According to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, two teams inquired about the superstar center’s availability, but they were quickly rebuffed. It sends a message that he is simply untouchable, and the Lakers have elected to sink or swim with D12.
For those who've called the Lakers on Howard's availability – the Dallas Mavericks and the Atlanta Hawks – the message has been unmistakable: Howard isn't available, nor will that change before the February deadline
Wojnarowski is inferring that because these franchises were turned away, that Howard is unavailable. However, if the Lakers continue to falter—especially with the Feb. 21 trading deadline drawing near—anything could happen.
When it comes to a team facing a situation as desperate and grim as Los Angeles, no scenario is too far-fetched to rule out.
At 17-25, coming off a fourth loss in a row and sinking to a pitiful 2-10 since New Year’s Day, it’s clear that this grand experiment that Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak and team executive Jim Buss cooked up over the summer just isn’t working.
The locker room tension reportedly reached a head on Wednesday morning, when a team-only meeting was held to clear the air. According to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, a source found that the players “went at each other,” culminating with Kobe Bryant bluntly asking Howard if he enjoyed playing with him.
It’s unknown exactly how Howard responded, but it’s apparent the Black Mamba sent a message. A witness noted that the D12 did not go back at Kobe, and the big man seemed somber and remorsefu...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
