I sure don't understand this trade for the Magic -- the other 3 teams make total sense but this trade for the Magic is just crazy.
I don't mean to bring up a sore subject but I actually understood the trade somewhat that brought Pau Gasol to LA. They wanted ZERO salary on their books to get the asking price down as much as possible and I always thought Marc Gasol would be a very good NBA Center. They got rights to him for a player they could build around (although he will never be as good as Pau). You never know what a future lottery pick will bring -- anyway, I don't think the Grizzlies got fleeced as bad as most people made it out to be. Gasol for Gasol is definately lopsided for the Lakers but not as bad as initially thought, esp. when they had the guy but didn't have his contract on the books.
But this trade? If the Magic wanted young players and picks, why didn't they do a trade with the Rockets. The Rockets were willing to give some of their young players just drafted as well as future picks to get Bynum so that the Lakers could get Howard. That trade made a LOT more sense for the Magic than this one did. The Magic end up with almost nothing here -- Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic, just drafted Moe Harkless (No. 15 pick in this draft) and a first round pick from each of the three other teams that is protected. This just makes me go
. I have never liked Brooks Lopez -- Marc Gasol, IMO is a better player than Lopez so I didn't feel like that was as good a trade but the Rockets would have been a MUCH better option than what they got. This team basically got pocket change for Dwight (oh, they managed to get rid of Jason Richardson's contract too) but this was a very very bad trade!
As for the Lakers, it puts them as the favorites in the West and IMO makes them better than Miami. I always am willing to accept gifts from the basketball gods but giving up Bynum for Howard (as long as it isn't just a one year rental) is just crazy without having to accept some long term bad contracts and not have to give up Gasol as well (and IMO Howard isn't worth losing Bynum and Gasol).