NBA Trade Rumors: 3-Way Trade for Dwight Howard Would Be Right Move for Lakers

As we approach the March 15 trade deadline in the NBA, rumors are going to be flying throughout the association.

One of them, cited on Saturday by the Orlando Sentinel, had the Los Angeles Lakers acquiring Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson for Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.

Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins told the Sentinel on Sunday that the rumor was wrong, but it also must be noted that teams rarely confirm a trade until it's actually been completed. There's a chance this could be "executive-speak." In that case, we may as well take a look at the rumored deal.

So, would this be a good trade for the Lakers?

I've been adamant that trading Gasol, let alone Bynum, would be a bad move for the Lakers. In my opinion, the loss in rebounding wouldn't make up for nabbing a point guard or a small forward. The Lakers own the third-best rebounding differential in the league, and a lot of that is a credit to the Gasol-Bynum combo.

But...if the Lakers can land a point guard, small forward and Dwight Howard, that changes everything.

Sure, the Lakers would still have a hole at power forward, but landing a player of Howard's caliber, not to mention bolstering point guard and small forward, would make up for it.

Nelson is obviously a much better player than Derek Fisher and Steve Blake, especially on defense. Turkoglu has a well-rounded game fit for a contender, and would help the Lakers' three-point shooting.

If this trade does go through on March 1, as has been rumored, I think the Lakers would be an improved team. Again, they would undoubtedly have troubles at power forward, but the addition of Howard is a huge gain, and adding pieces around him and Kobe Bryant could prove to be a scary combination.

The Lakers organization has been blasted in the past year, even by Bryant himself.

But if the Lakers pulled this off, all the criticism would fall silent once they start winning games.