Tuesday, December 6th, 2011 at 9:00 am  |  146 responses

Report: Lakers Want Dwight Howard and Chris Paul


by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

If the latest reports are to believed, unless the player’s name starts with Kobe and ends with Bryant, everyone on the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster is available for trading purposes, as the Lakers reportedly chase after both Dwight Howard and Chris Paul.

The idea for the blockbuster move, which would obviously shake up the NBA dramatically, hasn’t only occurred to the Lakers.

According to ESPN, the Clippers are thinking of pulling off a similar move:

Hoping to pull off a pair of blockbuster moves that would rock the NBA, the Lakers are willing to trade anyone on their roster outside of Kobe Bryant to bring Howard and Paul to Los Angeles, two sources said. Whether the Lakers are able to make it happen remains to be seen, but with stars Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom on the roster, they have the talent and the financial capacity to make the trades work. The Lakers have had cursory discussions with New Orleans about Paul within the past few days. It is not clear whether they have spoken with Orlando.

Sources say the Clippers also have intentions to go after both Howard and Paul. And like the Lakers, the Clippers are positioned — financially and talent-wise to make such a move. Unlike the Lakers, the Clippers would not have to make two trades. They could use their wealth of young talent to trade for either Paul or Howard and then sign the other as a free agent next summer when they’ll have enough cap room to offer a maximum-salary contract. The one player the Clippers will not offer in a trade is Blake Griffin. “The Lakers have company (in going after Howard and Paul),” another Western Conference official said. “The Clippers are doing the same thing.”

For the time being, these are just “sources” planting scenarios and trade possibilities in the media, so there’s probably no reason to get too excited about any of this.

Dwight Howard and Chris Paul’s names will appear in new, increasingly crazier trade rumors every single day until they both move on from their current teams. I hope you’ve prepared yourselves adequately for that.

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  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Pau and Blake or Odom, Blake and Ebanks or something.. Is it really impossible? I can never figure out trade numbers lol. Seems like ol’ Kupchak could figure something out.

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    Pau and Odom for Nash, Childress and Warrick would work and LA would likely demand Robin Lopez (approximately – I am on my phone so I am not actually gonna look but I’m normally pretty spot on about contracts). You think that improves LA enough to take a 38 year old PG?

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    Pau is not enough to get Nash from Phoenix. First of all, improving the Lakers is just about the last thing on every person with even a tid bit of interest in the Suns, and giving up your (league most) cap space in 2012 for a 31 year old Pau Gasol is a risk. If it’s not completely stupid

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    You would trade Pau for Nash? Are you high?
    I would not trade either Pau or Bynum for Nash.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Not sure if that would. It would obviously improve their offense, but would ruin their defense… HMM, Honestly I would just like a serviceable point guard who can play D. So ya Delonte would be prefect lol.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    I can’t believe the Lakers would even consider trading Pau or Bynum for Nash.
    You don’t trade that sort of size, size in its prime, for an aging, offense only point guard who really is only a superstar in an uptempo system that completely conflicts with what your team runs.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Trading Pau would not improve their offense at all.
    Well, it wouldn’t improve their offense if they were running the triangle. I don’t know about whatever bastard offense Mike Brown is planning.
    Pau, for all his Charmin’ softness, is a very good scorer, great passer and good rebounder. And he plays decent defense. And, here’ the most important thing, HE’S SEVEN FEET TALL.

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    Allen, if they got Dwight and kept Pau I could see the logic behind pursuing Nash. But LA doesn’t have the pieces to make it make sense for both sides. It would be easier to find a useable PF in free agency than a starting PG. And Dwight makes LA’s defense top 5 the day he puts on a jersey.

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    And Nash would do more for an offense that featured Dwight then Pau Gasol would.

  • YoLu

    Nash is a terrible defender, but having him putting up around 14 ppg, 11-12 apg, and shooting around 50-40-90 is light years better than Fisher on the offensive end. He’s old as hell, but with how he takes care of his body it’s hard not to see him being productive for another 3 years. If I’m LA, then I’m not making the trade if Gasol is involved though. If you get rid of Bynum, then you’re losing your main rim protector. I think Gortat would take over that role better than Lopez if you can get him.

    As people have stated, the Lakers are pretty damn good right now. But if they want to solve their PG predicament, then Nash has to be considered.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Would he really?
    I remember how he struggled when Terry Porter slowed the pace and demanded they get Shaq touches.

