NBA Trade Rumors: Matt Barnes Confirms Dwight Howard's Interest in LA Lakers

Leave it to Matt Barnes to confirm what everybody in the NBA already knows—that Dwight Howard wants to play for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The rugged forward and former teammate of Howard's with the Orlando Magic dropped by the Lakers' practice facility in El Segundo on Friday and spent some time speaking with local media, most of whom were there to hear from general manager Mitch Kupchak and new head coach Mike Brown.

A consummate friend of the juicy soundbite, Barnes didn't hesitate to reveal some rather intriguing tidbits about Howard and Baron Davis, another one-time compatriot of Barnes' who's expected to be cut loose by the Cleveland Cavaliers via the NBA's one-time amnesty rule.

Said Barnes of his conversations with his two high-profile baller buddies:

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"You know, I've been hearing Dwight," acknowledged Barnes. "I've been hearing Baron. I've been hearing stuff a lot lately. I've talked to both of those guys and they wanna be here, so we'll see what happens."

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And, like any good Laker would, he did what he could to encourage Howard and Davis to make their way to LaLa Land, describing his experience in the Purple and Gold as:

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"A dream. On the court. To be a Laker, there's nothing like it, to play in L.A. And to be ready to get a ring if you come here."

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Who'd have thought that Matt Barnes, of all people—a guy who's played for eight teams in eight NBA seasons—would emerge as a possible pied piper to lure top talent to Kobe Bryant's kingdom?

Of course, just because Superman and B-Dizzle want to be Lakers doesn't mean they necessarily will be. Prying Howard from Disney World will likely require that Kupchak put together some sort of package featuring Andrew Bynum, draft picks and perhaps a signed-and-traded Shannon Brown.

Even that may be a cinch compared to what it'd take to get Davis on the roster. Rather than becoming an instant free agent, as would've been the case under the previous amnesty clause in 2005, Davis would be subject to a waiver system, wherein teams with room under the salary cap would get the first crack at bidding for his services.

With a $91 million payroll, the Lakers aren't just over the cap—they're more than $20 million clear of the league's luxury tax threshold.

That being said, it's comforting for Lakers fans to know that, at the very least, two of the most popular players being run through the NBA rumor-mill have sparkles of Purple and Gold flickering in their eyes. The task now falls to Kupchak to figure out how to get them to the Staples Center in time for another run to the NBA Finals.