Lakers GM Says Another ‘Homerun’ Deal May Not Be Possible

Mitch Kupchak shocked everyone when he swung a deal for Steve Nash this summer, but he tells reporters in Los Angeles that making another blockbuster deal (*cough* Dwight Howard *cough*) isn’t very likely. From the LA Times: “Only two weeks after declaring the Lakers would try to hit a home run, General Manager Mitch Kupchak helped hit one out of the park. Their coveted prize came in the form of elite point guard Steve Nash. He officially signed his three-year, $27-million contract Monday morning. Nash stood at an introductory news conference at the Lakers’ practice facility in El Segundo proudly displaying his No. 10 Lakers jersey. And he gushed for over half an hour about how this arrival bolsters his chances to win his first NBA championship entering his 17th year. But could the Lakers follow up with another dinger? ‘We think we’ve got one this year,’ Kupchak said. ‘So you’re asking if we can do that twice? I’m not quite sure that’s possible.’ Most Laker fans will interpret that as a sign Dwight Howard probably won’t come to L.A. Kupchak wouldn’t specify, as he declined to address any questions pertaining to the Magic center. But the Lakers haven’t given up yet. The Times’ Mike Bresnahan reported the Lakers reentered negotiations Tuesday for Howard and are more open into absorbing Jason Richardsons’ contract. Meanwhile, Kupchak acknowledged the Lakers are nowhere near negotiating with Andrew Bynum and his representatives over a long-term extension after exercising his $16.1-million option for next season. The Lakers center is considered the necessary piece for any deal involving Howard. ‘We will sit down and go through this period and address things that are most urgent,’ Kupchak said. ‘Not that anyone of our starters’ futures is not urgent. But there will be a time and a place for that.'”