Dwight Howard Trade Rumors: Lakers Scoring D12 Would Make Kobe Smile

From his divorce to his public disagreement with the trade of Lamar Odom to the Dallas Mavericks, the Los Angeles Lakers need to give Kobe Bryant a reason to smile. One way they could do that is trade for the Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard.

With Chris Paul already off of the market, the Lakers will likely turn all of their attention to acquiring Howard. It's also a legitimate possibility since they have the trade assets to attain a player of Howard's stature: Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. 

Whether or not they are willing to part with both Gasol and Bynum is another story. However, with four out of five players in the starting lineup on the wrong side of 30 years old, the Lakers need a shakeup. This holds true especially when taking into account the Lakers' performance in the playoffs last season.

If Kobe Bryant wants Dwight Howard, the Lakers should adhere to their superstar's aspirations.

Here's why trading for Dwight Howard would make Bryant smile.

Why Is Bryant Sad?

Bryant needs a pick-me-up for a few reasons.

First of all, he still has a sour taste in his mouth from when his team was eliminated from the playoffs last year.

It wasn't easy, but they got past the seventh-ranked New Orleans Hornets in the first round of the playoffs. Then the Lakers were swept by the Dallas Mavericks 4-0 in a series where they looked fatigued and sluggish. Andrew Bynum nearly killed J.J. Barea with his forearm and walked off of the court like an immature five-year-old with his shirt off.

That wasn't the Lakers way, and there is no doubt that Bryant was embarrassed from the whole ordeal.

Going into this year, he publicly criticized the mere let-go of Lamar Odom, who Bryant believed to be a important piece of the team's success.

His highly-publicized divorce with his wife Vanessa Bryant couldn't have come at a worse time. To make matters worse, the couple didn't sign a prenup when they tied the knot in 2001. If this is true, Vanessa would be entitled to half of Kobe's fortune, which is quite a lot of money.

There's a lot going on right now in Kobe's world, and there's not a lot to smile about either. But if seeing Howard in the yellow and purple wouldn't make Bryant smile, then I don't know what would.

Here's what Howard could do for the Lakers if he's traded to Los Angeles.

Howard and His Post Presense

What Howard brings to the table, first and foremost, is his ability to score in the post with unprecedented power.

Andrew Bynum, on the other hand, doesn't quite have the skill set that Howard possesses. That's no knock on Bynum because Howard is the only man in the world who can score down low like he can. However, Bynum's game is more centralized around playing stout defense and rebounding.

He's also widely considered the second-best center in the NBA when healthy, and that's second to only Howard himself. However, the gap between No. 1 and No. 2 is certainly a wide margin, and that's because Howard can score down low at will.

There aren't many centers in the NBA who can defend Howard, and that was put on display in Game 1 of the 2011 NBA playoffs. If Howard wants to score, he will. There is no stopping him.

When Kobe needs a break from being the centerpiece of the offense for a while, all he has to do is throw the ball down low and let the big man go to work.

Howard Will Become Second Legitimate Superstar

What happened the last time the Lakers had a legitimate superstar playing alongside Bryant?

Well, the Lakers won three straight championships from 2000 to 2003 with Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant running the triangle offense.

Howard is the closest thing in the NBA to a modern O'Neal, and he's right smack-dab in the middle of his prime as well.

Let's face it. Bryant is on his last leg despite his relatively young age of 33 years old. There is a lot of mileage on his legs because he's been playing in the NBA since he was 18 years old. Fifteen years of playing basketball at the highest level is a long time.

At just 26 years old, Howard has at least five more years of dominant play left in the tank. That's plenty of time for Bryant to take some sips from the fountain of youth and find a way to play at a high level for just a while longer.

Howard is the perfect way to rejuvenate Bryant's career.

Power Rather Than Finesse

Pau Gasol is one of the better scorers in the paint. There is no denying that. His finesse moves can maneuver himself around any defender in the NBA. His desperate cries for a foul every play don't hurt his chances to get to the foul line either...

But that's all Gasol really has in his repertoire of skills. He is an average defender who can easily be overpowered by larger opponents. However, his defense against Dwight Howard the past couple of seasons proves otherwise.

He also has to rely on his creativeness every night rather than being able to overpower his opponents.

Howard's power moves in the post allow him to score at will. If Howard is within five feet of the rim, it's practically an automatic two points unless the defense resorts to "hack-a-Howard."

Howard Will Take Pressure off of Bryant

If you're on defense, who do you defend?

You look in front of you, and you see Kobe Bryant dribbling the ball upcourt and charging right at you. When you look to your side, you see Dwight Howard, who is the biggest human being you've ever seen, running past you to the hoop.

Bryant and Howard are two of the most prolific scorers in the NBA. It's truly a "pick your poison" type of situation if trying to defend the Lakers with Howard in the post.

Many would say double Howard every time he gets the ball, but that will leave Bryant with room to make a play. No matter how old he is, Bryant can make any shot he wants to when he has space.

Bryant Gets a Shot at More Rings

You do the math. Kobe Bryant has five championship rings. He's only one behind Michael Jordan, but his time is quickly running out to surpass Jordan.

Yes, the lockout was a blessing in disguise because it allowed Bryant to rest his legs and come back as fresh as possible for the start of the season. But how much will that work in favor of the Lakers is the big question.

They looked flat in the postseason last year. There was no energy, and they looked like the old team that they are. They desperately need a shakeup of some sort if they want to seriously contend against the younger and more athletic teams like the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

If Bryant wants to make a serious run at another ring, he needs Howard to come to Los Angeles. With the way the Lakers are constructed right now, they are nothing more than a No. 2 seed who won't have enough left in the tank to go deep into the playoffs.

It won't be Howard himself that will make Bryant smile in the end. It will be the rings that the Lakers will win if he comes to the Los Angeles.