Dwight Howard to the Lakers

[Walter Cronkite]

A four-team trade that would send Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers is complete, multiple sources told ESPN on 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 other three teams.

In addition, the Magic will be getting other pieces, including 76ers No. 1 draft pick Moe Harkless, a source told Stein.

Sources close to the process told Stein and ESPNLosAngeles.com's Ramona Shelburne that a trade call with the league office has been scheduled for Friday to secure the necessary NBA approval to make the deal official.

Lakers forward Pau Gasol had been in and out of talks, sources told Shelburne, before ultimately being excluded.

One source briefed on Howard's plans told Stein that the All-Star center will indeed stand firm on his intent to play out the 2012-13 season without extending his contract so he can become a free agent on July 1, 2013. Going that route will enable Howard to decide how comfortable he is in Los Angeles before deciding whether to re-sign with the Lakers or join the Dallas Mavericks, who will have the requisite salary-cap space to sign Howard and remain one of his preferred destinations from his original list of three teams (Brooklyn Nets, Lakers and Mavericks).

"If Los Angeles doesn't work out for Dwight, Dallas will be there waiting for him," the source told Stein.

One source close to Kobe Bryant, meanwhile, told Stein that the Lakers' star was estatic Thursday night upon hearing that Los Angeles was able to complete such a significant transaction without surrendering Gasol. Bryant is currently with Team USA at the London Olympics.

Sources told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard that Philadelphia has not spoken to Bynum or his representatives, and has no assurances he will sign a long-term extension with the team.

"The Sixers are willing to take a shot (without Bynum's commitment)," one source said.

Although Bynum signing an extension with the 76ers is not out of the question, according to a source, his stance all summer has been he only will sign an extension with the Lakers.

Bynum, who grew up about an hour away from Philadelphia in Plainsboro, N.J., could sign a three-year, $60 million extension this season or wait to become a free agent after the season and be eligible for a five-year, $102 million deal.

Earlier Thursday, Yahoo! Sports, citing sources, reported that talks of a four-team trade involving Howard have taken place this week and have "grown serious."

Near the end of July, Howard met with Magic general manager Rob Hennigan and reiterated he still wants to be traded, and if he isn't, will leave the team as a free agent after next season.

The Lakers' position on Howard had remained relatively unchanged for the past few months, league sources familiar with the situation told ESPNLosAngeles.com. The Lakers always had been willing to trade for Howard without assurances he'd re-sign with them after the season, believing that once Howard experienced a championship culture, he would want to stay.

Source: AP

[Pyro]

Ok, since people will debate the "Who was worse Dwight or LeBron" in leaving town"? Here's my best analogy.

A) Dwight is the girlfriend who kisses another guy but is very apologetic afterwards and swears she's faithful only she does it four to five times
or
B) LeBron was the perfect 10, choir girl in the street, demon in the sack for you. She set it up that she knew you were ready to propose only at the last second she invites you to watch her gangbang everyone of your friends and family members

Honestly though, it was whether you hated the slow, wimpy burnout of Dwight or the absolute heart ripping that was the Decision (because no one thought he'd have a special AND leave Cleveland). Not that either isn't justified in wanting to go, just which you think is worse.

[Kellie-Girl]

It's rare to see a multi-team trade where one team is royally screwed and the other three flat-out clean up, but that happened here.

Obviously, the Lakers are the big story here, but the other two teams did really nicely, too. Philly gets one of the top centers in the game and Denver gets Iggy for Afflalo AND dumps Al Harrington in the process.

[Sodomy]

So I was at a bar and saw the trade had finished, and assumed the Magic cleaned up. I get home, read the ESPN article, and ruin my monitor with the spit take I pulled. The traded Howard for Afflalo, Harrington, some other douche and a 1st round pick from the farking LAKERS, SIXERS, and NUGGETS? Three teams that are basically GUARANTEED TO GIVE THEM LATE 1st ROUNDERS???

I hope the Magic get contracted and every person involved in this deal is forced to get JJ Redick's face tattooed on their forehead.