Also...I don't think the Lakers are going to be able to get Howard that easily. Otis Smith might be a terrible GM, but he's going to want more than a young big with potential, lots of injuries, and an emerging reputation as a dirty player with a low bball IQ in Bynum. My guess is he'd ask for Gasol plus either Bynum or Odom. If LA has to give up that much, I'm not that worried about them.
I don't know if he'd ask for Gasol because that would be yet another long term contract to take on.
However, how about us getting in on the Howard mix and offering the Magic:
Rondo
Green
JO (probably has to be used as filler/expiring contract)
1st Rd Pick
for
Howard (only if he agrees to re-sign)
Nelson (expendable with Rondo in Orlando)
I don't think Orlando is going to realistically get much more than this. Green and Rondo are upgrades over Turkoglu and Nelson.
Nelson also has a very nice contract that will still keep us in active in 2012 Free Agency. Plus, we can then get cute and dangle Nelson to NO for Paul in a S & T that summer. We can give them Nelson, picks, and cap space which is slightly more than Cleveland and Toronto received for James and Bosh, and hope the allure of playing with Howard and Pierce is enough to land Paul.