Report: Lakers may consider trading Howard

The Lakers might consider trading Dwight Howard before February's trade deadline, according to an ESPN report.

Citing unnamed sources, the report states that Howard's unhappiness with his role under coach Mike D'Antoni and the fact that the All Star centre can walk away as an unrestricted free agent this summer - leaving the Lakers without compensation for Howard - may cause Los Angeles to consider trading him, despite management's belief that they can still get Dwight to re-sign with the team.

Despite their struggles through the first half of the season, the Lakers are said to not want to make any major moves before the trade deadline because they've already had to deal with a lot of roster turnover between injuries to Howard, Steve Nash, Pau Gasol, Jordan Hill and Steve Blake. In addition, L.A. replaced head coach Mike Brown with D'Antoni just five games into the season. At the time, it was expected that Phil Jackson would replace Brown.

The Lakers have lost three straight games and currently sit 12th in the Western Conference at 17-24, four games behind the eighth and final playoff spot.

Howard was acquired in the three-team summer blockbuster that saw Andrew Bynum head from Los Angeles to Philadelphia and Andre Iguodala move from Philly to Denver.

Howard admitted earlier this season that he preferred a trade to Brooklyn over L.A., but the Nets don't have the salary cap space to sign the big man to the maximum contract he desires, so any move to Brooklyn would require a trade. The report also states that should Howard leave the Lakers as a free agent this summer, Dallas and Atlanta would be the favourites to land him.