Raptors vs Magic - Orlando Pinstriped Post Weighs In on "Who They'd Rather Be"

We gave you our thoughts on which team we'd rather be earlier today, the Magic or Raps, but what did the opposing team's blogger think?

Check after the jump for Evan Dunlap of Orlando Pinstriped Post's take on the situation...

This question took a lot more thought than I initially figured it would, which isn't a terribly great statement about where the Magic stand at the moment. But ultimately, I decided Orlando's in just slightly better shape than Toronto is.

What it comes down to is assets: the Magic's days of contending appear to be over, and a rebuild seems to be inevitable. The Raptors have been in that rebuild for two-plus seasons, so in that sense they're farther down that path than Orlando is. The key difference is that the Magic, in Dwight Howard, still have a top-five player in his prime. I think it's in their best interests to trade him over the summer unless he agrees to sign a contract extension, and I don't think he'll do that--he can get more money and more years by re-signing as an unrestricted free agent, as opposed to adding a few years onto the extension he signed in 2007--but Orlando ought to be able to get several assets in return for Howard: some draft picks, a reasonably productive veteran, and perhaps a youngish prospect.

That's better than the traded player exception the Raps received for Chris Bosh in 2010. Dumping Howard might also afford the Magic the opportunity to rid themselves of the contracts of Hedo Turkoglu and/or Chris Duhon.

Moreover, Orlando also has restricted free agent Ryan Anderson, around whom they can attempt to rebuild or whom they can sign-and-trade over the summer, depending on which course of action suits their needs. He's an asset, and asset is really the name of the game in rebuilding.