Dwight Howard (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
(AP) All-Star center Dwight Howard has been traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, the last act of his long, drawn-out departure from the Orlando Magic.
A person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press that the teams completed a complex deal — four teams in all — after a conference call with NBA officials on Friday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no team had publicly announced the trade was complete.
Among the other principals involved: The Lakers sent center Andrew Bynum to the Philadelphia 76ers, who moved Andre Iguodala to Denver. The Magic were to receive a collection of players and draft picks, including Arron Afflalo and Al Harrington.
So after an offseason where the Magic fired coach Stan Van Gundy and general manager Otis Smith, now they’re truly beginning anew. Howard is gone as well, the second time the franchise has lost a big-man star to the Lakers.
In 1996, the Magic watched Shaquille O’Neal sign as a free agent with the Lakers. At least this time, when they lost someone with the “Superman” nickname, they got something back.
“Well, it looks like Superman has found a home,” Lakers guard Kobe Bryant wrote on his Facebook page.
A couple hours before the U.S. men’s basketball team was to play a semifinal game at the London Olympics, Iguodala was dealing with the reality of being traded.
“I know my best basketball is ahead of me,” Iguodala wrote on Twitter.
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