Lakers Not Trading Howard, Consider Him the Future

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said Tuesday that the Lakers are not considering trading Dwight Howard, whom they acquired in a four-team deal before the season began that sent Andrew Bynum to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Kupchak left no doubt about the Lakers' future plans for 27-year-old center, saying "We've been very consistent. We're not trading Dwight Howard. ... He will not be traded, and there's nothing that anybody can do today to call me today and ask me, 'Would you do this?' and get a positive result," according to ESPN. Kupchak went on to call Howard "the future" during an interview with ESPN's Colin Cowherd.

The Lakers entered the season with championship expectations, but since Howard's arrival much has gone wrong. Head coach Mike Brown was fired five games into the season after a 1-4 start, and Mike D'Antoni was brought in. Since D'Antoni took over, however, things have not gotten much better for the Lakers. Howard has not looked like the dominant force he was before injuring his back last season as a member of the Orlando Magic, and he has battled shoulder injuries throughout the year. Steve Nash and Pau Gasol have also been hampered by injuries this year.

Despite the impact of the Lakers myriad injuries, the main source of trouble in Laker-land has been the rocky relationship between Howard and star guard Kobe Bryant. There have been media reports of dustups in practice and accusations of Bryant questioning Howard's desire to play through pain. When told that Bryant insinuated he should play hurt, Howard dismissed it saying that Bryant was "not a doctor," according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. Most recently, a piece on bleacherreport.com alleges Howard donned Bryant's All-Star uniform and impersonated him in front of Clippers' All-Stars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin and Oklahoma City Thunder star and NBA leading scorer Kevin Durant.

Still Kupchak noted that Bryant only has one year left on his contract beyond the current season and said "that's all the organization can bank on." The speculation continues, but if Kupchak is to be believed when he says, "He belongs to have his name on the wall and a statue in front of Staples at some point in time," then expect Howard to at least finish the season in purple and gold.