Dwight Howard is now a Los Angeles Laker, according to ESPN.
He will be sent there in a four-team trade involving the Philadelphia
76ers and the Denver Nuggets. Somewhere right now, Shaq is furious, as
he knows the move from Orlando to L.A. will force the comparison between
the two 'Supermen' to continue.
Here are the terms of the trade that will reshape the landscape of the NBA:
Lakers: Receive - C Dwight Howard, F Earl Clark, G Chris Duhon from Orlando
Nuggets: Receive - SG/SF Andre Iguodala from Philly
76ers: Receive - C Andrew Bynum from LA, SG/SF Jason Richardson from Orlando
Magic: Receive - SG Arron Affalo, PF/SF/C Al Harrington from Denver, C/PF Nikola Vucevic, SF Moe Harkless from Philly, Denver 1st-Rounder (2014), Philly 1st Rounder (2015), LA 1st-Rounder (2017)
As of now, it seems that Howard will finish the 2012-2013 season
without extending his contract so that he can become a free-agent on
July 1, 2013. That will give him time to decide whether or not he's
comfortable in L.A. If he decides to go elsewhere after this season, it
will most likely be the Dallas Mavericks.
Dallas was part of Dwight's three-team-list (Brooklyn, Dallas, Los
Angeles) he was willing to go to last season, and they will have the
necessary cap space to sign him.
This trade has made the Los Angeles Lakers the NBA's super team of
the West - David Stern couldn't spite the Lakers two years in a row -
like when he blocked the Chris Paul trade for it being irresponsible and
'creating super teams in the NBA.'
Kobe Bryant
was reportedly ecstatic that they were able to pull off the trade
without giving up Pau Gasol. The Lakers now projected starting lineup is
PG Steve Nash, SG Kobe Bryant, SF Metta World Peace, PF Pau Gasol, and C
Dwight Howard. They'll also have PF Antawn Jamison coming off the
bench. That's a lineup that can only maybe be competed with by Oklahoma
City or the aging San Antonio.
The East of course will have the defending NBA Champs in the Miami
Heat and Chicago, with a hopefully healthy Derrick Rose. Other than
that, there's a decent Indiana team and Philadelphia that now has Andrew
Bynum and Jason Richardson. Although Philly has not yet spoken to Bynum
or his representatives and he hasn't said anything about them signing
him long-term.
One source said:
"The Sixers are willing to take a shot (without Bynum's commitment)."
The presence of Dwight moving to L.A. paves the way for a Kobe vs. LeBron Championship
final - super team of the West vs. the East - the two greatest players
in the game. No doubt everyone would be watching.
Hopefully this matchup happens this year. But if not, Dwight will
have to resign with L.A. and get it done while Kobe is still Kobe. The
man is a legend, but he's 34-years-old and not getting any younger. It
would be a real disappointment if this move were to happen without
leading towards an NBA Championship matchup of the two most elite squads
the league has to offer.
The trade has been completed and been approved by Commissioner David
Stern and therefore has the potential to steer the direction of the
entire league for several years to come. If not, at least us fans can
breathe now that the Dwight Howard saga has finally come to an end.
Congratulations on getting what you wanted, Dwight!
For the 2012-2013 season, here's a list of a few important games as well as a link to their full season's schedule from nba.com
December 2: vs. Orlando
January 17: vs. Miami
February 10: @ Miami
March 12: @ Orlando
Full Schedule Click Here.
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