Lakers' Blockbuster Chris Paul Trade Collapse Doesn't Mean LA Is Done Dealing

Something fishy is going on in Lakerland.

Fishy enough to reel in Dwight Howard? Perhaps.

ESPN NBA insider Marc Stein was the first to report via Twitter on Saturday night that the Lakers had pulled out of negotiations to nab Chris Paul from the New Orleans Hornets:

But don't think GM Mitch Kupchak is simply standing pat, content to reopen training camp tomorrow with the very same roster, not with this seemingly head-scratching machination on tap:

So why, pray tell, would Kupchak trade Odom, a former Sixth Man of the Year and a key part of LA's huge front-line advantage for "unspecified draft considerations"? Hmmm...I seem to remember hearing about another want-away superstar making his intentions clear to his current team. Could it be? Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports seems to think so:

And it certainly makes sense, considering both the damage giving up Odom and Pau Gasol for CP3 would've wrought upon LA's roster and the pain of trying to work out a deal with the NBA-owned Hornets.

The Lakers didn't have the young assets the league demanded New Orleans GM Dell Demps get in return for the franchise star. There were rumors floating around throughout the day on Saturday that Kupchak had approached Golden State about getting involved, with the Warriors receiving Gasol and the Hornets ending up with Monta Ellis.

That mad scramble apparently wasn't worth it to Kupchak. Instead, he'll likely redouble his efforts to bring Dwight Howard to Los Angeles in what's shaping up to be a head-to-head showdown with the New Jersey Nets. Howard allegedly made it clear to Magic GM Otis Smith that New Jersey is his destination of choice, as it would give him the opportunity to play with a great point guard in Deron Williams while still becoming the face of a championship-caliber franchise.

In LA, he'd have to play second fiddle to Kobe Bryant and perhaps even third behind the ghost of Shaquille O'Neal, whose footsteps from Orlando to LaLa Land he'd be following.

That's not to say Howard would necessarily reject the notion of sticking with the Purple and Gold long term if it came down to that. DH12 has long spoken of his affinity for LA and would fit perfectly into the franchise's long and illustrious lineage of great big men.

The greater question is, will Kupchak have the roster ammunition necessary to outduel Nets GM Billy King for Otis Smith's affections? New Jersey would probably build its package around emerging center Brook Lopez, a 20-point-per-game scorer whose defense and rebounding in the pivot leave much to be desired. Any draft picks thrown in by the Nets wouldn't be of much value to Orlando either, as Howard's presence off the Turnpike would make New Jersey a contender in the Eastern Conference and, thus, diminish its draft position.

The Lakers, on the other hand, can offer an All-Star big man (Gasol), a young center of their own with greater upside than Lopez (Andrew Bynum) and/or whatever it is they get in return for sending L.O. to Big D.

Both the Lakers and the Nets would presumably be amenable to taking back the hefty salary of Hedo Turkoglu in any deal for Howard.

As great as it would've been for LA to strengthen its backcourt with CP3, going after Howard makes eminently more sense in the long run. Howard is as durable a player as there is in the NBA today, having missed only seven games over the course of his seven-year career despite playing such a physically demanding position and being as massive a human being as he is. He practically carried the Magic to the NBA Finals in 2009 and has only improved since then, maintaining his standing as the most dominant defensive force in The Association while steadily improving his offensive game.

Of course, with Kobe (and perhaps Pau) around, he wouldn't have to do nearly as much. His current contributions—20 or so points, 12 or 13 rebounds, two blocks—would likely be enough to push the Lakers back over the hump in the Western Conference right now while giving them a young superstar around whom to rebuild for the post-Kobe era in LA.

In the meantime, though, trading Odom to the Mavericks, who swept them out of the playoffs last season, is a huge risk for the Lakers, seeing as how getting Howard as a result is anything but a guarantee.

That being said, it's a risk Kupchak is more than justified to take, so long as he's able to produce a favorable outcome when all is said and done.

Assuming, of course, that NBA commissioner David Stern doesn't intervene for "basketball reasons."

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