BLOCKBUSTER TRADE Howard, Bynum, Iguodala (ESPN confirming its done)

[nickagneta]

Gotta think if this goes down Gasol will end up in Houston....because Lord knows what they need right now is another PF.

[celtsfan84]

Pau Gasol has been both included and excluded as the Lakers, Magic, Sixers and Nuggets discuss trade scenarios centered around Dwight Howard.

The proposals remain fluid even as reports indicate a trade is close.

Gasol would go to the Magic under the currently proposed scenario.

A source close to Gasol told ESPN's Ric Bucher that he would remain with Lakers.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/222913/Gasols_Inclusion_In_Trade_Talks_Remains_Fluid_May_Stay_With_Lakers#ixzz2366hulXW

Initial report here is from ESPN. Ric Bucher is reporting that Gasol stays.

[celtsfan84]

A four-team trade that would send Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers is "very close" to happening and could be agreed upon Friday, league sources told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard.

In the proposed four-team deal, sources told Broussard that Howard and Denver Nuggets forward Al Harrington would go to Los Angeles, Lakers forward Pau Gasol and Nuggets guard Arron Afflalo would go to the Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers guard Andre Iguodala would go to Denver, and Lakers center Andrew Bynum would go to Philadelphia.

A league source told ESPNLosAngeles.com's Ramona Shelburne that the pieces in the potential trade are still very fluid and that Gasol has been in and out of the talks. The source, though, said the deal still is very close to happening and could go down Friday morning.

Sources told Broussard that Philadelphia has not spoken to Bynum or his representatives and has no assurances he will sign a long-term extension with the club.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8252042/sources-dwight-howard-los-angeles-lakers-four-team-deal-very-close

Almost done but still fluid according to ESPN. Odd. How could the deal be almost done if one of the principal players is in and out of talks?

[Roy H.]

A four-team trade that would send Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers is "very close" to happening and could be agreed upon Friday, league sources told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard.

In the proposed four-team deal, sources told Broussard that Howard and Denver Nuggets forward Al Harrington would go to Los Angeles, Lakers forward Pau Gasol and Nuggets guard Arron Afflalo would go to the Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers guard Andre Iguodala would go to Denver, and Lakers center Andrew Bynum would go to Philadelphia.

A league source told ESPNLosAngeles.com's Ramona Shelburne that the pieces in the potential trade are still very fluid and that Gasol has been in and out of the talks. The source, though, said the deal still is very close to happening and could go down Friday morning.

Sources told Broussard that Philadelphia has not spoken to Bynum or his representatives and has no assurances he will sign a long-term extension with the club.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8252042/sources-dwight-howard-los-angeles-lakers-four-team-deal-very-close

Almost done but still fluid according to ESPN. Odd. How could the deal be almost done if one of the principal players is in and out of talks?

Yeah, Gasol seems like a fairly big piece to be "in and out" of discussions.

[LooseCannon]

Orlando has to get picks and dump contracts in any deal. J Rich, Hedo. Those are two contracts I think Orlando has to jettison to move on any Dwight deal.

I think I'd rather get rid of Davis than Turkoglu.  Hedo's contract ends sooner and may have trade value as an expiring contract, since a team can trade for him and cut him, saving money since his final year is only half-guaranteed.

If I were the Magic, I think I would prefer using Howard to get out from under some contracts rather than getting picks or young players unless I feel good about my chances of getting a future star I can build around.

[Fafnir]

They can stretch Davis if necessary, no such out for Hedo.

[Who]

I don't think Orlando needs to worry too much about their bad contracts. They won't be needing cap space anytime soon anyways. Best to stay bad make a few high draft picks and then look to bring in high-salaried free agents.

[wdleehi]

I don't think Orlando needs to worry too much about their bad contracts. They won't be needing cap space anytime soon anyways. Best to stay bad make a few high draft picks and then look to bring in high-salaried free agents.

I think they have to dump.  Get some cap space.  Be the rebuilding team that will take back a 1 or 2 year contract from a team looking to get under a tax level for draft picks.

[gar]

Only deal I have seen were all teams involved improve.
Lakers were not going anywhere with Bynum and Gasol.
Sixers Have plenty of young talent G/F and get Bynum(for Iggy)
Orlando Gets two quality players (Afflalo & Gasol) they can either keep of move for young talent and picks.
Denver gets a scorer at SG which is huge with Chandler and Galinari@ SF and Faried and Randolph @ PF

[LarBrd33]

Gasol and Bynum are both allstar 7 foot big men.  I'd be a little surprised if the Lakers gave up both for Dwight.  Adding Nash makes them one of the main favorites in the West.  Dumping bynum for howard makes more sense... dumping Gasol as well is a little crazy.

[Edgar]

Only deal I have seen were all teams involved improve.
Lakers were not going anywhere with Bynum and Gasol.
Sixers Have plenty of young talent G/F and get Bynum(for Iggy)
Orlando Gets two quality players (Afflalo & Gasol) they can either keep of move for young talent and picks.
Denver gets a scorer at SG which is huge with Chandler and Galinari@ SF and Faried and Randolph @ PF

Can we trade for gasol?

[celtsfan84]

Only deal I have seen were all teams involved improve.
Lakers were not going anywhere with Bynum and Gasol.
Sixers Have plenty of young talent G/F and get Bynum(for Iggy)
Orlando Gets two quality players (Afflalo & Gasol) they can either keep of move for young talent and picks.
Denver gets a scorer at SG which is huge with Chandler and Galinari@ SF and Faried and Randolph @ PF

I couldn't disagree with this more.

The Lakers won two titles with Bynum and Gasol, so the premise that they can't go anywhere with them seems flawed.

Orlando needs to either - clear massive cap space, get young players, or get draft picks.  This deal seems to accomplish none of those.  If the end result is trading Gasol and Afflalo for young players and picks, why not just trade Dwight for young players and picks?  Who exactly is going to trade young assets for Gasol?

[Fafnir]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8252042/sources-dwight-howard-los-angeles-lakers-four-team-deal-complete

[Fafnir]

Ugh I was hoping he'd end up in Houston.

[LEHGOCELTICS]

Confirmed by ESPN:

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8252042/sources-dwight-howard-los-angeles-lakers-four-team-deal-complete

Ohhhhhh ****. Look out for Philly. Edited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline.n the Lakers do it again.

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.


Howard
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.

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."

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.

More on the Lakers

For more news, notes and analysis of the Lakers, check out the Land O' Lakers blog from the Kamenetzky Brothers. Blog

"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.

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 has remained relatively unchanged for the past few months, league sources familiar with the situation told ESPNLosAngeles.com. The Lakers always have 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.