NBA Trade Rumors: Lakers Must Make Move for Howard Now That Cavaliers Are out

The Los Angeles Lakers have had numerous golden opportunities to engage in serious talks with the Orlando Magic to acquire Dwight Howard, but the latest chance is by far the best.

According to Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski, the Cleveland Cavaliers have withdrawn from their role as the possible facilitator to a deal that would send Howard to the Brooklyn Nets:

Cleveland is out as a third-team trade partner in a possible Orlando-Brooklyn deal for Dwight Howard, sources tell Y! Sports.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 10, 2012 Wojnarowski went on to tweet:

If Brooklyn and Orlando are to make a deal for Howard in near-term, it will likely be a trade between the two teams, sources tell Y! Sports.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 10, 2012 If the deal is going to be carried out by only the Magic and Nets, the Lakers have the perfect chance to obtain the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Of course, we know what the Magic want in return for the biggest free agent still on the market.

Andrew Bynum.

Lakers' brass would be wise to do all they can to make this deal work and trade all-star for all-star.

Plenty of aspects must be addressed when comparing these two players, the first being their respective injury issues.

Bynum is clearly on the worse end of the injury spectrum. He has played just two full seasons since entering the league in 2005, one of which came in the lockout-shortened 2012 season.

Since coming straight out of high school to the NBA, Bynum has missed 166 games, which is equivalent to over two full seasons worth of time. Knee issues are always of a concern, but the problems are magnified when a seven-foot body is attached to those knees.

Howard is coming off surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back. Back surgery is a bit more frightening than knee surgery, but injuries have not bee...

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