Lakers Rumors: Why Los Angeles Will Land Both Chris Paul and Dwight Howard

There will never be a free-agent class that can compare to what the 2010 group had to offer. With players like Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer and Amare Stoudemire all up for grabs, the NBA world was taken by storm as four of those key players would move to a different team, with three of them all going to the same team.

The Miami Heat came out big winners at the end of the offseason, with LeBron James and Chris Bosh joining Dwyane Wade, and they just might have matched upon the completion of the 2012 offseason, which is still an extremely long time from now.

The 2012 class features a number of stars, with veterans in Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Tim Duncan and Steve Nash, as well as other All-Star-caliber players in Chris Kaman, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook and Gerald Wallace, just to name a few. What makes this class so special, however, is the fact that the two biggest names—Dwight Howard and Chris Paul—are highly likely to be on the move.

Howard has been relatively unhappy with his surroundings, and Paul may feel just the same way with both organizations failing to put together a championship-caliber roster to surround the two. While Dwight can at least say that he went to an NBA Finals, Paul has yet to make it to the Western Conference Finals and is coming off of another average season, where his New Orleans Hornets finished 46-36 and bowed out of the first round.

A number of teams have already begun clamoring for these two, with the New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets and Chicago Bulls all set to possibly take a stab at acquiring one of the two players. What these teams don't have is the caliber to sign both players, which is something a team like the Los Angeles Lakers could possibly play off of if they make the right moves and keep a firm tab on their finances.

Signing superstars to huge contracts on the team is completely possible, as proven by the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and New York Knicks, and it could very well happen again with the Lakers forming a momentary big three that would end upon the retirement of the 33-year-old Kobe Bryant. The MVP and five-time champion may be hurt and reaching the wrong end of 30, but he's still one of the league's most feared and deadliest players to match up against.

So how does this work, you say? For one, the Lakers are going to have acquire one of these players this upcoming season rather than waiting until free agency, when teams can begin making legitimate pushes.

What the Lakers possess more than any other possible suitor to these two are significant trade chips that teams like the Magic and Hornets would go for. Only the Bulls would be able to send over quality players in return, but it still wouldn't match up with what the Lakers could offer.

Say that the Lakers go after Dwight Howard first. Howard would love to be in a Lakers uniform, as any NBA player would, and he could join the team for the low price of Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and possibly another role player. It works out well for both teams as the Magic strengthen their front court with an All-Star power forward and a young center, and it works out for the Lakers because they can have Howard replace Bynum and then bring Lamar Odom back into the starting lineup at the four.

Now comes the easy part. The Lakers now have one of the most stacked lineups in the league with Derek Fisher running the point, Bryant at the two, Metta World Peace at small forward, Odom at the four and Howard at the five. Los Angeles needs a point guard and Chris Paul wants to win games, so it's basically a match made in heaven. Paul would get a near-max deal and he'd be playing alongside two of the greatest players in the league.

By moving Gasol and Bynum alone, the Lakers free up over $30 million worth of spending money for the year, which means that it could actually work out if you give $15 million apiece to Howard and Paul, much like how the Heat are handling their situation with their big three. Take note of the team possibly using the amnesty clause on World Peace or Luke Walton and the Lakers would possibly get another $6 million freed up for the year.

This would be the scariest team in the NBA by far.

The Heat do possess LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, but they fall way behind in significant position battles when it comes to point guard and center. Dwight Howard and Chris Paul keep the Lakers young and in contention for the championship for the next decade, and the team probably comes away with two or three titles during that span.

Of course, it's all speculation at this point, and the only way to tell that this is going to happen is for it to actually happen. The important thing to know is that this is completely possible of happening if the Lakers and Magic can work out a deal, if Chris Paul stays in New Orleans for the rest of the season and if both players are willing to take significant pay cuts.

Is that too much to ask for?