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    Shaq’s offensive strength isn’t the pick and roll Allen.

  • The Truth

    Howard even said that he wanted to play with Kobe and to be part of Lakers history would be a bonus! Kobe most likely has 2 years left in the league, 3 max so make it happen Lakers and give the overly hyped team the Heats a run for its moneys!

  • AiRsMiTh

    I don’t think I’m going to watch the NBA anymore

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    We’re just desperate to improve at PG Allen. Obviously we don’t wanna get rid of the twin towers, but D-Fish can NOT start again next year. He is to slow on defense and has no offense besides his shooting and he isn’t a good distributor on a team that could really use a good one. I wouldn’t be upset to see 1 of the PF’s go. (Odom, or Pau) But not both of them.

  • http://www.slamonline.com biged

    This discussion is getting dumb.

  • YoLu

    My bad. I hate when hypotheticals are made and I hypocritically made one. That seems to be what free agency and trade rumors are all about though.

  • http://www.offthebackboard.wordpress.com OTB

    I’m pretty sure the Lakers will end up with Howard, or Paul, but not both. There is no way the second GM of the two teams involved would OK getting back guys like Artest/Odom (assuming the other team takes Pau and Bynum) for their franchise player while being known as the GM that allowed the Lakers to kick off another dynasty with a lopsided trade.

    The KG trade in 2007 happened because Aingle and McHale were former teammates, which likely turned the tide towards the Celtics in a lot of ways. Likewise, the Gasol/Kwame trade stood ground because of Jerry West’s influence over the Grizzlies at the time. But Dell Demps and Otis Smith have no relation to anyone on the Lakers, nor do they have any connection with the Lakers as a franchise. One of the teams might crack and give away Howard or Paul, but both will not. As soon as Bynum is out the window as a trade piece, the motivation to trade with the Lakers significantly decreases.

  • http://www.facebook.com/joe.l.brewer3 BlackPhantom

    I wish we had enough pieces to acquire both Paul & Howard, but I’d still be satisfied if we were able to land either player. The big question is, which player would help LA’s title chances more?

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    (imo) This year Paul if Okafor comes with. In the future, Dwight, no question.

  • Jono

    Dear Dwight Howard & Chris Paul, please don’t ruin the NBA.

  • LA Huey

    The Lakers can make it happen so long as they hold the draft rights to CJ Paul and Jahaziel Howard. As Philo would say in some sort of sonnet “History always repeats itself”

  • Tofu

    unrealistic trade moves…bullcrap

  • http://www.facebook.com/joe.l.brewer3 BlackPhantom

    Yeah I think Dwight would probably be a better move for LA

  • http://google J-Ro

    If the Lakers get Paul,the Hornets dont get any PG in return. Man theyre gonna be sorry about trading away Collison.

  • Derek

    As I am a Laker fan this sounds great but the reason that Gasol and Bynum are in seperate trade rumours is because both Chris Paul and Dwight Howard do not want to stay and are not going to sign extensions. The Lakers offer one of their bigs for either Chris or Dwight seperately hoping that they will accept, considering they do not want the same thing to happen to them that LeBron did to the Cavs.

  • Derek

    Dwight is probably more likely going to be going to the Lakers than Chris if either would be considering Dwight is a big and the Lakers are offering a big and Dwight wants to go to L.A.

  • #6marjons

    i dont like the nba anymore

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    One less idiot to worry about.

  • robb

    Honestly with that mediocre coach the Lakers got, they need the most talented players if they want to be successful. If they get both players, Mike Brown can do what he does best (besides leaving his mouth open when a questionable foul is called): “Yeah Kobe shoot the ball. Dwight, yeah Dwight block that dude. Hey Chris, nice job distributing the ball there. Good game y’all.”

  • BAYLORBEARS2012

    I think we all know that CP3 has made up his mind and wants to go to the Knicks. Dwight is a possibility, but he could make a case for the most hated player next to LeBron imo lol. Also when you analyze the roster, outside of Kobe, there is nothing to look forward to in the future. If D12 probably went to Lakers, they’d be giving away probably Bynum who is their potential star in the future along with Odom and some other scrubs and picks. Gasol and Bryant are clearly on the downsides of their career and those three cannot do it alone, as depicted in the NBA Finals where the Miami big 3 lost in 6 to a well-rounded and tamed Mavericks. Heck people said that the Miami big 3 were gona win a crapload of rings. But they realize that there is something called a bench and they need supporting players to take some of the slack away. If I were Dwight, I would want to test the waters of free agency and see what other options there are. If I were the Orlando GM, I would wait and see what else is available later on in the year. theres no rush to trade your best player lol.

