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More Fuel For The D12 Fires: Jim Buss Reportedly Open To Trading Bynum

From Ken Berger of CBS Sports:

It's no surprise to anyone that the Lakers will be one of the primary suitors in a possible trade for Howard, and a person with knowledge of the team's strategy told CBSSports.com that executive Jim Buss finally has dropped his opposition to trading center Andrew Bynum "for the right deal." That's code for "a deal for Dwight Howard," and it's clear from those familiar with Howard's thinking that he'd like to join the Lakers.

As you already know if you follow Lakerdom closely, Jerry's son Jim is now in charge of making major decisions like this. He's long been attached to Bynum and has vetoed trading him in the past. Berger's update, if true, means the Lakers are very likely to put in a bid for Howard.

As Berger points out, there will be other teams that can put together enticing packages, but keep in mind, Howard himself has a major say in how this goes down. No deal makes sense unless he's willing to sign an extension with the team that acquires him, so even if Milwaukee or the Clippers offer assets that Orlando finds more attractive, it might not matter. Howard can insist on a trade to the Lakers, in which case Orlando's options get extremely limited.

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