Dwight Howard Trade Rumors: Lakers Insanely Trying to Trade Wrong Man for D-12

The Lakers have lost their mind. At least if a recent rumor is to believed. 

L.A. still seems bound and determined to land Dwight Howard from Orlando, and they are still apparently firmly in the running to do so.

That is not where their mental health comes into question. Those questions arise after seeing who they want to trade for him. 

The Rumors

Ken Berger of CBS Sports

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Despite assertions to the contrary, the Lakers remain firmly on Howard's list of three teams he's asked to be traded to, along with the Nets and Mavericks, multiple people familiar with the situation said. The Lakers' clear preference is to trade Pau Gasol in a Howard deal and not Andrew Bynum, who was elected as an All-Star starter for the first time this week. 

"

This rumor is hard to believe simply because it is crazy. But Berger is a well-respected journalist that is well-connected in the NBA world. 

Why This is Crazy

Trading Gasol instead of Bynum for Howard makes no sense. It is easy to understand why the Lakers would rather trade Gasol in general, but not for D-12. 

Bynum is having a fantastic season. He is averaging more points, rebounds, blocks and has a higher field-goal percentage than Gasol. Oh, he is also quite a bit younger. 

The biggest drawback with Bynum has always been injuries, but he has been healthy this season. 

So, it is easy to see why L.A. would be reluctant to part ways with this newly anointed All-Star center. 

But if the Lakers are going to land Howard and have a choice between shipping either Bynum or Gasol, it is Bynum that has to go. He isn't going to work in the same lineup with D-12, while Gasol would be able to transition seamlessly. 

Both Howard and Andrew have to occupy the paint. They don't have the game to play away from the basket, and it would be insane to expect either of these pure centers to guard power forwards on the perimeter. 

If L.A. is bound and determined to keep Bynum, then they need to shift their focus to trading Gasol for a point guard—which they did before David Stern stepped in—and forget this crazy talk.