Dwight Howard to the Lakers in a four-team trade

Our long national nightmare is over.

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

 

This deal actually seems to make sense all the way around. Usually I'm left wondering what one of the teams is thinking, particularly in a trade as big as this one.

 

That's what I was thinking, too.

But does Stern want a Lakers-Heat rivalry for a few years?

 

Approval will be a non-issue.

Among other things, the NBA doesn't own any of the teams involved.

 

Ya, 'cause the NBA always screws the Lakers. Nothing in it for the league for them to be successful.

 

This looks like a good deal for everybody but the Magic.

 

It's cute how Laker fans can manufacture their outrage that the league-directed team didn't give Kobe some help.

But Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol: awesome! They're great players! Fair package!

 

My 9-year-old is the only 9-year-old in Chicago, or anywhere, conducting a moment of silence as Andre Iguodala and Nikola Vucevic leave the Sixers.

 

I think they came out fine. They were going to lose Howard at the end of the season, so their leverage is pretty weak. They have no reason to think Bynum would consider re-signing there. They need to rebuild. They just got Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic, Moe Harkless and three first round picks. They players aren't great, but they're serviceable, and the three first-rounders should help them long-term.