NBA Trade Rumors: Lakers Have Ulterior Motive with Dwight Howard and Chris Paul
The buzz out of Los Angeles is that the Lakers want both Dwight Howard and Chris Paul.
Unlike the New York Knicks, Paul's currently preferred trade destination, the Lakers actually have the chips to make a deal work. They've also been in hot pursuit of Dwight Howard for quite some time and we all know they'd love to duplicate the "magic" they made with another former Magic center when he left Orlando for LA.
ESPN the Magazine's Chris Broussard reported that the Lakers are attempting to work out a deal that will land them both Howard and Paul this season:
"Hoping to pull off a pair of blockbuster moves that would rock the NBA, the Lakers are willing to trade anyone on their roster outside of Kobe Bryant to bring Howard and Paul to Los Angeles, two sources said.
Whether the Lakers are able to make it happen remains to be seen, but with stars Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom on the roster, they have the talent and the financial capacity to make the trades work.
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And while any team would love to have both Howard and Paul, it honestly doesn't seem possible.
One writer, ESPN LA's Brian Kamenetzky, has a better grasp on reality and hits the nail on the head when it comes exactly what the Lakers are doing:
"... Meaning the dream scenario for many Lakers fans is a virtual impossibility, save the most complicated multiteam trade in league history or monumentally bad work from Demps or Otis Smith in Orlando. Don't count on either.
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More likely, if there's a genuine endgame in play, the Lakers are sending signals to both New Orleans and Orlando they're serious about making a deal if it's there, and the first team to jump on Bynum + _______ wins.
And in all seriousness, a swap of Bynum + ______ for Howard wins out in a heartbeat. Not just for the Lakers, but the Magic as well.
Orlando certainly doesn't want to part with their superstar center, but they'll have to face reality at some point. By feigning, or even genuinely showing interest in Paul, it will force the Magic to keep an eye on the situation.
Losing Howard for nothing in the offseason isn't an option for the Magic. If the Lakers pull a deal for CP3 in the meantime and Howard leaves Orlando in the offseason, it will be a huge blow to an organization that cannot afford a huge blow.
Trading for Bynum + _______ at least gives them something to build on for the future.
The Lakers are serious about CP3, any team with the pieces to trade should be, but ultimately the Lakers would love to swap Bynum + _______ for Dwight Howard. By staying active in the Paul race they're playing the right game.
