Lakers Rumors: Dwight Howard Trade Request Still Stands, Potential Deal Not Dead

We should have known better than to trust Otis Smith and the rest of the Orlando Magic organization.

In fact, I made it a point yesterday that even though they said Dwight Howard was off the table, there would still be the right price and the right players to get him out of Orlando. Sure enough, that was true, as Howard is now claiming that his trade request was never rescinded and that he is still absolutely up for grabs to the highest bidder.

Earlier this week, Howard believed that being traded to the New Jersey Nets was a done deal after a reported deal that would have sent Brook Lopez and Gerald Wallace to Orlando, while also helping to drop the blimp of a contract that Hedo Turkoglu possesses. That trade was shot down by Magic ownership and Howard grew even more frustrated with the team's inability to grant him his wish of being traded.

Word is that talks with the Nets have opened up again, which means it could also be time for the Los Angeles Lakers to jump in on negotiations. Even though Howard initially stated that he demanded a trade to the Nets, he has also stated that he's willing to sign contract extensions with the Nets, Lakers, Magic or Dallas Mavericks. Basically it means that if Howard were to be traded to the Lakers instead, he'd still be satisfied with the outcome.

There has never been more of a time for the Lakers to make a blockbuster trade than right now. With the loss of Lamar Odom depleting the bench, the Lakers, for the first time in a long time, are looking vulnerable, and now they face heavy competition from their rivals in the Clippers as well as the many other up-and-coming teams in their division in Golden State and Sacramento.

Even this is a job that Kobe Bryant can't do on his own. While we have seen Bryant work alone with a sub-par supporting cast during the post-Shaq and pre-Gasol era of mediocrity, that is no way for a 33-year-old player to go out. Bryant should be relaxed at this point in his career and not be attempting to shoulder the entire offensive and defensive load of a franchise. He's the only consistent player on this team remaining, with Odom representing the only other sliver of consistency that the team had.

Why don't I mention Pau Gasol in terms of consistency? Because he averaged 11 points and seven boards in the playoffs against defenders like David West and Dirk Nowitzki. For someone who was able to thrive against the likes of Kevin Garnett only a year prior, it was obvious to see that Gasol regressed in terms of his aggression. We saw the passive Gasol from his Memphis days, and it was the physicality in the postseason that threw his game off for the first time since becoming a Laker.

If Gasol doesn't rebound and become the player we thought he was, then the Lakers are in even more trouble than we thought. On a starting lineup where the inept Derek Fisher continues to start at point guard, a low-offensive threat in Metta World Peace playing at small forward and the always-developing center in Andrew Bynum all take residence, you can tell why the Lakers need to begin making a blockbuster trade soon.

Their bench without Odom is horrendous as well, and it may be the worst in the league with Matt Barnes and Steve Blake being the only possible threats. The rest of the bench is filled out with rookies and second-year players who we've rarely seen in action, and with one of those threats in Derek Caracter out four to six weeks, it's only making the Lakers' situation that much worse.

That Chris Paul nightmare only gives more reason for the Lakers to make this move. L.A. needs a superstar to help replace the four players on the starting lineup at 31 years or older and with Paul no longer available, the only choice they have at the moment is going after Howard and offering up a few key pieces in return.

Luckily for them, Howard is still available. The Nets may be the front-runners at the moment, but it's only because the Lakers haven't gone through as lengthy of contract negotiations with the Magic. New Jersey has been attempting to grab Howard for the past week and have come close, but the stubborn ownership of the Magic refuse to give up their star player for a center who can't play defense and a solid swing man.

The Lakers have the pieces to make this deal happen. They don't have Odom anymore, but they still have Gasol and Bynum to offer as trade pieces. Bynum still hasn't produced as well as the Lakers have hoped he would, but the potential is still there if he can consistently remain healthy. The center has dealt with injury problems throughout his career and the rebounding, shot blocking and defensive prowess that he possesses has only been seen in short stints.

With Gasol, the Magic would receive one of the league's top big men. Last year was a bit of a regression from him from a physical standpoint, but with assistant coaches like Patrick Ewing as a part of the Magic staff, we wouldn't have to worry too much about Pau playing as a finesse big man down in the post. Gasol is at his best when he's physical, and it has translated to two championships and three finals appearances in the past four seasons.

What happens when Gasol is not aggressive? The Lakers get swept in the second round.

Los Angeles needs to make this trade happen if they want to compete now and in the future. They have no solid threats to rely on when players like Fisher, Bryant, World Peace and Gasol depart, which says a lot about the future expectations of this Laker team.

Unlike a team like the Spurs, who are attempting to make the right draft picks and trades and have done so over the past few seasons in anticipation of Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili's retirement, the Lakers have barely prepared for that moment and are now being forced to put all of their eggs in the basket of Dwight Howard.

Not that it's a bad consolation prize or anything. Even if they don't have too many pieces surrounding him and Kobe, having Howard's influence in the post is enough for players like Bryant and the rest of these young players to thrive off of. There is no single player in the NBA that can contain Howard in a one-on-one setting, and that means double-teams are going to come his way every time he's in the post.

We've see how well Bryant works playing an inside-outside game. It's time to rekindle those memories once again.