• 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.
  • Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories

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 the Magic shipped 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.

Foto: sourceEric Gay/AP

Howard had dominated with the Orlando Magic, but when he told the team he wanted out, with his free agency approaching in the offseason, they decided to trade him.


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. After an injury-plagued season with the Wizards in which he only played in nine games, Howard was traded to the Grizzlies this summer and cut. He is now a free agent.

Foto: sourceAl Drago/AP

The Lakers also received Chris Duhon from the Magic.

Foto: sourceAlex Gallardo/AP

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.

Foto: sourcevia WMBD News

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

Foto: sourceWilfredo Lee/AP

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.

Foto: sourcevia YouTube/Budućnost VOLI

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.

Foto: sourceJohn Raoux/AP

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.

Foto: sourceDavid Zalubowski/AP

The Magic received Arron Afflalo from the Nuggets.

Foto: sourcePhelan M. Ebenhack/AP

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.

Foto: sourcePhelan M. Ebenhack/AP

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

Foto: sourceJohn Raoux/AP

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.

Foto: sourceClaus Andersen/BIG3/Getty Images

Source: GQ


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

Foto: sourcePhelan M. Ebenhack/AP

Harkless played for the Magic for three years and was traded to the Blazers. He was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers this summer. He has career averages of 7 points and 3 rebounds per game.

Foto: sourceDavid Zalubowski/AP

The Lakers traded Josh McRoberts to the Magic.

Foto: sourcePhelan M. Ebenhack/AP

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

Foto: sourceDavid Zalubowski/AP

Christian Eyenga was traded from the Lakers to the Magic.

Foto: sourceJohn Raoux/AP

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

Foto: sourceB Hojas/COOLMedia/NurPhoto/Getty Images

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

Foto: sourceJohn Raoux/AP

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

Foto: sourcevia Twitter/Romero Osby

Source: Twitter


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.

Foto: sourceMatt Slocum/AP

Saric played two years with the Sixers before being traded to the Wolves for Jimmy Butler. This summer he was traded to the Phoenix Suns. Saric has career averages of 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game.

Foto: sourceJim Mone/AP

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.

Foto: sourceFrank Franklin II/AP

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

Foto: sourceRich Pedroncelli/AP

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.

Foto: sourceJohn Raoux/AP

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.

Foto: sourceJohn Raoux/AP

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.

Foto: sourceMary Altaffer/AP

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

Foto: sourceChris Szagola/AP

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

Foto: sourceBrynn Anderson/AP

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.

Foto: sourcevia Twitter/Chris Johnson

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

Foto: sourceMatt Slocum/AP

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.

Foto: sourceDavid Becker/Getty Images

The Nuggets received Andre Iguodala from the 76ers.

Foto: sourceDavid Zalubowski/AP

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 where he became a big part of their three championships and five Finals appearances. He was traded to the Grizzlies this summer.

Foto: sourceJeff Chiu/AP

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Foto: sourceJoe Scarnici/Getty

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