Well looks like Kobe will get that 6th ring after all. He now has an all star point gaurd Steve Nash and yesterday a four-team trade sends Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers seem to be very busy this offseason. They still have to have the NBA approve the trade. That sounds like it is a great trade for everyone but just last year the NBA (Sterns) blocked the trade of CP3. The trade is complicated; Lakers will receive Howard, the Denver Nuggets will get 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 other three teams plus the 76ers No. 1 draft pick Moe Harkless.
A meeting with the league office is scheduled for Friday to secure the necessary NBA approval to make the deal official. Lakers forward Pau Gasol who was on the chopping block all summer was not part of the trade. Now before you Lakers fans too excited, keep in mind that Howard will play out the 2012-13 season without extending his contract so he can become a free agent on July 1, 2013. That means after just one season if he is not happy he can leave.
It should be an interesting season as the Thunder should be more mature and able to deal with the Playoffs which they are sure to be in. Also Howard, as good as he has been hurt physically and mentally out of it for awhile. One has to think that Howard acts like and for the most part is a big kid. I don’t see how he will be comfortable in Los Angeles. The spot light there is almost as bad as New York. Dallas Mavericks, who will have the salary-cap space might be a better fit for Howard. That team is also one of Howard’s preferred 3 teams to play for. The teams he has said publicly that he likes are Brooklyn Nets, Lakers and Mavericks.