The deal involving Dwight Howard being traded to the Lakers around the trade deadline didn't have that much of a chance. The two teams didn't have that many conversations. Then one day, after the free agency period had begun, the Orlando Magic were much more serious about trading Howard.
Dwight Howard Trade: Mitch Kupchak Describes How Former Magic Star Ended Up With Lakers
Lakers president Mitch Kupchak, described the process of figuring out what the right deal would be for the trade as ‘frustrating’. Magic general manager Rob Hennigan had been trying to figure out any way to get Howard traded. After a lot of missteps and failed deals, Kupchak said it had died for a bit, according to an article by the OC Register.
I just never felt that there was a deal that they thought that they would do. Without going into great detail, I just felt the Magic were just canvassing the league, which is the job. ... I didn’t think there would be a deal. It got really quiet a couple weeks ago. Before that, it was very crazy - and then it just died. So we had kind of moved on.
After interest in the trade reignited, rookie small forward Moe Harkless from St. John's, was the real key in this trade. Harkless had been a draft day target by Hennigan before the Philadelphia 76ers selected him just four picks ahead of the Magic. After a 30-day period where Harkless couldn't be traded after signing his contract with the 76ers, Hennigan jumped at the chance to trade for him. That led to the Howard trade.
Because of that interest, Howard’s No. 12 jersey features Laker gold and purple, and fans once again are hoping that a championship is in their near future.
See More:
