You’ve got to give Mitch Kupchak credit. He doesn’t go away quietly…unless Commandant Stern steps in of course.

The never ending saga that is the Dwight Howard trade rumor mill continues to crank out talks of the Lakers engaging the Magic in hopes of pulling off a mega-trade. A mega-trade for a diva-like center with a bad back and no desire to sign on for the long-term with the Lakers, mind you. Makes you wonder why Kupchak is so hot under the collar for Howard.

Something else you’ve got to wonder is what exactly has changed this time that was any different from the last 30-some-odd trade rumors.

Each week it seems like there’s some new caveat the Magic place on the potential Dwight deal only to see all interested parties push away from the table like a tray of McRib sandwiches was just served. Previously it was the need to acquire draft picks in return. Now Orlando is asking for any interested trade partners to take on a plethora of dead-weight contracts.

It’s also to the point where the demands coming from the Orlando front office are as inconsistent as Howard’s stance on being traded or staying.

But that is all window dressing. What’s real is the stance Howard has taken. Seems Diva Dwight is hell-bent on playing in Brooklyn. Even though that ship has now sailed and is pretty much a dot on the horizon there has still been no change in Howard’s alleged desires. He’s not said anything to the effect of indicating he’d sign an extension in L.A. and for good measure Andrew Bynum has expressed similar feelings in regards to where he’d prefer to play if not in Los Angeles.

So here we go again, taking another lap on this unending ring of rumors. The odds of the Lakers landing Howard seem long but you never know. Maybe Howard will wake up tomorrow willing to defer to Kobe Bryant, sign an extension with the Lakers and make an apology to the entire hoops world. For my money I’d say the odds of the latest Howard rumor being more false than George Washington’s teeth are looking pretty good.