Dwight Howard Trade Rumors: Why Superstar Should Steer Clear of Los Angeles
Even with head coach Stan Van Gundy and general manager Otis Smith jettisoned from the Orlando Magic's future, it appears superstar center Dwight Howard is still on his way out of town.
In an apparent bid to facilitate a completely fresh start, the Magic are looking to make the most out of what has increasingly become the inevitable departure of the club's franchise player.
And, for his part, Howard still has a shortlist of teams he considers preferred destinations, with both Los Angeles teams considered an improvement over the status quo, according to Chris Sheridan:
"Mark Heisler doesn’t think the Lakers are going to trade Andrew Bynum, and even though there was substance to the school of thought that Howard did not want to go to the Lakers because he doesn’t want to be seen as a second Shaq (not to mention being the second-biggest superstar on the team), my source says either the Lakers or Clippers would be a more desirable landing zone than returning to Orlando — that’s how much Howard wants out.
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Unless the Clippers are willing to part with Blake Griffin and some change, it's hard to imagine Howard pairing up with elite point guard Chris Paul.
Of course, the Clippers may indeed be willing to do just that, but they'd have to gut their roster in the process—potentially including guys like DeAndre Jordan, Mo Williams, Caron Butler and/or Eric Bledsoe in any potential deal.
After already parting with a good chunk of roster depth in order to land Paul, the prospect of losing another platoon of solid talent can't be especially comforting, either for the Clippers or Howard in the event he were actually traded.
If Howard has his eyes set on Los Angeles, it could be the city's other Western Conference Semifinalist would ultimately make the most sense.
But even that scenario has its problems.
With Andrew Bynum having something of an erratic season for the Lakers, there's certainly a case to be made that a change of scenery would kill two birds with one stone, at least according to Sports Illustrated's Sam Amick:
"Bynum, 24, could be freed and fed in Orlando. And Howard, whose dream of joining the hapless Nets is in limbo because of the looming free agency of friend and Nets point guard Deron Williams, could be part of a legitimate contender again while becoming the pre-eminent star of the Lakers' next generation. It's unclear whether the Magic would require more than Bynum in return for a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and former MVP runner-up. But barring a change of heart from Howard, Bynum may be their best chance at salvaging this situation.
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Even if the Magic didn't expect to receive both Bynum and power forward Pau Gasol, it would almost certainly expect another piece or two as a deal sweetener—perhaps point guard Ramon Sessions as a conversation starter.
With Kobe Bryant set to make a combined $58 million over the next two seasons, the Lakers won't have either the cap flexibility or arsenal of assets to surround a Bryant-Howard core with much else of any value.
Assuming Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak could either hang on to Gasol or spin him off for depth in a separate deal, chances are, this team would continue to face the same challenges it encountered this year.
Los Angeles had one of the worst bench units in the league and a dangerous lack of depth in the backcourt and on the wing.
And, while Howard might be an upgrade over Bynum in some respects, he's yet to resemble the dominant inside scoring presence that Shaquille O'Neal brought to Kobe's side.
More importantly, Bryant's run has to come to an end sooner or later. As much as his most recent campaign may have appeared to defy age, the Lakers legend is closer to the end than he is to the beginning of another dynasty.
