Dwight Howard Trade Rumors: LA Lakers Better off Without Whiny Center

The Los Angeles Lakers don’t need Dwight Howard and the absurd circus he has created around him.

Now that the Lakers have acquired Steve Nash in a sign-and-trade for four draft picks, the rumors are flying that Howard will be the next trade target. Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski has reported the Orlando Magic interest in acquiring Andrew Bynum in exchange for Howard.

The thought of having Nash, Howard, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol on the floor at the same time together makes every NBA fan drool. On paper they would be the best team in the NBA.

The key phrase here is “on paper."

Just because you can put together a good fantasy team doesn’t mean it will translate to success on the court.

Howard is not a good fit with Nash. He’ll clog the lane and severely limit the full-court offense. Nash and Bryant will have a harder time penetrating with Howard drawing so much attention in the paint.

LA will have to make sure Howard gets enough touches to keep him happy. It will have to deal with his horrific free-throw shooting and his tendency to fade at big moments down the stretch.

The Lakers will have to also deal with his mood swings.

Howard has morphed into the biggest drama queen in the entire NBA and has shown a side that suggests he may not be dedicated to winning a title. He has put teammates, coaches and even fanbases under the bus and seems to think he has done nothing wrong. He is currently the poster boy for self-absorbed athletes that think they are bigger than the game.

Kobe doesn’t need this headache. He doesn’t need to deal with a whiny player.

Sure, Bynum has similar question marks regarding his personality, but he’s only 24 and is still growing up. Last year the center made some serious strides to extinguish the whispers that he wasn’t mentally tough enough. He has shown consistent improvements every year and is certainly used to playing with another big man like Gasol.

Howard has never played with another scoring post player. He has never played second fiddle to another teammate in his career. He doesn’t know how to make sacrifices for the good of his team.

Howard will enter the new season coming off back surgery. He may not be ready by November. Who knows if there will be any long-term ramifications that will hinder his ability to return to form.  For all we know, the best basketball of Howard’s career is in the rear-view mirror.

Financially the Lakers would have to absorb a ton of money from Orlando, making it almost impossible to add any depth. When you have a starting point guard who is 38, it’s a huge concern. The bench was a big issue last season, and would be even worse if the Lakers trade for Howard. You need more than four players to win a title.

Sure, Howard is a better player than Bynum, and sure, he will generate a buzz in LA that hasn’t been seen since Shaq was in town. However, the bottom line is that it’s in the best interest of the team on/off the court—and financially—to stick with Bynum and ensure the Lakers have long-term flexibility.

Howard to the Lakers is too good to be true.

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