Los Angeles Lakers: 3 players the organization should not trade

(Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)
(Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)
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Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

2. Dwight Howard

When the Los Angeles Lakers signed Dwight Howard to help replace DeMarcus Cousins, there were a lot of skeptics. People pointed to his struggles during his last few stops, but he has done everything the Lakers could have hoped for and more.

Howard should be in the running for this year’s Most Improved Player award. He has bought in and is accomplishing all the team had hoped him to do. He is rebounding, anchoring the defense and not causing a rift in the locker room.

In 19.9 minutes per game, Howard is averaging 7.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. He is making 72.8 percent of his shots and his 18.8 PER is fourth-best on the team behind LeBron James, Anthony Davis and JaVale McGee.

Howard and McGee have combined to make quite a duo in the middle for the Lakers. They are both thriving in the roles they are playing and producing at a high level. It is a balance the team should be looking to build upon, not break up, as they are arguably the strongest part of the roster currently.

Trading Howard, or McGee, would leave a huge hole in the middle of the team’s roster.