Riddler
01-23-2013, 09:03 AM
The Los Angeles Lakers (http://espn.go.com/nba/team/_/name/lal/los-angeles-lakers) have consistently turned away trade inquiries in recent weeks for All-Star center Dwight Howard (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/2384/dwight-howard) and still believe they have a strong chance of signing him to a new contract when Howard becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer, according to sources close to the situation.
But sources told ESPN.com this week the Lakers might be forced to reconsider that position between now and the Feb. 21 trade deadline because of Howard's growing unhappiness with his role under coach Mike D'Antoni and the potential that raises for Howard leaving them in July without compensation
Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak, however, said that a trade is not imminent.
"I don't think we're at the point where you say, 'It's time for a trade,' and a trade happens in three to four days. That's just not how this league works," Kupchak said in a phone interview with ESPN.
Howard has not publicly indicated any desire to sign elsewhere when he becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1 and came to Los Angeles determined to succeed with a minimum amount of fuss after the hits he took image-wise during his drawn-out departure from the Orlando Magic (http://espn.go.com/nba/team/_/name/orl/orlando-magic).
But sources say that Howard, as the Lakers' struggles have mounted, has dropped hints within team circles about his discomfort in D'Antoni's system and that he could consider moving on if things don't improve or change.
The Lakers, sources say, have been telling interested teams that they don't want to make a major move of any kind between now and the trade deadline given how tumultuous their season has already been
In addition to rebuffing the trade interest in Howard, Lakers officials are also reluctant to trade Pau Gasol (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/996/pau-gasol) for players who fit D'Antoni's system better -- despite Gasol's recent demotion to the bench -- because they still have no assurances Howard will stay beyond this season and don't want to risk losing both of their elite big men after trading away Andrew Bynum (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/2748/andrew-bynum) in the original Howard deal last August.
http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/8871264/sources-los-angeles-lakers-growing-concerned-unhappy-dwight-howard
But sources told ESPN.com this week the Lakers might be forced to reconsider that position between now and the Feb. 21 trade deadline because of Howard's growing unhappiness with his role under coach Mike D'Antoni and the potential that raises for Howard leaving them in July without compensation
Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak, however, said that a trade is not imminent.
"I don't think we're at the point where you say, 'It's time for a trade,' and a trade happens in three to four days. That's just not how this league works," Kupchak said in a phone interview with ESPN.
Howard has not publicly indicated any desire to sign elsewhere when he becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1 and came to Los Angeles determined to succeed with a minimum amount of fuss after the hits he took image-wise during his drawn-out departure from the Orlando Magic (http://espn.go.com/nba/team/_/name/orl/orlando-magic).
But sources say that Howard, as the Lakers' struggles have mounted, has dropped hints within team circles about his discomfort in D'Antoni's system and that he could consider moving on if things don't improve or change.
The Lakers, sources say, have been telling interested teams that they don't want to make a major move of any kind between now and the trade deadline given how tumultuous their season has already been
In addition to rebuffing the trade interest in Howard, Lakers officials are also reluctant to trade Pau Gasol (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/996/pau-gasol) for players who fit D'Antoni's system better -- despite Gasol's recent demotion to the bench -- because they still have no assurances Howard will stay beyond this season and don't want to risk losing both of their elite big men after trading away Andrew Bynum (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/2748/andrew-bynum) in the original Howard deal last August.
http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/8871264/sources-los-angeles-lakers-growing-concerned-unhappy-dwight-howard