WHERE ARE THEY NOW? All of the players from the Dwight Howard trade that rocked the NBA and sent the Lakers and Magic into tailspins

Scott Davis

May 15, 2019, 02:26 IST

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? All of the players from the Dwight Howard trade that rocked the NBA and sent the Lakers and Magic into tailspins

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
Dwight Howard's Lakers tenure didn't go as planned.

The Los Angeles Lakers trade for Dwight Howard was a four-team trade and one of the biggest blockbuster deals in NBA history.
The trade didn't help any franchise involved, as Howard's one-year stint in Los Angeles didn't work out, and the rebuild set the Orlando Magic back several seasons.
The deal included 12 players and five picks - here's where everyone involved is today.
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The Dwight Howard trade to the Los Angeles Lakers was one of the biggest blockbusters in NBA history and, ultimately, a deal that didn't seem to benefit anyone.

Howard was one of the NBA's best players when he made his intentions to leave the Orlando Magic in free agency known. The Magic ended up shipping him to the Lakers in 2012 in a four-team trade that included the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets.

Howard's one-year stint on the Lakers was a disaster, as he battled injury and chemistry issues on the star-studded squad. Meanwhile, the Magic's attempt at a rebuild after losing their star came well short. They broke a six-year playoff drought since the trade this season, but have a long way to go.

The 76ers took a swing in the trade by landing Andrew Bynum and missed, while the Nuggets may have actually gotten the best end of the deal by landing just one player - Andre Iguodala.

Seven years later, here's where all of the players and the draft picks involved in the trade ended up.

The trade centered on Dwight Howard, who was one of the NBA's best players at the time.

Howard's time with the Lakers was a bust. He battled injuries and chemistry issues, and the star-studded Lakers fizzled out. He's hopped around the NBA since, playing on four teams in the last six years. He's now on the Washington Wizards but played just nine games in 2018-19 because of injuries.

The Lakers also received Chris Duhon from the Magic.

Duhon's lone season with the Lakers was his last in the NBA. He is now an assistant coach on the Illinois State basketball team.

Earl Clark, a fourth-year forward, also joined the Lakers in the trade.

Clark showed some promise in his NBA career but struggled with consistency. He last played in the NBA for the Nets in 2015 and now plays overseas, most recently in Montenegro.

The Magic got a haul in return, receiving players from the Lakers, 76ers, and Nuggets. The 76ers sent second-year center Nikola Vucevic to the Magic.

Vucevic is still with the Magic. He averaged 20 points, 12 rebounds, and nearly 4 assists per game in 2018-19 and made his first All-Star game.

The Magic received Arron Afflalo from the Nuggets.

Afflalo bounced around the league after that, playing for the Nuggets (again), Blazers, Knicks, Kings, and Magic (again). He last played in the NBA in 2018 but worked out for some teams during the 2018-19 season.

Al Harrington, a scoring forward from the Nuggets, also landed with the Magic in the trade.

Harrington played two more seasons, finishing his NBA career with the Wizards in 2014. He now plays in the Big 3 and is an advocate for legal marijuana and an investor in marijuana companies.

The 76ers sent the Magic rookie forward Moe Harkless, who hadn't yet played an NBA game.

Harkless played for the Magic for three years and was traded to the Blazers in 2015 where he remains today. He has career averages of 7 points and 3 rebounds per game.

The Lakers traded Josh McRoberts to the Magic.

McRoberts last spent a brief stint with the Mavericks in the 2017-18 season.

Christian Eyenga was traded from the Lakers to the Magic.

Eyenga never played in the regular season for the Magic and hasn't played in the NBA since. He now plays overseas.

The Magic got several draft picks back in the trade, too. A 2013 second-round draft pick from the Nuggets became Romero Osby.

Osby never played in the NBA. He played overseas until 2015 and now appears to be involved in real estate.

The Nuggets also traded the Magic a 2014 first-round pick. The Magic later sent it to the 76ers in a trade for Elfrid Payton. That pick eventually became Croatian forward Dario Saric.

Saric was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves this season in the deal that sent Jimmy Butler to the Sixers. Saric has career averages of 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game.

The Magic received a 2017 first-round pick from the 76ers. That pick was sent back to the Sixers in the Elfrid Payton trade, then later sent to the Kings. The Kings used it to draft De'Aaron Fox.

Fox is still with the Kings and looks like one of the NBA's bright, young stars.

The Lakers sent a protected draft pick to the Magic that later turned into two second-round picks. The Magic used the first pick to draft Wesley Iwundu in 2017.

Iwundu has played two years in the NBA, both with the Magic. He has career averages of 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.

The Magic sent the second of those second-round picks to the Raptors, who then traded it to the Nets in another deal. The Nets used it to draft Rodions Kurucs in 2018.

Kurucs completed a solid rookie season with the Nets, averaging 8.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.

The 76ers got a big piece in the trade — Lakers All-Star center Andrew Bynum.

After promising years in L.A., Bynum's career petered out after the trade. He played just 26 total games after the deal, none with the Sixers, and hasn't played since 2014. He attempted a comeback in 2018, but was unsuccessful.

The 76ers received veteran guard Jason Richardson from the Magic in the deal.

Richardson played two years with the Sixers and retired in 2015 with career averages of 17 points and 5 rebounds per game. He now plays in the Big 3.

The Nuggets received Andre Iguodala from the 76ers.

In the end, the Nuggets may have gotten best player in the entire deal. Iguodala played one season with the Nuggets before joining the Warriors. He's been a key member of their three championships since joining the team.

Now, check out how the Lakers' current superstar lives his life...

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