Sabrina B.
Magic?center?Dwight Howard?signaled that if he is traded to the?Los Angeles Lakers, he would be prepared to sign a long-term extension after the 2012-13 NBA season, the basketball website RealGM.com reported on Wednesday.
Two sources confirmed to ESPN The Magazine?s Chris Broussard that Howard is willing to re-sign long-term with the Lakers if Orlando trades him there. Until recently, Howard had been steadfast in his desire to commit only to the?Brooklyn Nets?long-term.
The Lakers have not been notified of any change in Howard?s thinking as of late Wednesday night, a league source told ESPNLosAngeles.com?s Ramona Shelburne, but had always figured he would commit to staying with the franchise once he experienced being part of a championship culture. As ESPNLosAngeles.com reported Tuesday night, the Lakers have been willing to make a trade for Howard without assurances he would sign an extension.
Sources also told Broussard the Lakers are ready and eager to trade for Howard ? with a package built around?Andrew Bynum?? but that Orlando is holding up the deal. Orlando, while willing to trade Howard, is not in a rush. The Magic will wait until they get a deal they like.
The Lakers remained dogged in their pursuit of Howard late into the night Wednesday and plan to continue discussions into Thursday, a league source told ESPNLosAngeles.com, but the longer the process drags on, the more it complicates their other offseason business and forces them to consider moving on.
One potential holdup is Bynum?s unwillingness to sign a long-term extension in Orlando. While Bynum has not completely ruled out playing there, sources said, he will not sign an extension there and instead will wait until after the season to potentially test the free-agent market.
The Lakers have talked with Cleveland and Houston, both of whom have interest in Bynum, about being a third team to help facilitate the trade. Both clubs have the draft picks Orlando wants in any deal.
The Magic will also want to rid themselves of some of their more onerous contracts like those ofHedo Turkoglu?and?Jason Richardson.
If a Howard trade isn?t feasible, the Lakers would quickly turn their attention to resuming extension talks with Bynum and re-signing forward?Jordan Hill. If Bynum agrees to an extension, it would start the clock on a deal for Howard in much the same way Brooklyn?s extension withBrook Lopez?did earlier this month.
WRITTEN BY Information from ESPN The Magazine?s Chris Broussard and ESPNLosAngeles.com?s Ramona Shelburne and Dave McMenamin contributed to this report & FULL STORY HERE
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