NBA Rumors: Los Angeles Lakers Should Be Dwight Howard's No. 1 Destination

With the NBA officially back in business, trade rumors are in abundance and Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers is one such rumor.

Throughout last season there was speculation that Orlando's star man could fly the coop for greener pastures with the Lakers being among a number of teams touted as possible destinations.

Whether the lockout has effectively ended that thought on either side remains to be seen. It's definitely a move that would work out for all people involved, well, except the Orlando Magic.

The Lakers are reportedly willing to move Andrew Bynum and that will increase speculation about a Howard deal.

Here are a couple reasons that the Los Angeles Lakers should be Dwight Howard's No. 1 destination.

The Hollywood Factor

Yes, this isn't really an on-court reason but it is still basketball-related. Who wouldn't want to rub shoulder's with some of Hollywood's finest on a regular basis?

Howard would be able to build an even bigger brand were he to join the Lakers. He already has the personality, the nickname(though a certain former Laker would disagree) and he is in a good enough position that it would not be too hard for him to increase his fame.

Howard is usually a very funny character in his advertisements and could even carry that over to the big screen. Unfortunately, that may bring even more comparisons with Mr. Shaquille O'Neal so that may not be in Howard's thought process at all.

On the sporting side, he will be playing for one of the NBA's greatest organizations and will surely have the chance to win titles, therefore increasing his brand even more.

A Chance to Win Titles

The first and last time that Dwight Howard got to the NBA Finals, his team was bested by these Lakers. He may have thought back then that he could still lift the trophy with the Magic, but that does not seem a good possibility at the moment.

He will have a good two to three years with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom surrounding him and at least one NBA Finals title should arrive in that time.

Even when those players leave, the Lakers would want to keep the magic going and would make sure that they keep a good enough squad to help Howard stay in title contention.

There are definitely other options available that are still better than the Magic but the LA Lakers may provide the quickest route to a championship.

A Chance to Be the Next Great Laker Center

The comparisons may never stop and joining the Lakers and achieving greatness may not help, but it is something Howard will have to deal with.

Every Laker center is inevitably compared to those formerly in his position and Dwight would be no different. He would have a chance to start off his LA career on a very good note while played with the likes of Kobe Bryant.

Howard definitely has all the talent to do what many of his 'ancestors' did and could possibly surpass some. He would get to work with another great LA center in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and—if Andrew Bynum's increased offensive skill is anything to go by—he will have a lot to show for it.

He already has the defensive skills, just a little more help on the offensive end and he would easily make his mark.

No More Shaq Drama

Admittedly, this is strange. Hopefully I can explain it well.

Kobe Bryant seems to have put a lid on Shaq after gaining his fifth ring and maybe that's just the route Howard has to follow.

If Howard was to match and surpass all of Shaq's achievements while doing it in the jersey that Shaq had some of his greatest moments, the big guy may keep quiet.

Maybe that's a silly notion but maybe not. Howard could basically use the Lakers as his tool to become one of the greatest centers ever and the Lakers no. 1 in that department. But we will have to wait and see.