can drastically improve their roster is through a trade. They missed out on a possible sign-and-trade for Steve Nash when the Lakers acquired the veteran.

With Nash off the market, there are very few impact players that the Knicks can acquire.

Dwight Howard has expressed his interest in playing for the Nets. Brooklyn, however, has been unable to offer Orlando a compelling package.

Is there any way the Knicks would be able to land D12?

The number of teams that Howard could potentially go to seems to be dwindling.

The Lakers seem like the best trading partner for the Magic. They can give Orlando the closest thing to equal value by sending them Andrew Bynum, the second-best center in the league. Howard's unwillingness to commit to L.A., though, could prevent a deal from happening.

The Steve Nash trade could also put a halt on a potential deal. ESPN is reporting that Los Angeles isn't looking to trade any of their big pieces after acquiring the point guard.

If the Lakers are out of the picture, the Knicks might be able to offer the Magic the best deal. New York can give Orlando two potential All-Stars, Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler, in exchange for one. Chandler won the Defensive Player of the Year award this past season, and while Stoudemire struggled, he started in the All-Star game the year before.

Not only can the Knicks give the Magic two established stars, but they can also take on some contracts that Orlando is looking to get rid of. Since Stoudemire and Chandler make over $30 million combined per season, New York can afford to absorb both Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu's contracts in a trade for Howard.

Howard wants to go to the Nets, but they don't have one bona fide star to send to Orlando. Brooklyn does have future first round picks, but they probably would end up being late selections.

A trade with the Knicks would still allow Howard to play in the Big Apple. He's better than Carmelo Anthony, so he'd still get to be the biggest star on the team. It's hard to imagine Howard rejecting the chance of possibly bringing a championship to the Knicks.

The Rockets could also be players for Howard, but like the Nets, they don't have a star to send Orlando's way.

The biggest issue with a potential Magic-Knicks deal is the health of Stoudemire. His points per game average dropped almost eight points between 2011 and 2012, and many felt Stoudemire lost some explosiveness. He makes $63 million over the next three years, and the Magic could be reluctant to take a chance on a guy who makes that much money.

However, the lack of compelling offers could force Orlando to take the risk. Stoudemire's production started to decrease once the Knicks traded for Anthony a year and a half ago. There's a chance he could regain his old form with a new team.

If the Magic are looking to get young players and draft picks for Howard, there's no way he'll end up on the Knicks. If they want to make a deal that could net them multiple All-Stars, though, New York might be the place for D12.