Now that Dwight Howard has finally—finally!—been traded after months of speculation concerning his future, the only thing people probably want to know is what does Kobe Bryant think of the Lakers landing another premiere player for him to play alongside with this upcoming season.
“I’ll probably play two or three more years. Then the team is his,” Bryant said in London with the Olympic team, according to The Associated Press. “I’m excited for the franchise because now they have a player that can carry the franchise well after I’m gone. This should be his and he should want to accept that challenge.”
“I told him this is a great place for him,” Bryant added. “You talk about all the great centers this team has had. Now he’s the next in line.”
That’s assuming, of course, that Howard, who has one year remaining on his contract, signs a long-term deal with the Lakers.
So, does Howard have any plans to sign a mega contract with the Lakers?
“Whatever happens a year from now, we’ll wait until that time,” Howard said, according to the Los Angeles Times. “Right now it’s all about the Lakers and me starting fresh, so I’m very excited about that.”
That’s a long way of saying “no comment.” But for now, the Lakers have established themselves—again—as one of the best teams in the league with the acquisition of the best big man in the game. The Howard deal, a complicated four-team trade that involved 11 players and a handful of draft picks, came one month after Los Angeles acquired star point guard Steve Nash.
Calling the Lakers offseason “busy,” is an understatement, but it’s also been productive.
Let the Lakers vs. Heat NBA finals talk begin.
