The NBA announced their 2012 All-Star Starters on Thursday.

Blake Griffin, Andrew Bynum

For the Eastern Conference, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony were the leading vote-getters.

In the Western Conference, Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul are joined by Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and Andrew Bynum.

Griffin and Bynum each will be starting in their first All-Star Game.

Real GM

It is no secret that the Los Angeles Lakers would like to trade for Dwight Howard or Chris Paul, but sources with knowledge of the situation say the Lakers actually have something greater in mind: acquiring both players.

Chris Paul, Dwight Howard

Hoping to pull off a pair of blockbuster moves that would rock the NBA, the Lakers are willing to trade anyone on their roster outside of Kobe Bryant to bring Howard and Paul to Los Angeles, two sources said.

Whether the Lakers are able to make it happen remains to be seen, but with stars Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom on the roster, they have the talent and the financial capacity to make the trades work.

ESPN.com

Jim Buss has finally has dropped his opposition to trading Andrew Bynum “for the right deal”, according to a source.

Andrew Bynum

That right deal would almost certainly mean Dwight Howard, who is believed to be highly interested in joining the Lakers.

Some in the agent community have speculated that Bynum may not be the player Orlando would want and that a three-way trade involving Andrew Bogut could be consummated.

Real GM

Shaquille O’Neal believes Dwight Howard should dominate because of the lack of competition at the center position.

Dwight Howard

“If Dwight doesn’t win two or three championships, I’m going to be disappointed. He doesn’t have nobody. When I came in the league, I had to go through Alonzo Mourning, Arvydas Sabonis, Kevin Duckworth, Rik Smits,” O’Neal said in an interview with the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

“Now I can’t name any other centers besides Kendrick Perkins and Andrew Bynum. Who else is there? That’s it.”

“I don’t envy him; he’s a great young player. But I’ve never seen him dog another center out. I tried to dog centers out. I went at David Robinson.”

Real GM

Andrew Bynum, who can likely afford it with an eight-figure contract, is facing a three-figure fine.

Andrew Bynum Handicapped Parking

Bynum has allegedly been caught on camera parking his black BMW in not one, but two parking spots reserved for the handicapped. The photos, provided exclusively to NBC4, were taken by an LA Parking Enforcement official at the upscale Bristol Farms Market in Playa del Rey.

NBC4 questioned Andrew Bynum, 23, about the alleged incident as he was getting into his car recently. He slammed his car door and drove off without comment. It appears the 7-foot-tall Laker, who makes $14 million a year, was breaking the law if he was parking in those spots. Violators who are ticketed are subject to a $353 fine.

FanNation

Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol

Los Angeles Times writer Bill Plaschke wrote an article suggesting that the Los Angeles Lakers trade Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom to the Orlando Magic for Dwight Howard and J.J. Redick.

Over the weekend, a random Twitter user apparently ran with that information and started his own rumor. According to Inside Hoops, the latest Dwight Howard-to-the-Lakers rumor was not produced by a legitimate source.

Still, according to ESPN.com’s NBA Trade Machine, the deal would work financially for both clubs, so it’s fun to speculate nevertheless. Let’s examine all four pieces involved in the trade along with a final analysis on the impact for both teams.

Bleacher Report

Josh Smith

Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal Constitution has suggested that it may be time for the Hawks to move Josh Smith in an attempt to finally land a legitimate center.

The Los Angeles Lakers are one team that is reportedly thinking about a roster shakeup and many have speculated whether Pau Gasol or Andrew Bynum may be available this offseason.

A trade of Josh Smith and Kirk Hinrich in exchange for Andrew Bynum and Ron Artest works financially and could be mutually beneficial in a basketball sense as well.

Bleacher Report

Andrew Bynum

Lakers center Andrew Bynum has been suspended for the first five games of next season for his flagrant foul on Dallas guard J.J. Barea in Los Angeles’ final playoff game.

The NBA announced the suspension Tuesday, two days after Bynum was ejected for the foul in the two-time defending champions’ 36-point loss to the Mavericks in Game 4.

The NBA also fined Bynum $25,000 for “removing his jersey and the manner in which he left the court.” The infraction will cost him $702,272 overall, including the fine. Bynum expressed remorse for his actions Tuesday, saying his actions were terrible and unacceptable.

ESPN.com

Not only is Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum not surprised to see the Lakers down 2-0 to the Dallas Mavericks in their Western Conference semifinal, but he believes the Lakers’ problems are “deeply rooted” and they have to overcome “trust issues” with each other.

Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum

An irritated Bynum vented for six minutes in front of his locker after the Lakers’ 93-81 loss to Dallas and said the team has plenty of work to do off the court to dig itself out of the hole it is currently in.

“It’s deeply rooted at this point,” Bynum said of the team’s problems. “It’s obvious we have trust issues. Unless we come out and discuss it, then nothing is going to really change. We have to come in and have a good session [Thursday], which I believe we will, and correct things. If not, we’ll go home.”

ESPN.com

Andrew Bynum

Despite the Lakers’ late season struggles, the one thing they had going for them compared to their last two championship runs was a healthy Andrew Bynum. That might not be the case anymore.

Bynum suffered a hyperextended right knee in the second quarter of Tuesday’s 102-93 win against the San Antonio Spurs when he stepped on DeJuan Blair’s foot, causing his knee to buckle.

Bynum will undergo an MRI on the knee Wednesday and will not travel with the team to Sacramento for their season finale against the Kings.

ESPN.com