Jim Buss may finally be willing to part with his love child, his project and his identity. Ever since the executive took over operations within the Laker organization, there was a belief he created a divide. Andrew Bynum was his guy, the person he worked to get drafted and the player he believed in. But finally, as Dwight Howard‘s name gets pushed further into the open market, a source around the organization told CBSSports.com that Buss has dropped his opposition to trading the big man “for the right deal.”
The likelihood of such a swap is minimal. But as Ken Berger writes, there’s speculation a three-team deal could be worked out between L.A., Orlando and Milwaukee where Howard would find his way to Hollywood while Bynum would go to Milwaukee and Andrew Bogut to the Magic. The Magic will also want young players and picks, two things the Clippers can give them. As of right now, the Clippers have by far the most to offer Orlando, including a 2012 unprotected first round pick from Minnesota and an incredibly amount of young talent. But do they really have a chance to steal the NBA’s baddest center away from their big brother?
In the end, this will probably come down to where Howard wants to play (He can still presumably make the most money by re-upping with Orlando). Last season, the Nets presented the best deal all along, but Carmelo Anthony refused to say he’d sign an extension, and ultimately it became clear: He wanted to go to Manhattan. Many believe Howard’s first choice is L.A. If Orlando does follow their GM Otis Smith‘s words and considers trading their cornerstone, we could be looking at deja vu all over again. And if that means giving up Bynum, Laker fans can be happy that Buss has finally seen the light.
If you could trade Bynum straight up for any other center in the league, what names would you do the deal for?
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