    PS: These are teams that I feel can make a legitimate run for D12 come free agency: New Jersey, Boston, NYK (that is if they dont get CP3) and Clippers. All these teams have cap space (boston being the exception; however a chunk of their roster is finished their final year of contract in 2012, thus leaving space for them to sign D12 to a maximum level contract)

  • ClydeSays

    Can’t see how the Lake Show swings both, but we’ll see. Interested to see how Mike Brown does in LA. He seemed to have no control of LBJ at times in Cle. How does he deal with Kobe?

  • golakeshow

    This is great. To all of you crazy dudes out their chew on this. CP3 at pg. Mamba at sg. Odom at PF. D12 at Center and artest. why wouldn’t these trades go down. Bynum for Howard. Pau for CP3? This team would clearly win the title. An why the hell did you bring the Thunder and Bulls into this. I just hope the Lakers don’t throw a huge party at the staples center like the heat did. This will happen if Kupchak is smart.

  • BigBlue

    this just cant happen, not because of financial reasons or the trading value of the players in question, but because it will reinforce the fact that some teams have so much more oppurtunitys to succeed than others in proffesional sports. there will be too much outrage from smaller market owners and the public in general that the lakers, who already have some of the greatest dynastys in basketball history, continue to get shot after shot at creating these dynastys.

  • http://slamonline.com Tae

    Damn im tired of teams tryna get these video game rosters. Im a Lakers fan, but no deal. Keep wat we have n add a few pieces and we’re good for 11-12

  • http://www.KBV4.com KBV4

    Nah B

  • Cool Dude

    It is possible. Gasol + artest or brown for CP3 and Bynum + Odom for D12 is better than pretty much any deal other teams can offer.

  • Holiday

    Wow Pau for CP3 and Bynum for Howard… Straight across? I knew Lakers fans were ignorant and arrogant, but that is completely delusional!!!!

  • Hobbes

    Trade Drew for D12, keep Pau and get Baron Davis, Grant Hill or Tmac.

  • Travesty

    Anyone else thinking that there will be some backlash from players in regards to the hardliners during the lockout? Not just in terms of free agents signings, but also with players signing extensions and superstars forcing their way out of teams. Just a thought.

  • Hobbes

    Yeah CP3 to NYC then Knicks can make Bron the king never won a ring period.

  • Justin

    The Lakers will get Howard but they will not get both. CP3 is going to the Knicks in a year so just end that part of it right there. And I really wish people would stop saying Jerry West was involved in the Lakers/Grizzlies trade for Gasol. He was NOT the GM and didn’t even know about the trade until after it had happened.

  • BBaller

    I loathe the lakers but anything will do to prevent the worst “team” in 25 years the Heat from winning a chip. A shortened season is definitely in their favor.I never want Lebron to win unless it’s in a Cavs uniform.Howard please join the Spurs and the ultimate twin towers will prevent that despicable , arrogant Heat team from winning anything

  • Justin

    I’m with you BBaller. I don’t loathe the Lakers but I don’t want them to win because I don’t want the stupid “now Kobe is just as good as MJ” discussions to get going again. I don’t want the Heat to win because Lebron is the biggest girl on the planet. I don’t want the Knicks to win because I hate the way Stoudemire and Anthony handled their own situations in Phoenix and Denver. I’ll take a Dallas repeat or a Bulls win though

  • ethan

    Yeah no way the L owned hornets is gonna let that happen

  • Daniel

    There is one reason it won’t happen: Gasol and Magic execs + coaching staff have bad blood. If Magic would consider Gasol in a group trade it would still be near impossible, but capable with a little business magic. Add on top of that Gasol’s chemistry issues and age and it just doesn’t make sense unless he was the guy you really wanted. Clippers actually seem like the most probable to pull it off, but even than probably in two trades over two seasons, IF they are successful enough after the first trade to still be attractive.

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