According to a report by InsideSoCal.com's Mark Medina, the deal has no chance of getting off the ground because the Los Angeles Lakers will refuse any sign-and-trade request. A source close to the situation told Medina that "they’ll either resign Dwight or walk away with cap space.”
ESPN's Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne first reported that the Clippers were trying to engage the Lakers in talks that would center around Howard, Blake Griffin and Eric Bledsoe. They were reportedly doing this with the knowledge that star point guard Chris Paul and Howard were in constant conversations about teaming up, as first reported by ESPN's Chris Broussard.
As huge crosstown rivals competing for the hearts of Los Angelenos, it was expected to be an uphill battle for the Lakers and Clippers to consummate a deal, especially one at such a high magnitude. Griffin and Howard are among the NBA's biggest stars, and a deal at this scale would almost be unprecedented in NBA history.
Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski also noted that the Lakers were refusing to engage the Clippers in talks:
The Lakers' flat-out refusal to sign-and-trade Howard, however, is more noteworthy. The 27-year-old center is due to be an unrestricted free agent in July and has yet to make a long-term commitment on his future. Howard was traded from the Orlando Magic to the Lakers last August in a massive four-team deal with the expectation of making his new team an instant finals contender.
That expectation did not come to fruition, however.
As the entire Lakers roster struggled with injuries, coaching turmoil and reports of internal rifts between the players, the championship aspirations quickly flew out the window. The Lakers struggled for much ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
