NBA

Lakers Reportedly Out Of The Hunt For Chris Paul, Set Their Sights On Dwight Howard

Somebody needs to trade for Chris Paul, don’t they? It appears, however, that as of this morning that somebody won’t be the Los Angeles Lakers. After taking a re-do and resubmitting the 3-team deal to the league offices for a second look, it appears that the deal is dead, for now, and the Lakers have set their sights on landing Dwight Howard instead.

Unfortunately, for the Lakers, Howard seems to want to play for the New Jersey (soon-to-be Brooklyn) Nets. And already the Nets and Magic are discussing a deal that would send Howard to the Nets for New Jersey big man Brook Lopez and a few first-round draft picks.

According to Yahoo!’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Magic aren’t looking for Howard to dictate where he gets traded to, but they’re looking to make the best possible deal for the team. That’s easier said than done, with Howard being able to decline signing a long-term extension with the team the Magic trade him to, which would mean teams are less likely to give up all that much for a one-year rental.

The Magic are hoping to get Andrew Bynum in return from the Lakers and are insisting that whoever takes Howard also has to take back Hedo Turkoglu and the some $33 million he’s owed over the next three years.

For now, the deal for Paul seems to be off, but with Howard wanting to join the Brooklyn Nets, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Paul to the Lakers talks are once again back on the table.

Via