The trade of Dwight Howard from the Orlando Magic to the Los Angeles Lakers had reverberations around the league that are still being felt today and looking back, it's clear that the Orlando Magic turned out the best of any team in the four-team deal with the Lakers, Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers for Dwight Howard.
Bill Simmons muses about the deal in one of his latest Grantland columns and writes that based on how things played out, the Magic ended up in the best position after the trade despite their team tanking afterwards. Simmons looked at all sides and it's clear now that the Magic are best positioned after the deal in 2013, as both Andrew Bynum and Howard as well as Iguodala are no longer with the teams they got traded to. The Magic ended up with a bad team and drafted Victor Oladipo and they have draft picks and players to build on in the future.
Howard had a rough season in Los Angeles that added up to zero playoff wins and then bolted to the Rockets, leaving the Lakers with nothing. Los Angeles traded Andrew Bynum to the Sixers and after a lost season in which he did not play, he is now with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Iguodala was the best player on the Nuggets and now he is signed with the Golden State Warriors. The Magic are basically the only team left with what they got in the trade and right now all those teams wouldn't mind having a first round pick or two up their sleeves.
Simmons wrote that the team and general manager Rob Hennigan were smart to get rid of Jason Richardson's ridic contract to the Sixers and they have up Howard, a player that didn't want to stay there anyway, for a starting guard in Arron Afflalo, a solid young center in Nikola Vucevic, a decent swing player in Mo Harkless, as well as three first round picks, including Denver's 2014 pick, the Lakers' 2017 pick and a 2015 Sixers one.
At the time the Magic looked pretty bad, but now it appears they ended up with the lion's share in the trade, especially with Oladipo in the fold. At the time, the Lakers full trade had the Denver Nuggets acquiring Andre Iguodala, the 76ers receiving Bynum and Richardson, and the Magic getting Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic and one protected future first-round pick from each of the three teams. The Magic also added Harkness and the Lakers got e Earl Clark and Chris Duhon.
After the trade Bryant wrote: "Well, it looks like Superman has found a home," Bryant posted on his Facebook page. "I wish nothing but the best for Big Bynum. I hope he follows what was a great season last year with an even better one next year. I know LA is excited about the deal and rightfully so. The Lakers landed a piece that will hopefully carry the franchise long after I'm gone. I have spoken to Dwight Howard already and we are locked and loaded to bring back the title." Guess that didn't happen.