NBA Trade Rumors: Denver Nuggets Come out on Top in Dwight Howard Deal

The Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers have both entered into the multi-team Dwight Howard trade, which is particularly good news for the up-and-coming team from Colorado.

A report from ESPN has the full details on the trade:

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A source with direct knowledge of the talks told ESPN.com's Marc Stein the Lakers will receive Howard, the Denver Nuggets will acquire Andre Iguodala, the 76ers will receive Andrew Bynum and Jason Richardson, and the Magic will get Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic and one protected future first-round pick from each of the other three teams.

In addition, the Magic will be getting other pieces, including 76ers No. 1 draft pick Moe Harkless a source told Stein.

Sources close to the process told Stein and ESPNLosAngeles.com's Ramona Shelburne that a trade call with the league office has been scheduled for Friday to secure the necessary NBA approval to make the deal official.

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While the trade gives the Orlando Magic pieces to work with, the Los Angeles Lakers their coveted center and the Sixers a true center to build around and play with their bevy of wing players, it helps out the Nuggets quite a bit as well.

Denver is essentially swapping Al Harrington, Arron Afflalo and a protected first-round draft pick for Andre Iguodala. Even though the Lakers are clear winners as well, Denver is making out like a bandit here.

Afflalo is a valuable young shooting guard who plays great perimeter defense, but Iggy presents an upgrade at the position. The longtime swingman for the Sixers is one of the league’s best defenders of opposing wing players and doesn’t exactly struggle on the offensive end of the court either.

Iguodala might not be an offensive powerhouse, but he would emerge as a tremendous scorer if he was left as the team’s second or third option. Thanks to the presence of Ty Lawson and Danilo Gallinari in Denver, that’s exactly what he would be.

Additionally, Iguodala would be quite the threat in transition while playing alongside the speedy but diminutive Lawson and an athletic big man like Kenneth Faried. He would produce Iguodunka after Iguodunka in The Mile High City, as he sprints up and down the court alongside his point guard. 

The addition of the Team USA member is made all the better because the Nuggets aren't giving up too much to get him. Don't worry about the draft pick, because it's almost certain to be outside of the lottery and will be protected if it's too high up in the order.  

Afflalo, as I wrote earlier, is a valuable young shooting guard. However, he's easily replaced by Iggy. 

Harrington isn't a big loss either, because he's just the backup power forward now that Faried has emerged as a viable option to play over 30 minutes per game on a daily basis.

When Faried needs a rest, it may be possible for the Nuggets to employ an intriguing two-center lineup with JaVale McGee and Timofey Mozgov. 

The Lakers are supposed to be the ones winning this deal, but the Nuggets are coming out on top as well.