Lakers Land Dwight Howard

[21_Blessings]

Delicious

Yes, the built-in advantages of having the savvy to pick the youngest player ever drafted and then not unloading him for trash. It really comes down to the Lakers having, by far and away, the best front office in the NBA for the past 30+ years.

I know, it hurts.

[SpurOutofTownFan]

We have to be honest. Laker fans as well.

There are 2 NBA's, the big markets, and the smaller ones. Other than a few exceptions (read: Duncan to the Spurs, Nash to Phoenix), the big market teams (read: Lakers) always try getting the best combination of players. I personally didn't think this was going to happen - I don't think anyone wants a 2nd Gasol-Kobe thing happening, for obvious reasons - it takes the compe iveness out of the game.

Lakers was garbage between the time Shaq left LA and Gasol went over there for peanuts. I consider the Bynun-D-Ho trade bogus. You can't compare those 2 players. The same was said about the Gasol trade.

Somehow rules are bent when it comes to loading up the Lakers. I thought the same thing when they were trying to land CP3.

I believe the NBA is finished as long as this type of trades are allowed - this isn't about players wanting or hoping to play in LA since before they are born. This is a business, and LA has a lot of muscle and clout. Perhaps more than any other team. It is a huge advantage that - again, in my opinion - minimizes their accomplishment.

I know, it hurts...

[Dr. John R. Brinkley]

I agree this trade is awful for the Magic and all the other teams in the league that weren't involved in the trade. However, when everyone says the league is fixed/"a business", I'm curious how exactly people think this trade went down.

Are people suggesting Stern came in and forced the Magic to accept this trade?

Or is it more likely that Orlando completely botched this situation through incompetence?

[dunkman]

Bynum is almost as good as Howard tbh, its not like when they traded Kwame for Gasol.

[LakerLanny]

I would roll my eyes but this is just the Lakers being the Lakers. They pretty much get whoever they want, whenever they want. That's what happens when you're the team 99% of players grow up wanting to play for (including Tim Duncan) while being in the best market ... so there's really no reason to be angry. Tbh, with their built-in advantages, the Lakers should win every NBA championship.

But, anyways, what are the ripple effects of this trade in terms of the Spurs? My first thought is it should be an even bigger priority for the Spurs to sign another center. I haven't liked what I've seen when Splitter tries to defend Howard.

Thankfully, Duncan does rather well against him, especially when you factor in both ends of the court. But it's undeniable that the Lakers are now much improved.

*sigh*

The Lakers should just flip Metta World Peace for LeBron to man the SF position and call it an off-season.

[Andthentherewas21]

I agree this trade is awful for the Magic and all the other teams in the league that weren't involved in the trade. However, when everyone says the league is fixed/"a business", I'm curious how exactly people think this trade went down.

Are people suggesting Stern came in and forced the Magic to accept this trade?

Or is it more likely that Orlando completely botched this situation through incompetence?

Agreed, though I think its more the CBA (and by extension NBA) is setup to give disproportionate advantages to larger markets (or at least it continues to since many of the penalties haven't taken effect yet).

For the casual fan, its hard to reconcile how a team like the Lakers, who were over the cap at $63,179,384 with only Pau, Kobe, Bynum, MWP, Steve Blake, Mcroberts, and Eyenga at the start of free agency, are able to pick up an All-star PG in Nash (at $10 million a season), the most dominant center in DH (at $20 million a season), along with a few decent role players like Jamison and Meeks by only giving up Bynum and draft picks that at best will be in the mid-to-high 20s.

It would be hard to accept any team that is already over the cap improving their team with $40 million in additional salary when other teams are being hit with a $74 million hard cap due to the exceptions they use. The fact that the Lakers, while over the cap, were able to add nearly $40 million more in salary this coming season is frustrating. But the owners wanted more money not parity for the league, or else they wouldn't have settled for a system that enabled the Lakers to have a $100 million dollar payroll.

[spurs10]

And we went through a six month lock-out for what??

[2Cleva]

I know you guys are upset but these are too funny not to share.

[2Cleva]

[2Cleva]

[Duncan2177]

I know you guys are upset but these are too funny not to share.

Get off your high horse bag.

[2Cleva]

Get off your high horse bag.

C'mon now. I've never talked trash. Funny is funny.

[Clipper Nation]

Or is it more likely that Orlando completely botched this situation through incompetence?

Definitely this... I heard that Hennigan was basically shoved out of the way at the last minute and DeVos and Martens took over the negotiations, hence this absolute trade for them...

[Clipper Nation]

C'mon now. I've never talked trash. Funny is funny.

And all of these long since stopped being funny when LkrFan spent the past month spamming them in the NBA Forum, tbh...

[Clipper Nation]

And we went through a six month lock-out for what??

Easy... so the owners could get a bigger cut of the $$$$....

[yavozerb]

Has there ever been a NBA roster put together where salaries exceeded 100 mil for the season? Gotta love the moves if your a Laker fan, but for a 100+ mil. the pressure is high (even higher than normal for the lakers) to produce or be the laughing stock of the NBA while they pass out checks to other teams at the end of next season.

[benefactor]

Eh...it's always going to be this way. Stop watching basketball if you don't like it.

[yavozerb]

Eh...it's always going to be this way. Stop watching basketball if you don't like it.

Who are you referring to?

[baseline bum]

Has there ever been a NBA roster put together where salaries exceeded 100 mil for the season? Gotta love the moves if your a Laker fan, but for a 100+ mil. the pressure is high (even higher than normal for the lakers) to produce or be the laughing stock of the NBA while they pass out checks to other teams at the end of next season.

The 2006 Knicks had a $126.6 million payroll, I kid you not.

[wut]

Has there ever been a NBA roster put together where salaries exceeded 100 mil for the season? Gotta love the moves if your a Laker fan, but for a 100+ mil. the pressure is high (even higher than normal for the lakers) to produce or be the laughing stock of the NBA while they pass out checks to other teams at the end of next season.

I'm pretty sure there have been many $100+ million rosters...but I do agree with you that the pressure will be extremely high on the Lakers to produce a championship.

But at the same time, who cares? These are the Lakers....the team who can just open up their pocket book and have an endless supply of players willing to play for them. If this was the Spurs who went out and purchased a roster like this, they'd go bankrupt if the team didn't produce a championship....this is not the case for the Lakers.

Large markets have an inherent advantage...someone is trying to sell you fool's gold if they say otherwise.

[spurraider21]

The lakers getting Dwight would be like the saints acquiring Aaron Rodgers. Not as big an impact as it would have on another team

[rascal]

Remind me... What happened to Payton, Kobe, Malone & Shaq?

That team didn't do so bad. They went further than the spurs did.

[hsxvvd]

That team didn't do so bad. They went further than the spurs did.

... I thought the Spurs knocked them out that year... but still point is they got beat by a better TEAM in Detroit.

But Yes.... point not so strong when they knocked us out.

[benefactor]

Who are you referring to?

The Lakers getting (insert player here). Nothing to get worked up about anymore. I just accept it as part of the game.

[timtonymanu]

I hate the trade just as much as any Spur fan, but some of your reactions are hilarious.