Earlier today, it was announced that the rumored four-team trade that would land Dwight Howard in a Lakers uniform had been completed. Dustin takes a look at the trade and its’ effects on the league.

The long rumored shipment of Dwight Howard out of Orlando has finally come to fruition. In the end it took four teams drastically altering their futures to bring it together, some made out better than others (looking at you here Denver) but every fan base has a few new additions to be excited about.

LA Lakers- Give Up: Andrew Bynum, Get: Dwight Howard

That they were able to get Dwight Howard while not having to give up Bynum and Pau Gasol is a huge coup for the team. They now have a backcourt of Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash and retain the advantage in the paint of having two seven-footers. It will be interesting to see Howard’s role with the team and how he accepts whatever it may be will be crucial to any extended post season run the team hopes to have, but for now Lakers fans rejoice, the second coming of Superman is here.

Orlando Magic- Give Up: Dwight Howard, Jason Richardson; Get: Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic and 76ers draft pick Moe Harkless 

Good for the Magic. It only took an entire season and the loss of both their coach and GM for them to finally trade him, but hey, better late then never. The team will look drastically different next season as Howard, Richardson and Ryan Anderson have all left, taking with them the majority of the teams’ offense. Jameer Nelson and Arron Afflalo could make for an interesting tandem and Harrington can provide a serviceable fill-in for Anderson, but the important thing is that Howard is gone and Magic fans can finally exhale and start looking forward.

Philadelphia 76ers- Give Up: Andre Iguodala, Moe Harkless, Nikola Vucevic; Get: Andrew Bynum, Jason Richardson

I’m not too thrilled at the thought of losing the defensive anchor of the young 76ers in Andre Iguodala, but the team is definitely right for getting Bynum and solidifying the center position. Philly seems confident in their ability to get Bynum to sign an extension with the team, and Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner and a sturdy bench will only get stronger with Bynum in the paint. It’ll be interesting to see how coach Doug Collins keeps a handle on his team as playoff expectations are expected to be standard after last season’s surprising trip to the second-round. Richardson could prove a good replacement to Lou Williams, who left early in the off-season and the team should be able to score a bit more, their kryptonite all last season. It’s a tough to see Iggy go, but it’s a necessary trade that all 76ers fans will grow to appreciate before too long.

Denver Nuggets- Give Up: Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington; Get: Andre Iguodala

Honestly, even though they didn’t land Bynum or Howard, the Denver Nuggets once again come away sneaky winners in a landmark trade. What Denver lacked last season was a closer, someone who could come into a close game and put it away, Iguodala can easily provide that spark. He’s showcasing tremendous defense over at the London Olympics right now and is an unselfish player which, to the Nuggets, will be a perfect addition with their lineup of shooters. Denver’s key is their surprising depth despite the lack of a superstar player, with Andre Iguodala coming aboard, they lose a little depth but address some of their biggest weaknesses from last season. Sounds like a fair trade to me.

Dustin Brewer is a co-creator of HefferBrew. He is a Lakers fan that is indifferent to both Bynum and Howard. It’s great that Howard’s finally out of Orlando but he’s now preparing for the hundreds of “Will Howard re-sign?” stories sure to come throughout the season. Follow him on twitter @dstnbrwr if you’d like to hear more of his Lakers theories.