NBA Trade Rumors: Lakers Will Bully Magic Into Dwight Howard Deal

The Los Angeles Lakers have never and will never settle for mediocrity. 

It is a franchise with 16 championships and arguably one of the more richer histories in all of sports.

The Lakers are the Dallas Cowboys of the NBA; the New York Yankees of professional basketball. It's that simple.

And if LA wants Dwight Howard, odds are they will get him by bullying Orlando into a deal.

Although Howard has already made it clear and known to the Orlando Magic front office that he would like to be moved unless championship changes are made, he won't be content to wind up just anywhere, this according to Brian Schmitz, a Magic insider for the Orlando Sentinel. 

According to Schmitz, Howard has a short list of approved destinations, which includes the Nets, Mavericks and Lakers—surprise—and he, like so many others, believes that LA is in best position to make a deal.

The dominant name being mentioned in Howard-to-LA trade rumors is Andrew Bynum. 

A center for a center, everyone's happy; well, Howard at least.

But Superman is already off to a superb start this season, averaging 16 PPG, 15.3 RPG and a ridiculous 2.7 BPG. 

How could the Magic give that up for a zombie like Bynum at the deadline?

Sure, the threat of losing Howard for nothing would lead even the craftiest of general managers to ship off an All-Star and future Hall of Famer for another roster piece, but is Bynum's career 10.5 PPG and 7.1 RPG enough in return?

The Magic just watched Howard snag 24 rebounds against the Nets on Thursday night (imagine how badly New Jersey wants him right now), a performance that will never be had by Bynum, who has knee issues that cannot be forgotten in all of this.

LA's front office will find a way—it seems they always do. Whether it's an aging Wilt Chamberlain, a young Shaq or a second-fiddle superstar like Pau Gasol, they get their guy.

The repeated threat of losing No. 12 along with the promise of a motivated and dominant Bynum ready and excited to start over fresh in Orlando could easily sway the unsettled mind of Magic management. 

The Dwight Howard Trophy is the Lakers' to lose, and will be all the way up until the moment a trade happens. 

Winning will occupy Howard for now, but the lack of postseason potential for this Magic team, combined with the tenacity of Lakers management to make a roster splash to stay relevant will result in one thing: Howard in LA by March 15, playing for the Lakers.