Dwight Howard was supposed to be the next great Los Angeles Lakers center, but now there is a chance he never plays a postseason game for the team.
The Lakers are currently 17-24 and if the playoffs began today, the team would be on the outside looking in. Nothing is going right for the Lakers at this point of the season and the chemistry on the court is clearly nonexistent. The players do not look comfortable and Howard is not playing with a high level of intensity or focus.
According to ESPN, the Lakers may be open to trading Howard before the trade deadline. No matter what is said, Howard does not look happy in Los Angeles and the Lakers would want to receive some players in a trade involving Howard instead of letting him walk away this off-season.
The Los Angeles Lakers have consistently turned away trade inquiries in recent weeks for All-Star center 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.
Howard has not signed an extension with the Lakers and as a free agent he has the freedom to join any team he wants to. The Cleveland Cavaliers took the risk and tried to convince LeBron James to stay with the team, but he decided to join another franchise and left the Cavs in shambles.
The Lakers may not become a lottery bound team if Howard leaves, but if the front office believes he will not sign an extension, it has to find a way to trade him.
