[QUESTION] Why do the Rockets believe they can 'convince' Dwight Howard?

[brantonli24]

I am very curious to see people's responses. Obviously Morey is gunning hard for Howard and almost all sources keep saying 'they believe they can convince him to stay' but why? Really I can only think of one reason:

That Howard coming here, + some other trades, propels the Rockets to the 2nd round or even W Conference finals, and that convinces Howard to stay.

Honestly, barring the state of Texas granting Howard tax exemption on all taxes for the rest of his life, what can the Rockets do to convince him? Make him the GM? Have a statue ready if he gets traded here?

[MadMax]

Point him to the economics of the labor agreement that means he'll be walking away from an assload of money if he signs somewhere else.

[amaru]

Originally Posted by brantonli24 I am very curious to see people's responses. Obviously Morey is gunning hard for Howard and almost all sources keep saying 'they believe they can convince him to stay' but why? Really I can only think of one reason: That Howard coming here, + some other trades, propels the Rockets to the 2nd round or even W Conference finals, and that convinces Howard to stay. Honestly, barring the state of Texas granting Howard tax exemption on all taxes for the rest of his life, what can the Rockets do to convince him? Make him the GM? Have a statue ready if he gets traded here?

The Rockets are like that middle age desperate woman looking to get married......everybody is an option and they will stop at nothing to achieve their goal.

[Rookie34]

Ask him ...

[DonnyMost]

57+ million dollars; and a year is a long time for somebody to sit around and be miserable.

Chances of him softening up and liking it here are far greater than the chances of us being able to draft a guy like him.

[rocketjunkie]

Originally Posted by brantonli24 I am very curious to see people's responses. Obviously Morey is gunning hard for Howard and almost all sources keep saying 'they believe they can convince him to stay' but why? Really I can only think of one reason: That Howard coming here, + some other trades, propels the Rockets to the 2nd round or even W Conference finals, and that convinces Howard to stay. Honestly, barring the state of Texas granting Howard tax exemption on all taxes for the rest of his life, what can the Rockets do to convince him? Make him the GM? Have a statue ready if he gets traded here?

Because under the new CBA Dwight would lose $25-30m if he walks away from the Rockets without a sign and trade, and it might cost him upwards of $50m over the life of his career depending on circumstances. Rockets don't believe he will do that when push comes to shove. Otherwise, if he was going to Nets he should have opted out last year and would be able to sign with Nets now. He is trying to get traded there so he can still get paid the last guaranteed year.

[Red&BlackPudman]

Take him to eat phenomenal China or Mexican and to fancy titters. Tour of NASA and that should do it. In all seriousness, the only way we would convince him to stay is if we showed a ridiculous amount of support, was able to get a superstar along with him (whoever that may be), and make a strong push in the playoffs.

[jank1434]

Originally Posted by DonnyMost 57+ million dollars; and a year is a long time for somebody to sit around and be miserable. Chances of him softening up and liking it here are far greater than the chances of us being able to draft a guy like him.

Ding, ding, ding

[Garner]

Because they have to

[Raven]

He'll sign the contract and bitch his way off the team.

[wakkoman05]

Originally Posted by brantonli24 I am very curious to see people's responses. Obviously Morey is gunning hard for Howard and almost all sources keep saying 'they believe they can convince him to stay' but why? Really I can only think of one reason: That Howard coming here, + some other trades, propels the Rockets to the 2nd round or even W Conference finals, and that convinces Howard to stay. Honestly, barring the state of Texas granting Howard tax exemption on all taxes for the rest of his life, what can the Rockets do to convince him? Make him the GM? Have a statue ready if he gets traded here?

$57 million dollas PLUS an iPad

[emjohn]

It's potentially telling that he reupped for this year rather than being dealt to someone other than his darling Nets. He could have played out two months and signed with his sweetheart as an UFA (keeping Deron in the fold, too)....but opted to extend his deal with a team he wants no part of.

That tells me that he (or his agent) is keenly aware of the money they would leave on the table. They did NOT want to go the UFA route.

