Awww Shizzznik! Dwight Howard Traded To The Lakers In Blockbuster Deal
Posted by Media Outrage on August 10th, 2012
Dwight Howard is now a Los Angeles Laker and will play side-by-side with Kobe Bryant to pursue another championship for the purple and gold.
Peep how the blockbuster deal went down
Via ESPN
A four-team trade that would send Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers is complete, multiple sources told ESPN on Thursday night.
A source with direct knowledge of the talks told ESPN.com’s Marc Stein the Lakers will receive Howard, the Denver Nuggets will acquire Andre Iguodala, the 76ers will receive Andrew Bynumand Jason Richardson, and the Magic will get Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic and one protected future first-round pick from each of the three teams.
The Lakers also will acquire Earl Clark and Chris Duhon, a source told ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard. Draft picks the Magic will receive are Nuggets (2014), 76ers (2015) and Lakers (2017).
In addition, the Magic will be getting other pieces, including 76ers No. 1 draft pick Moe Harkless, a source told Stein.
Sources close to the process told Stein and ESPNLosAngeles.com’s Ramona Shelburne that a trade call with the league office has been scheduled for Friday to secure the necessary NBA approval to make the deal official.
If the deal becomes official, Howard would face his former team for the first time in Los Angeles on Dec. 2. His return to Orlando would come Mar. 12.
Lakers forward Pau Gasol had been in and out of talks, sources told Shelburne, before ultimately being excluded.
One source briefed on Howard’s plans told Stein the All-Star center will indeed stand firm on his intent to play out the 2012-13 season without extending his contract so he can become a free agent on July 1, 2013. Going that route will enable Howard to decide how comfortable he is in Los Angeles before deciding whether to re-sign with the Lakers or join the Dallas Mavericks, who will have the requisite salary-cap space to sign Howard and remain one of his preferred destinations from his original list of three teams (Brooklyn Nets, Lakers and Mavericks).
“If Los Angeles doesn’t work out for Dwight, Dallas will be there waiting for him,” the source told Stein.
One source close to Kobe Bryant, meanwhile, told Stein the Lakers’ star was ecstatic Thursday night upon hearing that Los Angeles was able to complete such a significant transaction without surrendering Gasol. Bryant is with Team USA at the London Olympics.
Sources told Broussard that Philadelphia has not spoken to Bynum or his representatives, and has no assurances he will sign a long-term extension with the team.
“The Sixers are willing to take a shot (without Bynum’s commitment),” one source said.
Although Bynum signing an extension with the 76ers is not out of the question, according to a source, his stance all summer has been he only will sign an extension with the Lakers.
Bynum, who grew up about an hour away from Philadelphia in Plainsboro, N.J., could sign a three-year, $60 million extension this season or wait to become a free agent after the season and be eligible for a five-year, $102 million deal.
Near the end of July, Howard met with Magic general manager Rob Hennigan and reiterated his desire to be traded, and if he wasn’t, would leave the team as a free agent after next season.
The Lakers’ position on Howard had remained relatively unchanged for the past few months, league sources familiar with the situation told ESPNLosAngeles.com. The Lakers always had been willing to trade for Howard without assurances he’d re-sign with them after the season, believing that once Howard experienced a championship culture, he would want to stay for the long haul.
Howard would come to the Lakers with some health questions after undergoing back surgery in April for a herniated disc and to remove to loose fragments. Doctors said Howard is expected to make a full recovery, although it’s uncertain if he’ll be ready for training camp in October.
August 10th, 2012 at 4:06 pm
I’m not a sports fan but weren’t the Lakers, especially Kobe, talking about getting Lamar back on the team because he was like family, blah, blah. Lamar was so unhappy with the Mavs and wanted to traded back to the Lakers but instead of picking him up Lamar was traded to the Clippers and the Lakers now get Dwight Howard.
Can you explain that to me MO or someone who understand what goes on behind the scenes in basketball. Couldn’t they get Lamar AND Howard? I’m sure Lamar will be more depressed than ever since the Lakers didn’t ask him back.
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Media Outrage Reply:
August 11th, 2012 at 10:35 am
Yvonne the Lakers tried to trade Lamar Odom because of his contract, they wanted to free up some money in order to make a go at Dwight Howard, when Lamar Odom found out he got all emotional and demanded to be traded to the Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers never said they wanted to get him back. Odom will be fine on the Clippers because he’s still right in LA and playing with real talent in Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Chauncey Billups, Grant Hill and plenty others. Now whether or not he will play well we have no idea but he is on a talented team right in LA.
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August 11th, 2012 at 3:11 pm
I’m still a bit confused because I read the Lakers wanted him back. Of course, the article said it was a rumor.
http://www.lakersnation.com/lakers-rumors-espn-analyst-says-lamar-odom-wants-to-return-to-lakers/2012/05/29/
Oh well…thanks for getting back to me MO.
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August 12th, 2012 at 10:13 pm
This move was a very good one for the Lakers, but I still believe OKC is still the team to beat in the west. OKC is young, talented, hungry, and experienced. No one knows if the Lakers are gonna gel, or have chemistry so to automatically put them in the finals is naive. If the Lakers are successful enough to get to the finals, I don’t believe they’ll beat Miami.
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