Sources: Dwight Howard to Lakers

[stalefish3169]

Holy shit! Is this really happening now? And the Lakers get to keep Pau?

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/82...-deal-complete

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 Bynum and 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.

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.

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.....

[geomorph]

The Magic manage to turn Howard into 3 so-so players and two draft picks? Good thing that there are no fans of that team, otherwise they would be pissed.

[systemoverblow'd]

The NBA is a joke. People who pay any attention to it in its current state are the problem. Stop watching and supporting these clowns and maybe we can get back to real basketball before we die.

[AKbruin]

Well, the Lakers are now scary. They have a big four (Kobe, Nash, Gasol, Howard) to match OKCs big four (Durant, Westbrook, Harden, Ibaka). It will be interesting to see how they gel together though. There will be a lot of pressure to win now. If they are less than spectacular, there will be major drama.

Also, I doubt Howard's prima donna act will fly around Kobe, should he go there.

Edit: I agree that the Magic got very little for Howard, although I like Afflalo a lot.

The NBA is a joke. People who pay any attention to it in its current state are the problem. Stop watching and supporting these clowns and maybe we can get back to real basketball before we die.

There are a lot of good guys and good teams in the NBA, too. IMO, the game is as good as its been in a long time. But if you don't pay any attention, you might not recognize this.

[schuss]

The officiating is what ruins the NBA. If you are not Stern-anointed, it's an uphill battle.

[Grape_Ape]

The NBA is a joke. People who pay any attention to it in its current state are the problem. Stop watching and supporting these clowns and maybe we can get back to real basketball before we die.

Holee shit...what he said.

[irul&ublo]

The NBA is a joke. People who pay any attention to it in its current state are the problem. Stop watching and supporting these clowns and maybe we can get back to real basketball before we die.

Translation from the Chowdspeak: "The Celtics didn't win the championship"

[TahoeJ]

Steve Nash just had orgasm so loud they could hear it all the way back in Phoenix.

[guroo270]

It will be an interesting team to watch. I wonder if Kobe is going to be more humble since he can no longer jump (I doubt it). I wonder if Gasol still wants to be on a team that wanted to trade him all last year (I doubt it). I wonder if Nash can hold it together on a team with so many divas (he probably can). I wonder if Dwight will be consistent under such heavy pressure to win (I love this guy as an athlete, but I don't think he has that champion's mentality. We'll have to wait and see if Kobe can instill some of that in him.). Who is going to play defense once teams attack Dwight and get him fouled out? On that note, I wonder if he will continue to get BS fouls called on him now that he's on the aforementioned "Stern-anointed" Lakers.

On a side note, I hate the NBA, how long the post season is, and the clear officiating that creates 7 game series', but I can't not watch some of the talent. I do only watch the post season though. Everyone but the Warriors make it anyways.

[AKbruin]

A few more thoughts:

(1) Howard is a definite improvement, but Bynum was pretty good too. But the bigger improvement was Sessions to Nash.

(2) The Lakers bench is truly awful: Steve Blake, Antawn Jamison, Jordan Hill, Christian Eyenga, Andrew Goudelock, Robert Sacre, Darius Johnson-Odom.

(3) Two of the Lakers' best players are 34 and 39 and have been battling chronic injuries. Their 5th starter is 32 and recently renamed himself Metta Worldpeace.

(4) OKC vs. LA in the playoffs is going to be awesome.

(5) I hope the Clippers enjoyed their year of basketball relevancy in LA.

[systemoverblow'd]

There are a lot of good guys and good teams in the NBA, too. IMO, the game is as good as its been in a long time. But if you don't pay any attention, you might not recognize this.

No, the NBA as an entity is a joke. Flopping, bought officiating, whining. The NBA has nothing to do with the sport we grew up on.

Translation from the Chowdspeak: "The Celtics didn't win the championship"

You obviously haven't been paying attention. I made this claim before and the year of our last championship. The Celtics are just as big cry babies as the rest of them. Fucking NBA is a joke. Not even close to what I grew up watching and participating in. It's fucking nauseating. I haven't been to a Celtics game in years, not because they weren't contenders but because I refuse to give that league a single cent of my money. But keep sucking the NY dick and talk about Boston like you know your ass from your elbow. Faggot ass NYers are the ONLY people I know who hate every other citizen of a city for no reason other than where they are from and the love of sports.

[TahoeJ]

The officiating does make the NBA virtually unwatchable much of the time. It's not just incompetant, it's so clearly rigged half the time (i.e. the use of certain refs in certain post-season games with obvious and well-documented tendencies when you feel like the league is trying to make it go 7 games for ratings purposes)

[Grape_Ape]

The nba is full of prima donnas.

[ass-to-mouth]

WTF are the sixers doing trading away Iguadala? Dood is a ballah!!

[Ski to Be]

I am happy for Nash. He is all class and this will be his best chance at a ring.

[54-46]

If you like watching hoops, what's your alternative to the NBA? NBA may not be as great as 1985, but it's better than it was in 1994. People bitch about the good old days, but IMO college hoops is so lacking in talent in most that it's not a good alternative.

[warthog]

The Magic manage to turn Howard into 3 so-so players and two draft picks? Good thing that there are no fans of that team, otherwise they would be pissed.

Their first round draft pick is from my college. He was a bit off the radar, and I think he will be a big time player. Smart, humble, and hungry. Doesn't NEED basketball, but wants to see what he can do. Look up Andrew Nicholson. A surprise pick for Orlando. I think they are a little more worried about character since Howard.