Lakers Intend to Keep Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum in L.A.

After acquiring two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash via sign-and-trade, the attention has quickly turned back to whether or not the Los Angeles Lakers will continue to make moves. The one trade target available that the Lakers have been trying to get their hands on over the past week is superstar center Dwight Howard.

With Howard wanting out and reportedly unable to be dealt to his desired destination in the Brooklyn Nets, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year has limited options. Considering that the Lakers can offer the best value in return for Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles has become a legitimate candidate to pull the trigger on a deal to acquire Howard.

Reports continue to surface with Howard being linked to other teams around the league like the Houston Rockets, but it remains uncertain whether or not any team has sparked the interest of the Orlando Magic outside of the Lakers.

According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles via Twitter, the Lakers might have stopped pursuing trade interest for both Bynum and Gasol:

Pau or Bynum trade the next shoe to drop after Nash? Not so fast. Source tells me Lakers intend to keep core intact to play with Nash

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) July 5, 2012

There’s no question that the Lakers’ front office is always looking for ways to improve via trade, but the acquisition of Nash may have been enough to convince the team that the right pieces are in place for a few more championship runs.

However, it’ll be interesting to see if Howard changes his stance on not wanting to be dealt to the Lakers after Nash signed a three-year deal with the team. The appeal of playing with Kobe Bryant, Gasol and Nash might be a tempting proposition for Howard considering the limited trade options at this point in time.