With both the Lakers and the Clippers being eliminated in the first round, it is going to be interesting to see whether or not Dwight Howard or Chris Paul decide to leave the city of Los Angeles with NBA free agency period coming in July.
—- Check out Lakers big man Dwight Howard’s player bio here! —-
Both Paul and Howard stressed in the aftermath of their first round exits that the 2012-2013 season didn’t pan out as they expected. And, because of that, they both felt that there was a lot they needed to evaluate in determining where they intend to play next season. With $30 million potentially at stake, the Lakers and Clippers have the financial advantage over potential competing teams. But, both stars have made it clear that winning a championship is their first priority, and that they are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure to accomplish that.
Today, we polled Lakers Nation and asked which superstar had was more likely to return to their Los Angeles team. Here are the results:
In the poll, 54 percent believed that Dwight Howard is more likely to come back to the Lakers largely due to the fact the Lakers are one of the most prestigious NBA franchises in the history of the league. Regardless if things didn’t end how he planned, the Lakers finished the regular season strong leaving optimism moving forward to next year.
The 46 percent that voted in favor of Paul likely feel that the Clippers growth as a franchise during Paul’s two-year stint will convince Chris that the best thing for him to do is stay in Los Angeles. Paul resurrected the Clippers from being the laughing stock of the NBA to a box office show titled “Lob City,” so it wouldn’t be out of line for some to believe that Paul will remain the key piece to a franchise on the rise.
Surely if one of these two players leaves the city of Los Angeles, it would be a valuable loss to not only one of these teams, but to a city of fans that love basketball.
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In case you missed it, be sure to check out what Mitch Kupchak had to say about Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant!
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