The Magic already trail Boston, Miami and Chicago in the East standings, and now that Carmelo Anthony has taken his talents to New York, the competition just got a little stiffer.
Anthony's decision may be the extension of a trend that started when LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade in Miami, and now that the water has began to trickle, you can likely expect a future flood of free agents pursuing the same avenues.
New Orleans point guard Chris Paul, Utah point guard Deron Williams and Howard are the next tier of high-profile players who face an impending decision, and you can expect them to make their choices based on recent events.
New York, Miami and Los Angeles will likely make the strongest push for Paul and Williams, and the same group of teams with the addition of Chicago will likely be in the hunt for Howard's services.
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The common thread among those teams is that they represent some of the largest media markets in the NBA, and the residual effects of Anthony and the South Beach trio's respective decisions could be an end to parity in the league.
There is little doubt that Paul, Williams and Howard will make decisions based on their best opportunity to compete for a championship, and that immediately puts their current teams at a disadvantage.
Howard is considered to be the gem of 2012's free agency class, and there have been rumors that the Lakers would be one of his primary suitors once he becomes available.
There is a precedent when it comes to Orlando centers departing Disney World for Los Angeles, and Howard could have just as big an impact as Shaquille O'Neal.
The Lakers have thus far been reluctant to entertain trade overtures directed towards center Andrew ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
