- After endless comings and goings Dwight Howard ended up playing for L.A. in 2012-13. The Lakers acquired the NBA's top center in a four-team, twelve-player trade that involved Orlando, Denver and Philadelphia.

As a part of a complex deal the Lakers sent the second-best center available, Andrew Bynum, to the 76ers, Christian Eyenga, Josh McRoberts and their 2017 first round pick to the Magic and received Howard, Chris Duhon and Earl Clark, all from Orlando. And in the process they were able to keep Pau Gasol who was mentioned to be included in this deal.

Before arriving to L.A. Howard, a proven superstar, had led the league in blocks twice, in rebounds 4 times --including 2012 season--, in field goal percentage once and had been selected 3 times as the Defensive player of the Year, 5 times for the All-NBA 1st Team, 4 for the All-Defensive 1st team and 6 times for the All-Star Game.

He made $19.4 million in the 2012-13 season, the final year of his contract and made it clear he was not going to sign an extension, situation the Lakers were not worried about since it made more sense for him to wait until the season ends and sign a more lucrative contract as a free agent: 5-year and $117.9-million with the Lakers or four years and $87.591 million with any other team.

- Howard started the 2012-13 season looking slow and limited in movements, still recovering from a back surgery performed earlier in 2012 and then injuried his shoulder, situations that contributed to the team's bad start, but he was healthy in the final part of the season and managed to average 17.1 points, an NBA best 12.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game.

- Howard left as an unrestricted free agent to play with James Harden, Jeremy Lin and the Houston Rockets where he could be what he really wanted to be, the focal point of all lights, something the near future wasn't going to give him with Kobe Bryant around. He also met with the Hawks, Mavericks and Warriors but they really didn't have a chance.

The Lakers "future" was once Andrew Bynum, then Lakers decided to bet on Dwight Howard, but that wasn't what the diva center had in mind. To begin with he didn't even wanted to play for L.A. The Lakers management, who is not used to make many mistakes made a combination of horrible mistakes by bringing Howard and then hiring D'Antoni instead of Phil Jackson and the final outcome was obvious. The circus around Howard's unending changes of minds about the Orlando Magic the previous year should have been a good indication about what the Lakers could expect form him.

Howard declined the Lakers five-year $118 million offer and accepted a four-year, $88-million deal (the max any team other than the Lakers were allowed to offer) from the Rockets.