According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports via Twitter, Howard won’t be the only player headed to Los Angeles in the blockbuster trade:
Lakers expected to get guard Chris Duhon & forward Earl Clark in Dwight Howard deal, too, source tells Y! Sports. Magic to land 2nd rd picks
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) August 10, 2012
One of the concerns for the Lakers before the Howard deal was bench play. With no viable options to backup Kobe Bryant and only Steve Blake to share time with Steve Nash, the Lakers needed a player or two to help bolster the backcourt.
Even though not an ideal fit, Chris Duhon will help shoulder the load at point guard. Last season, Duhon averaged 3.8 points and 2.4 assists per game in 19.5 minutes on the floor for the Orlando Magic.
One thing that Duhon may bring to the table for the Lakers is outside shooting with a career-high 42 percent from beyond the arc last year. That may be an inflated stat with Duhon only putting up 119 three-pointers in 63 games.
As for Earl Clark, the Lakers will be acquiring a 6’10” forward that hasn’t exactly lived up to the potential of a high draft (14th overall) from the 2009 NBA Draft. Last season, Clark averaged 2.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. Regardless of the limited time on the floor, Duhon has proven he can be a three-point threat.
Obviously, neither one of these players is a game-changer, but they may prove useful off the bench next season. It still remains uncertain whether or not Clark and Duhon will be involved in the Howard deal. If so, the Lakers’ front office may decide to explore other options rather than retaining both players.