There’s been lots of reports swirling around as of late, with some speculating that the Los Angeles Lakers might trade Dwight Howard before his pending free agency this summer.

Not happening, says Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak, per NewsDay.com:

Asked about his remaining options to salvage this season, Kupchak said, “We will not make a trade. We will not trade Dwight Howard. We have no intention of making a trade.”

However, Kupchak didn’t stop there: he said that it’s unlikely the Lakers go out there and make any big trade:

“It’s unlikely that we’ll make any trade with any of our principal players. To make another change at this time of the year being behind the eight-ball like we are, I think that would just make it more difficult. The talent is there. We have to find our way.”

That has to be reassuring for Pau Gasol, who has been involved in trade rumors for years, but has been playing much better as of late. However, how will that work out once Dwight’s back?

The key thing here is that Kupchak stands by his words from earlier in the year, saying no big moves would be made. Of course, there’s always a chance he makes a small trade happen – although, looking at the pieces the Lakers have, even pulling off a minor move looks difficult at this point.