Lakers Trade Rumors: Why Dwight Howard Won't Sign Extension with L.A.

Are the L.A. Lakers interested in a high-stakes gamble that would make even the experts in Las Vegas queasy?

The team is trying to land Dwight Howard in time for a championship playoff run that they believe can be achieved with the two-time defending Defensive Player of the Year. Problem is, no one knows if Howard wants to play in L.A. while in the prime of his career.

Lakers radio play-by-play man and ESPN radio personality John Ireland reported on his show this week that Howard’s agent Donald Fegan has informed the Lakers his client will not be signing a long-term extension with the Lakers if he were to be traded to L.A. before the March 15th trade deadline.

While nobody is 100 percent sure how Howard feels about Kobe Bryant, Hollywood and playing on the opposite side of the country after living in the southeast for his entire life, it’s the financial aspect that seems to be the main reason.

Pro Basketball Talk’s Kurt Helin believes that Howard won’t be immediately signing an extension regardless of the team he gets traded to. He received this email from ESPN’s cap expert Larry Coon explaining why he doesn’t feel the need to sign a new deal until the summer, regardless of where he ends up:

"

An extension is a problem. An extend-and-trade only allows three years (including the current years on his contract) and 4.5% raises, and any extension that occurs within six months of a trade is treated like an extend-and-trade. If he was traded to the Lakers and subsequently extended, he could add on only one new year, with a 4.5% raise. If he was traded on, say, March 15, he could lock-in the additional year (on his existing deal), then sign an extension after September 15 that allowed for three new years and 7.5% raises.

"

Get it? In other words, any team that lands him will earn his “Bird Rights,” meaning that team can offer an extra year and $30 million more than any other team as long as he opts out of his player option at season's end.

Therefore, no team will be guaranteed his services for the foreseeable future until this summer.

Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic are trying to desperately surround Howard with more talent. There are rumors swirling that GM Otis Smith is pursuing both Steve Nash from the Phoenix Suns and Monta Ellis of the Golden State Warriors. Clearly, they haven’t thrown in the towel on re-signing Superman just yet. 

In other words, on March 15th we are in the exact same position as we were last July. The New Jersey Nets, Dallas Mavericks and Lakers are all still in play among several other surprise suitors. Whoever finishes the year with Howard is going to be sweating hard, well into the summer. It’s a high-stakes gamble that will potentially affect the entire landscape of the NBA.

The next two weeks are going to be wild.