Dwight Howard Trade Rumors: Why Howard Must End Up with the Lakers
The Orlando Magic may not say it publicly, but they have to be resigned to the fact that the Dwight Howard era is coming to an end.
But before fans in Disney World cry to Mickey Mouse about losing another superstar center in his prime, just know that there could be a great deal waiting for them with the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets.
Marc Stein of ESPN.com wrote an article detailing what the Magic are looking for in any potential deal, and it includes veteran players that are ready to contribute to keep the team competitive in the Eastern Conference.
Near the end, Stein points out that if the Lakers get so desperate to make a deal for Howard, they could get the Rockets involved and swing a deal similar to the one that they would have made with New Orleans for Chris Paul that David Stern vetoed.
"If the Lakers reach the point that they're willing to give up both Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol in a three-way Dwight deal with the Rockets, Orlando could conceivably come away with Bynum, Luis Scola and Kevin Martin, with Gasol landing in Houston as he would have in the original Paul trade. That would undoubtedly be a strong trio to start over with, in addition to shedding Turkoglu and perhaps Duhon, who are both signed through the 2013-14 season at a combined cost of roughly $45 million.
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The Lakers are like the New York Yankees of the NBA: They don't rebuild, they reload. If they start the season slow, and their age and depth problems catch up with them, does anyone think they won't try to make a deal for someone like Howard?
Plus, in the scenario that Stein lays out, Orlando comes out of it with a better team than it has now. The Magic obviously won't have Howard, but the trio of Bynum, Scola and Martin is far better than any three players they have now.
The Lakers can't be mediocre; it's just not in their DNA. If their front office has a sense that this team is headed toward another disappointing ending, they will do something to get better immediately.
The pieces fit into place for all the teams involved in this scenario.
The Lakers get the second superstar that they need to compete for a championship; the Magic will have three players to build around and cap flexibility to make more moves; the Rockets would free up cap space and add Gasol's veteran presence to a good, young foundation.
This is the perfect trade scenario that the Magic could hope for in any deal for Howard, and if it ends up happening, they would have to take it if they want to stay competitive in the immediate future.
