Los Angeles Lakers: 3 potential trade packages for Dwight Howard

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 09: Dwight Howard #39 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the third quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena on January 09, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 09: Dwight Howard #39 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the third quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena on January 09, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
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(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers

2. Trading Dwight Howard to the Denver Nuggets

The Los Angeles Lakers may have just been thoroughly embarrassed by the Denver Nuggets but it should not take off the prospect of trading Howard to the Nuggets in order to get a draft pick in return. Finding a Howard trade is all about finding the team that might actually value him and trade a future pick for his services and Denver is one of those teams.

While the Nuggets have the best center in the league in Nikola Jokic, there is virtually no center depth behind him on the roster. Jokic is far from being a traditional center and the Nuggets do not have a traditional center at all on the roster.

The Nuggets need someone to come off the bench and act like a bruiser near the rim and on the glass, even potentially being brought in just to frustrate the other big (like how Howard did to Jokic in the 2020 playoffs).

How do we know that the Nuggets would be willing to make a trade like this? Well, they made essentially the exact same trade last season for another former Laker. The Nuggets traded Isaiah Hartenstein and two second-round picks to the Cleveland Cavaliers for JaVale McGee last season.

Trading one future second-round pick for Howard? That seems like a no-brainer after what they sent for McGee last season.