NBA Trade Rumors: Brook Lopez's Injury Will Pave Dwight Howard's Way to Lakers

Dwight Howard is going to be a Los Angeles Laker. The second Brook Lopez hurt his giant foot, this move became all but inevitable.

The Nets appeared to be the main suitors for Howard, and Lopez was going to be the centerpiece of that deal.

And despite the Magic saying they are not going to trade Howard, that is going to prove to be nothing but a negotiating tactic. They can't risk losing Howard for nothing at the end of the season.

Lopez's Injury

Mike Mazzeo of ESPN reported that the team announced that Lopez suffered a non-displaced stress fracture of the fifth metatarsal of the right foot. Lopez's injury required surgery.

The problem with this injury is not the recovery time—this trade is all about the future. The problem is that Lopez's future just got a lot more cloudy.

Killing the Nets' Trade Hopes

Feet problems are amplified when they happen to people that are 7' tall. 

This is the kind of injury that can plague a center for his career. This severely limits Lopez's value in a trade. A big part of the reason that the Nets would have been able to entice Lopez from the Magic is Lopez's durability, but his is no longer a big selling point.

Lakers Move to the Front of the Line

Given the choice between Andrew Bynum with injury concerns and Brook Lopez with injury concerns, Bynum is going to win out every time.

He has a higher ceiling, and a far more polished offensive game.

All of a sudden, the Lakers are in a position of power. They have the most valuable piece to offer the Magic with Bynum. They also have the trade exception received in the Lamar Odom deal that would allow them to absorb Hedo Turkoglu's contract.

And there is now a chance that they will be able to do all of this without giving up Pau Gasol.