Dwight Howard Trade Rumors: LA Lakers Must Stop LA Clippers from Getting Howard
The biggest free agent that could hit the market at the end of the 2011/12 NBA season is Dwight Howard.
The Orlando Magic see that Howard may decide to leave and they do not want to be left empty-handed. Orlando is looking at dealing their superstar to a team in Los Angeles. You would think it would be the Lakers, but you would be wrong; it’s the Clippers.
If the Clippers do make a move for Howard it would sway the balance of power in Los Angeles. Right now the “it” team is the Lakers. They’re winners, they have the star power and they control the city of Los Angeles.
However, when the Clippers drafted the dynamic player Blake Griffin, the momentum as the “it” team started to turn. If the Clippers can add Howard alongside Griffin, it will not only give them a deadly one-two punch in the NBA Western Conference, but they will be the best team in Los Angeles.
According to ESPN.com’s Chris Broussard:
"But while the Clippers like Paul, sources say they like Dwight Howard even more. The Clippers have made it clear to executives throughout the league that they will do whatever it takes -- outside of trading Griffin -- to get Howard.
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Just recently, Broussard sent out a tweet saying that the Clippers' first choice is to get Howard.
The Lakers are getting old. They have aging stars in Kobe Bryant, Paul Gasol, Lamar Odom and Metta World Peace that will not be around in the next two to four years. This is why they must do everything they can to make a trade for Howard.
On draft day, the Lakers tried to make a move for Howard but failed. According to IBTimes.com:
"The blockbuster deal that continues to be discussed is the Orlando Magic sending center Dwight Howard to the Lakers for Andrew Bynum.
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Maybe it was cold feet from Los Angeles or Orlando as to why the trade never went through on draft day. Now, with a full-court press from their rivals for the biggest free agent in next year’s class, they must make a move to stop them.
The Lakers are used to treating the Clippers as their little brother. If they want to keep the Clippers underneath them, they have to do whatever is needed to land Howard.
Their grip is slipping in Los Angeles. Adding Howard to take the torch from Kobe Bryant as the next great Laker would strengthen that grip on the city.
It isn’t just a move they should make—it’s a move they have to make.