Given that the Rockets absolutely would not trade him at the deadline....what happens when he's faced with the flat decision next summer between the Nets and the true max?

How much of what we're seeing now is a bluff to help him get his cake and eat it too?

[BigBird]

When I was young I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old I know that it is.
Oscar Wilde

[JayZ750]

Originally Posted by DonnyMost 57+ million dollars; and a year is a long time for somebody to sit around and be miserable. Chances of him softening up and liking it here are far greater than the chances of us being able to draft a guy like him.

Except he still has a ton of leverage.

If money is most important to him, he can go ahead and sign a birds rights deal... AND then continue to bitch and moan and complain and ask for trades. He's still young, he can take the extra 1.5 yrs as "throw-away". Even if he purports to continue to play 100% through that, it will create a locker room of discontent and won't be conducive to winning a championship... the goal. However, it WILL put the Rockets in a somewhat better position to trade him for assets in return.

Moreover, Brooklyn is a base that nets him much greater money in endorsement potential. While it may be hard for some to believe that could make up the difference, I certainly believe it can. Adidas (or Nike, Reebok, whomever) is much much much more likely to give him a DRose type deal in Brooklyn than in Houston. The difference between NYC exposure and Houston exposure is so night and day. This is not a knock against Houston - I could never live in NYC... but it is fact. The difference between a $150 million shoe deal and a $225 million shoe deal, for example, makes up the salary difference immediately.

Finally, there's the simple fact that it APPEARS that Dwight would rather be in NYC... strongly. From creating his own legacy to simply having more options to fill his down time doing things he likes to do. Maybe he wants to get into theater, music, NYC real estate... who knows. All things that he can do in Houston, but again nowhere near the extent he can do it in NYC.

My point? I don't know.

I STILL find it hard to believe he'd walk away from a bird's right max deal. The best guys in the game want their contracts to reflect such.

But I am far, far, far, far, far from a believer that we trade for him and then it's all good.

And all that is further discounting the fact that the guy isn't exactly a perennial winner. Yes, they made the Finals once. In a year with VERY weak eastern competition.

[Jugdish]

Whataburger

[DieHard Rocket]

Because Morey is going to make a hard run at Deron if we land Howard...and if not Deron, some solid vets like KG or Ray Allen that we can make a good playoff run with.

He'll experience a good supporting cast for the first time in his life and hopefully a team good enough to convince him to stay.

Morey isn't stupid. He's not going to just pretend that Dwight will be happy with Dragic as his 2nd best player.

[DonnyMost]

Originally Posted by JayZ750 Except he still has a ton of leverage. If money is most important to him, he can go ahead and sign a birds rights deal... AND then continue to bitch and moan and complain and ask for trades.

That's fine. Let him. It won't be hard to flip him for something decent. Either way, we take the franchise in a new direction... FINALLY.

Originally Posted by JayZ750 But I am far, far, far, far, far from a believer that we trade for him and then it's all good.

I'm more a believer in that happening than I am a believer that we can win in the next 3+ years any other way.

[clos4life]

Originally Posted by DonnyMost 57+ million dollars; and a year is a long time for somebody to sit around and be miserable. Chances of him softening up and liking it here are far greater than the chances of us being able to draft a guy like him.

Exactly! The worst that could happen is he walks. Then we S&T to team he desires and move on to our tanking/rebuilding job.

[RedDynasty]

Originally Posted by DonnyMost 57+ million dollars; and a year is a long time for somebody to sit around and be miserable. Chances of him softening up and liking it here are far greater than the chances of us being able to draft a guy like him.

Single best post I have seen in the past two days. This is exactly right.

[bloodwings19]

1) NYC is not big enough for J.Lin, JLo, Yankees, Melo, Amare and Deron
2) Rockets in Morey's tenure has consistently try to improve the team with free-agents
3) Direct link to Asia, enormous fanbase and sponsors
4) Play for HOF Kevin McHale
5) Play for Les who will love Dwight more than any owners
6) Rusty Hardin will defend you like no other