L.A. Lakers: Is Andrew Bynum for Dwight Howard an Even Trade?

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard ripped into his teammates after a recent blowout loss to the New Orleans Hornets, which may be an indication that the strained marriage between Howard and the franchise is nearing a resolution.

Howard has made it no secret he wants to be traded from Orlando, and his list of potential suitors continues to grow by the day, yet he still has the audacity to admonish his teammates for failing to show up?

Even when each member on the Magic roster knows the entire makeup of their team will change when Howard leaves, but not one of them has an idea when that may be.

And make no mistake about it, the question of whether or not Howard will leave central Florida has been unequivocally answered, but the issue of where he will eventually end up remains.

Howard's top rumored suitors seem to be the New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks, and if those are not his top three choices, they certainly dominate the speculation surrounding his eventual destination.

Of those teams, the Lakers would appear to be the front runners in the race to acquire Howard's services, since in Andrew Bynum the Lakers have the only player who could be considered a comparable talent.

But how much in addition to Bynum will the Lakers have to give up in order to get Howard?

Before the abbreviated 2011-12 NBA season began, there were many people who thought the Lakers might have to part with Bynum and forward Pau Gasol to acquire Howard, but that line of thought shifted when Nets center Brook Lopez was injured.

Lopez would have presumably served as the centerpiece to New Jersey's bid for Howard, but his broken foot certainly disrupted those plans.

Bynum returned from his season-opening four-game suspension on a tear, and while his numbers have leveled off from his first four games, his averages of 16 points and 12.5 rebounds are the best of his career.

Bynum also shoots an efficient 53 percent from the field, blocks 1.9 shots per game and is averaging five more shot attempts from the field in forward Lamar Odom's absence.

In short, Bynum is finally becoming the inside presence Jim Buss envisioned when he discovered him as a high school player in New Jersey.

Bynum's strong performances on the court may have also affected his trade value, because with every game he plays and finishes, he looks like the best shot Orlando has at remaining relevant once Howard leaves.

A healthy Bynum is a more dominant inside presence than a healthy Brook Lopez, and he has a unique mix of youth and championship experience that Lopez cannot replicate.

Remember, Bynum is only 24, yet he has won two rings with the Lakers and played prominent roles in each instance, while Lopez has yet to even reach the postseason.

Of course there is Bynum's history of injuries to consider, and that will definitely play a part in Orlando's decision, but time is winding down and Magic general manager Otis Smith is on the clock.

The March 15th trade deadline is right around the corner, and Smith's career might hinge on how he handles Howard's situation.

If Smith is forced to accept the best deal available, it may be hard to turn down a Lakers offer of Bynum, Metta World Peace and the trade exception they acquired from trading Odom to Dallas.

Orlando may demand some other combination of players and maybe a draft pick, but the Lakers might be able to acquire Howard and keep Gasol in the process.

Some will argue that Orlando will never accept that deal, but keep in mind whatever happens the Magic will eventually come out on the losing end because they will never get equal value for Howard.

The only question is, how big will they lose?

I feel that letting Howard walk for nothing at the end of the season is unacceptable, and if Bynum maintains his current level of play, the Lakers' leverage will increase as the deadline looms.

Orlando will not get a player who can replace Howard regardless of what they decide to do, but in Bynum the Magic may have the next best thing.