Andrew Bynum and Dwight Howard: A Comparison Heading into the NBA Offseason

It is never too early to look ahead to the summer of 2013 when free agency will once again occur.

Could Andrew Bynum find himself alongside Dwight Howard as two of the biggest NBA free agents on the market during the summer of 2013?

Both Bynum and Howard were reportedly almost traded for each other, which could very well change the outlook of the NBA depending on whether they do ultimately decide to change teams.

It would also draw much comparison between the two former high-school stars as to their growth in the NBA.

As for Andrew Bynum, he has put together an offense repertoire that has made him a legit threat on both ends of the court, while Dwight Howard has a defense-first approach. This is not to say that one player is better than the other, but interesting to note the differences between the two big men.

Bynum has been averaging 18.4 points and 12.2 rebounds per game this season. So far, his chances of becoming a big name free agent appear quite possible.

Dwight Howard has been averaging 20.6 points and 14.5 rebounds per game. Howard also made the decision to opt-in for the final year of his contract thus making him an unrestricted free agent in 2013.

Bynum, currently in his seventh NBA season (all with the Lakers), was drafted directly out of high school by the Lakers back in 2005 (he was the 10th overall pick) and after dealing with two serious knee injuries has worked his way to finding a role on a team that is filled with much talent.

The Lakers signed Bynum to a four-year contract extension worth $58M dollars before the start of the 2008-09 NBA season.

Howard is currently in his eighth season with the Magic and looking to make another push at an NBA Championship since losing in the 2007 NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games.

It will be interesting to see what will happen to these two big men before the start of the 2012-13 season.