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ORLANDO -- The Magic's Dwight Howard was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, coach Stan Vandy Gundy was fired and the team was bounced from the first round of the playoffs. For the Miami Heat, Florida's other NBA team, however, saw LeBron James lead his team to the promised land with an NBA championship.
Dwight Howard, shown here, was traded from Orlando Magic to the LA Lakers following the 2012 season, after team officials were finally convinced he wouldn't resign with the team that made him the No. overall pick eight years earlier.
Howard, long considered the most talented center in NBA, was an enigma the last two seasons with free agency pending, demanding to be traded, then saying he wanted to stay.
This is what Headline Surfer wrote Aug. 10, when the Howard trade went down: Dwight Howard has been traded -- this time for real to the Los Angeles Lakers. Good riddance!
The trade was first reported by ESPN, which said it involved four teams. More on that in a minute. The reality is the Dwight-mare is over. No more he's staying, he's going. He's staying, he's going. The Magic went through this back in the 1990s when Shaquille O'Neal left as a free agent and signed with the Lakers.
The reality, though, is Howard was a goner, now matter you slice it. At least the Magic are getting something in return this time.
Now Back to the trade details as reported by ESPN 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." Richardson leaves the Magic in the trade, allowing the Magic to shed more salary. Ironically, the Magic begged off of having Lakers 7-footer Pau Gasol being sent their way because of his hefty salary.
Aside from the Lakers, the Philadelphia 76ers make out pretty good in acquiring Bynum, considered the second best center in the league behind Howard. The good news, if not already over-stated, is Howard is gone.
The bad news? The Magic could very well be the worst team in the NBA. The Lakers are vastly improved; keeping Gasol, having added point guard Steve Nash from the Phoenix Suns, and of course, Kobe Bryant and his five rings.
Make no mistake about it: The Lakers are Kobe's team -- not Howard's. Kobe wants that sixth ring that would tie him with Michael Jordan for bragging rights in the modern era, but he may have only a one-year window. That's because Howard can become a free agent at the end of the next season. But Howard would make the max by re-signing with LA.
Looks like Floridians will be rooting for LeBron and the Miami Heat come next season. The Magic is gone in Orlando, at least for the foreseeable future.
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