Howard Reportedly Heading To Lakers
LOS ANGELES (Sports Network) - The Dwight Howard saga is finally about to end, according to reports.
A four-team deal that will send the disgruntled Orlando Magic center to the Los Angeles Lakers will reportedly be processed Friday morning.
The trade will send the six-time All-Star to the Lakers, who will deal center Andrew Bynym to the Sixers. The Denver Nuggets will deal forward Al Harrington and guard Arron Afflalo to the Magic. Philadelphia will ship small forward Andre Iguodala to Denver and center Nikola Vucevic and first-round draft pick Moe Harkless to the Magic, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Magic will send guard Jason Richardson to the 76ers.
Orlando would also receive a protected first-round pick from Los Angeles, Denver and Philadelphia.
The newspaper reports before the deal can be finished, the NBA will have a conference call between the general managers of the four teams. The league must then approve of the trade.
Howard, who has been the focus of trade rumors for the past two years, would join Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Steve Nash in Los Angeles. Howard 20.6 points and 14.5 rebounds last season and made his sixth All-Star team. An eight-year veteran, Howard is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year. He reached the NBA Finals in 2009 and lost to the Lakers in five games.
There's no guarantee Howard will remain with the Lakers or Bynym with the Sixers after the 2012-13 season, as both players are entering the final year of their contracts. Howard's due $19.26 million, and Bynum $16.47 million.
Bynum, 24, averaged career-highs with 18.7 points and 11.8 rebounds in 60 games last season after battling a variety of injuries throughout the first six seasons of his career.
The 28-year-old Iguodala averaged 12.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 62 games for the 76ers last year.
Richardson, 31, averaged 11.6 points for Orlando last season. In 11 seasons with Golden State, Charlotte, Phoenix and Orlando, Richardson averaged 17.5 points.
Afflalo, who signed a five-year, $43 million contract prior to last season, averaged a career-high 15.2 points for Denver last season.
The 32-year-old Harrington put up 14.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game last season in Denver.
Vucevic averaged 5.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 51 games in his rookie campaign with the Sixers.
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