NBA Trade Rumors: Jim Buss' Refusal to Trade Bynum and Gasol Hurting Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers' owner Jerry Buss has his son Jim making the personnel moves for the team now and thus far he has failed to improve an aging roster with his refusal to trade forward Pau Gasol and center Andrew Bynum.

If you have an opportunity to acquire the best big man in the game in Dwight Howard for an aging forward and an overrated center you do it, no questions asked.

Buss doesn't seem interested in doing a trade like that at all, saying via the Sporting News:

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"You'd have to be kind of silly to give up two All-Stars like that for Howard. Zero truth to it. We have never been asked for Andrew and Pau and we've never offered them. I think they know we'd either say no or they would sound crazy for asking."

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Gasol is a good player, but he is not in the prime of his career and during the playoffs last season he was terrible.

Bynum is a good center but he won't dominate at either end of the floor, and his health is a grave concern for the Lakers.

If he has more problems with his knees, then the Lakers won't come close to making the Western Conference Finals this season.

If the Orlando Magic are willing to do a deal that is something similar to Gasol and Bynum for Howard, the Lakers would be incredibly foolish not to seriously consider making that trade.

Howard is the only player in the NBA capable of dominating at both ends of the floor every night.

Howard is one of the best players to build a championship team around, and not only would he make the Lakers a title contender this season, he would make future free agents really think about coming to the Lakers.

Who wouldn't want to play with a guy as talented and outgoing as Howard?

The center position is the most important one in basketball, and historically, the Lakers have won many NBA championships when they are led by a dominant center. 

Shaquille O'Neal, Wilt Chamberlain and George Mikan are three of the best centers in NBA history, and each were the key component to several Lakers titles.

Jim Buss must be willing to trade Gasol and Bynum for Howard because the Lakers need a dominating young player that the franchise can build around in the post-Kobe Bryant era. 

Nicholas Goss is an NBA Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report

Follow @NicholasGoss35