As of now, everyone knows that the Los Angeles Lakers have acquired All-Star center Dwight Howard via trade for one season. Even though Howard never said he will stay long-term in Los Angeles, the Lakers decided to carry on with the blockbuster trade.
However, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak believes Howard will fit just fine in L.A.
Though Howard has yet to sign an extension, Kupchak told Sports Illustrated what he is confident that the big man will want to stay in L.A. after going through a full season with one of the greatest franchises in NBA history:
"Our feeling all along has been to just get him here and we're comfortable that after being in Los Angeles for a year, hopefully winning a lot of games, contending for a championship, being exposed to our fan base - which, quite frankly, goes way beyond Southern California," Kupchak said. "We go into New York or Charlotte or Utah or Phoenix, and there are always two or three thousand fans there wearing Lakers gear.
"I just think that he'll feel that this is a special place, that the lifestyle will suit him. It's a big enough town where you can't be the sole celebrity, but there are so many Lakers fans here that you don't lose your celebrity. You can still feel special in a city this big. That's our approach, and a year from now we'll see where we stand."
So even though now the Lakers don't have a starting center for the 2013-14 season, the franchise is hoping that they can manage Howard to stay in L.A.
