Midday Stampede: Bulls Remained Active in Dwight Howard Talks?

The Bulls appear to have been trying to acquire Orlando's big man up until the very end

By Bryan Crawford

| Friday, Aug 10, 2012 | Updated 7:38 PM CDT

Bulls Remained Active in Dwight Howard Talks?

Getty Images

The Bulls appear to have been actively engaging in talks with the Orlando Magic up until the team agreed to send him to the Lakers on Thursday in a four-team deal.

According to an ESPN report, the Bulls remained active in trade talks with the Orlando Magic to try and acquire Dwight Howard, but with no guarantee, the 26-year-old Howard would resign with the team in the summer of 2013, the asking price appears to have been too steep.

"Any potential deal involving the Bulls and Magic would have included a combination of Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Taj Gibson, Nikola Mirotic and draft picks, including the Charlotte Bobcats first-round pick, acquired in the Tyrus Thomas deal," said ESPN Chicago’s Nick Friedell.

Of course what the Magic received in return for Howard -- who now joins Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Pau Gasol on the Los Angeles Lakers -- may incense those in Chicago who are hungry to exorcise the Bulls summer of 2010 by acquiring another big name superstar after missing out on LeBron James. But if Orlando’s demands are to be believed, then the Bulls were wise to bow out of those discussions.

It wouldn’t have been wise to mortgage the team’s future if there was even an inkling of uncertainty that the best big man in the game would be around for a very long time.