Kobe Injured - How does this affect DHoward's Free Agency? Houston?

the Lakers, to receive their first pick.

 

We'd be an instant contender with Howard. Chemistry I feel builds off-court more so than on-court. Perhaps with regards to our chemistry we have just been lucky with nice-guys Lin/Parsons and a willing and unselfish star in Harden + youth + common theme in our players of being previously undervalued/overlooked -- that has tied this team so well together. Perhaps its McHale? Perhaps its the free-flowing offensive nature of our team. Will Howard fit in? Does it matter? Even if he catches half the passes Asik receives from Lin/Harden we could keep our current PF trio (Smith/D-Mo/T-Rob/heck T-Jones?!) and have such an increased paint presence its not funny. I'm sure Howard see's our potential and how far this team can go in the next few years. With Lin/Harden at the helm, add front-court player like DH and this team is going to be beasting.

Having said that, I see the Lakers offering him the universe to stay. The Lakers is his team now, whether he likes it or not.

 

dont care if he is the superman himself. we are a young team who share the ball and play as a unit. No drama queen is needed over here.

Dwight will never be the same guy after how he treated Van Gundy. If he could, he would do that in LA. Everybody tought that he is acting like a bit*h because of the orlando and magic organization he may start again in a big city full of stars just like howard stated but the fact is, basketball is out of his mind now.

Dont see why his attitude would change in houston.

 

As I said, Dwight is saying nothing at all currently, he's simply not answering.

Of a side note, Hakeem said he thought Dwight was going to return to the lakers, as that's what he'd been told before but he'd ask him over the all star break. Hakeem has said nothing since, either Dwight told him nothing, or Dwight asked him not to say anything, but if Dwight is telling anyone, it isn't to anybody who will tell the media, there are no more "sources", not this time.

And regardless of where he goes, kudos to him for keeping quiet about it and not giving the press **** to salivate over.

 

How is he damaged goods pimpn

 

My guess he isn't saying anything is Dwight HAS to repair his image if he wants more endorsements.

Big markets do not help as people's perception of him as a diva or loser. McDonald's and Coca Cola dropped him as their sopkesperson recently. His endorsement income actually went from $11M down to $7M this year.

I am surprised people never mentioned about his endorsement income.

The whole big markets get more endorsement is a total myth.
- Miami, 44th biggest city by population, where Wade and LeBron earned a combined $56M/year in endorsements.
- Carmelo's endorsement income remained the same for the last two years going from Denver to Big Apple.

If Dwight comes to H-town, plays at his pre-injury level, wins a championship with Harden and Lin, perhaps a Final MVP, and stops being a diva in front of media, you can bet he can make up the difference of $30M guaranteed money.

Lets look closer at that 5th year, $30M he walks away. If he gets another contract (at 31) after Rockets, take away what he will make the first year and tax free for half of his games, it really amount to a lot less than $30M. I say maybe $10M the most. That's what he will walk away IF he stay healthy for another contract.

Dwight understands the meaning of winning and what it can do to his endorsement income. If people think it's foolish to walk away from $30M, it will be even foolish to walk away from winning.

There is absolutely nothing that can bring in more endorsement income (and repair Dwight's image) than MVP's and WiNNING!

 

Correction he was the MAN in Orlando, the problem was he wanted more touches in crunch time and Coach Gundy wouldnt adhere to his demands. So they couldnt co-exist with one another and Orlando was on a downfall from that point on.
He was also beefing with Kobe because he wasnt feeding him either.
I agree with you that Houston would be a great fit for him. During the all star break he was praising the Rockets on how they play together. Plus D. Morey has him on his top FA list. He wants Howard bad, remember he was going to give up the entire team to get him last season...

 

As a side note, his contract would be a 4 years with a 3rd year opt out, so as long as he's fit, he would and then get a 5 year max at Bird rises, whilst using the extra year as an insurance policy, and Morey would give him just that. Star players have the power to make the contract suit them, a straight up 4 year would get him less money and give him less flexibility (if Harden went down).

 

He's obviously learned from his mishandling of past situations.

A lot of folks are pointing to the Lakers' dismal situation (cap hell, aging players, no draft picks, Kobe's injury, etc) as evidence that Dwight has a lot of incentive to bolt, but even with the situation LA's in Kubcheck has a track record of assembling incredible talent, championship teams; LA's a magnet for players, It's a stroried franchise, and they can offer him the most money in a contract while the city maximizes his endorsement money. While there are several attractive things about the Houston situation, he may just not like the city as much as LA. Taking less money to play in a city you don't really like is not likely to happen. So while Morey will pull out all the stops and try to sell Dwight on coming, I really think the odds are much much lower than many on this board think.

Taking advantage of LAs cap situation and getting Gasol on a one year rental is much more likely in my opinion.

 

That was under the old CBA paradigm that allowed teams that could afford it to spend like drunken sailors with little actual penalties.

Lets see what they do now with EXTREMELY harsh penalties and hard cap-like restrictions for those as far above the cap as LA is.

 

I definitely agree that their era of supremacy is coming to an end, but LA will always be an attractive city and franchise to play for.

 

Not if Jim Buss gets his way

 

I agree with your take

 

Hey good peeps, I was just thinking,, why would any team pay Howard 20 mil a year when the best player in Basketball is only getting 17. So I would think he would get from a contending team or a team on the rise (Houston Rockets) no more than 17.

 

What do u mean if he gets his way...Are you saying that he is going to drive the best franchise in NBA history in the ground..

 

Mike Brown, Mike D'antoni

vs

Rick Adelman, Phil Jackson

He's already on his way....

 

He's not leaving LA.

 

Jim Buss is cut from the same cloth as the Maloof brothers, inherited the money but none of the competence.

 

Brown was terrible and Kobe ran him off.
Phil retired and it was just rumors about him ever coming back.
Rick -dont know why they didnt pick him up
Mike- Kobe wanted him in their bad

And before u go there Kobe has a lot of say so, he ran Phil off, along with Shaq and other players...

 

It doesn't affect anything at all because Morey would never trade a proven team cancer for the Rockets despite the great stats line a player has.

In Morey we trust!