Lakers Trade Rumors: L.A. Must Free Dwight Howard Before Someone Else Does

"Free at last. Free at last."

That's what Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard has been waiting to scream out loud for about a year now. His words wouldn't exactly have the same impact as those screamed by Martin Luther King, but Howard has foolishly tried to make himself look just as important throughout this entire saga.

Mitch Kupchak and the Los Angeles Lakers can do something about that, but they must free Howard before someone else does.

While they're at it, they can free us all from the drama that Howard has created for the past 12 months.

The Lakers have been tied to Howard on and off throughout the past year and look to be one of the top teams remaining that could land Howard in a deal.



While the Lakers already have Andrew Bynum in place, he remains the top trade chip out there for Howard. If the Lakers truly want to "go for it" the next three years, they need to do what it takes to get Howard in purple and gold.

A lineup of Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard screams multiple championships.

So that means if the Lakers need to take back a couple of bad contracts, they need to find a way to do that.

If they need to get one or two other teams involved to generate draft picks, that's what they need to do.

If they don't, they will sit back and watch someone else free Howard. Their most notable competition, the Houston Rockets, have a huge offer on the table in an attempt to acquire Howard, as ESPN reports.

Sources told ESPN.com that the Rockets, if they go ahead with their widely reported plans to release starting power forward Luis Scola via the NBA's amnesty clause, are prepared to absorb the contracts of Jason Richardson, Glen Davis and Chris Duhon -- in addition to sending Orlando multiple future first-round picks and recent draftees.

That deal could be tough to match, and the L...

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