Lakers Trade Rumors: LA Must Consider Dwight Howard for Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly unwilling to trade both Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol in their pursuit of Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, a stance that is a mistake-in-the-making.

Howard is no ordinary center. He is the most dominant big man the game has seen since Shaquille O'Neal in his prime, and while Bynum and Gasol are a high price to pay for the star, their inclusion is not an unreasonable tag.

It will undoubtedly pain the Lakers to ship off two big man in exchange for only one, but they really do not have much of a choice at this juncture. They shipped Lamar Odom off to the Dallas Mavericks, giving themselves one less tangible asset to work with.

The thinking in Los Angeles may be that it would like to hold onto either Gasol or Bynum in hopes of striking a deal with the New Orleans Hornets for Chris Paul. That ship, if the Lakers covet Howard, has sailed, though.

The Lakers abruptly pulled out of the Paul sweepstakes after working tirelessly to get a deal done, shifting their efforts to Howard. By switching gears, not only have the Lakers made it clear that Howard is the priority, but perhaps that they in fact, do not have the assets to acquire both.

Before the Paul to Los Angeles deal fell apart, the basketball world was up in arms as it seemed there was a very real possibility that the Lakers could obtain both Howard and Paul. Such a dream has been a long-shot from the beginning, but now, it is near impossible.

Los Angeles has to know this, or else it would be involved in two sets of negotiations right now. So, why bother pushing Paul to the back-burner when you aren't prepared to do whatever it takes to grab Howard?

Yes, the Lakers have other assets, but they have to come to grips with the fact that they may have to deal both Gasol and Bynum in any deal. The trade exception they acquired through the Odom deal isn't enough to take back Hedo Turkoglu's contract, which is something the Magic likely want to shed in any Howard trade.

The Lakers, may be an appealing trade partner, but they cannot satisfy all of the Magic's initial demands. For this reason, they have to be open to adjusting their offer. A player of Howard's magnitude rarely ever graces the court, let alone the trade block.

Vetoing a deal that could land them Howard will have severe consequences for Los Angeles. Odom is already gone and their Paul aspirations are seemingly shot, and if they don't land another pillar to build their team around, the Lakers may soon enough be uttering words that their fans have rarely heard: Rebuilding period.

Kobe Bryant is 33, and while he is unlikely to disappear completely before his contract is up, could we really see him carrying this team to Finals on his own in a year or two? Additionally, can we envision a Bynum who is consistent enough to be the team leader?

The Lakers have been targeting Howard for quite some time, and to come out of talks empty-handed if they have an opportunity to strike a deal is inexcusable.

With reports surfacing that Howard has requested a trade to the New Jersey Nets, any leverage the Lakers had is now gone. Had he requested a trade to Los Angeles, perhaps the Lakers would be in a position to keep one of their remaining big man off-limits.

However, this is not the case, and without any leverage in negotiations, the Lakers must do whatever it takes to bring Howard to tinsel-town.

That includes relinquishing both Bynum and Gasol.

You can follow Dan Favale on Twitter here @Dan_Favale.