Dwight Howard, Blake Griffin, Deron Williams: Los Angeles' Next Superteam

NBA trades are like a game of poker.  It's all about deciphering what you think your opponent will do.  And whoever has the most chips is usually the one with all the power. 

Dwight Howard has made it clear he wants to go to a big market that has an excellent chance to win.  While most think the LA Lakers are the likeliest destination, a closer look reveals the Clippers as the biggest stack in the room. 

With a big market city, their own rookie superstar in Blake Griffin, a talented young roster with soon-to-be all-star Eric Gordon and freakishly athletic seven-foot center DeAndre Jordan, expiring contracts in Kaman and Williams and two first-round picks, the Clips are by far the team with the most to offer.  If they can convince Howard to sign an extension, they could have the most-feared frontline in NBA history.  But why would he want to go to the Clippers when he can go to the Lakers?  A few things have to happen first...

Chris Paul Must Go to New York

Let's get one thing straight.  Dwight Howard wants to stay in Orlando.  Sure he looks over at the LA lawn and thinks how much greener it seems to be, but he grew up on Orlando's lawn and even though it's turning a little brown, with a little fertilizer, who knows?  It could get green again. 

Chris Paul is that fertilizer.  He's the instant fix and the key for Orlando keeping Dwight Howard.  But how can they get him when Paul has made it clear he wants to go to New York? 

I mentioned in a previous article that teams willing to take a chance on Paul for one year can get him before New York.  All they have to do is offer more than New York can, which isn't much.  Orlando is one of those teams.  Should they get their hands on CP3 this year and make a run in the playoffs, it could entice both players to stay together and team up in Orlando for years to come. 

No, Chris Paul needs to go to New York.  I guarantee you won't see Dwight get traded anywhere until AFTER Paul goes somewhere else and signs an extension.  Should that happen, Howard will be almost immediately traded thereafter.  But to whom?

Dwight Has to Look Past the Laker Mystique

Dwight loves the camera.  That's a known fact.  So what better place for him than the bright lights of Hollywood? 

The Lakers are in championship contention right now and have more history of great centers than any team in the league.  This is all true, but their championship window even with Dwight would only be for 2-3 years tops. 

Should he team up with 23 year old Blake Griffin, one could expect close to a decade of competitive basketball.  He would still be able to take advantage of the bright lights of LA and possibly bring a title, or two, or three, or four to a franchise that would immortalize him in doing so. 

The Lakers would probably offer no more than Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom.  A package including some or most of the pieces mentioned earlier would easily trump the Laker's best bid. 

Even still, if I'm D12, my thinking is would Blake and myself and a bunch of left over parts be enough to win?  Maybe not.  But that's when I throw in the kicker.  Deron Williams will come to the Clips...

If You Build It, He Will Come

Let's assume all the pieces of the puzzle have fallen into place. 

Chris Paul is in New York.  Dwight Howard was traded to the Clippers.  Deron Williams hasn't signed an extension with the Nets.  Having missed out on the Dwight Howard sweepstakes, New Jersey will have little to no chance of Deron resigning and will be forced to trade him. 

Suddenly they find themselves in a familiar situation.  A soon-to-be free agent superstar who wants to go to a big market winner.  There's one difference here however.  Deron has not given any list of specific teams, unlike D12 or CP3.  That leaves the door open for big markets like Boston, Dallas, LA, and Houston. 

Houston has the best chips to trade for WIlliams, but they're clearly in rebuilding mode, so that takes them out.  Dallas could probably muster some sort of package, but what do they have beyond the closing window of Dirk and co?  Same with Boston and their aging vets.  Does Deron really want to be the last man standing after those players lose their effectiveness? 

That leaves the Lakers.  LA could theoretically offer a package of Bynum and Odom or Bynum and picks, but whatever the offer, it would most assuredly have to include Bynum. 

Jim Buss has been reluctant to let go of his prized pick, a piece he sees as the future centerpiece of the franchise, but showed some willingness to make a trade if it "was the right deal."  This presumably means for Howard.  The question is, would he also make an exception for DWill? 

Deron is 27.  Andrew is 23.  A great center is almost always more valuable than a great point guard.  My thinking is no, he would not.  So where does that leave Deron?  With a shortened season and no real long term places to go, I see him being traded yet again for half the season and becoming the best free agent available in 2012. 

And which big market team with two superstars who can jump out of the gym (PGs love that) will have the cap space free to sign him?  You guessed it.  Your very own Los Angeles Clippers. 

Can you imagine the two most athletic bigs in the game sharing the same frontcourt, getting lobs from one of the best point guards in the game?  They would instantly become the most exciting team in the league.  It would be like a video game.  It wouldn't even be fair.  Will time prove me right?  Let's hope so because that's one show I would love to see.