Sources: Houston has started contacting teams about trading Dwight Howard

A max player was not in the all star event this year? Do not know about that.

 

Anyone have insider info for these articles?

http://espn.go.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/14779309/kevin-love-boston-carmelo-anthony-cleveland-top-trades-see-nba

http://espn.go.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/14756267/ranking-stephen-curry-lebron-james-top-50-players-trade-value-nba

 

Here is the first:

Spoiler

When the trade deadline (Thursday, 3 p.m. ET) forces teams to act, things start happening. And we have some ideas about what should happen.

ESPN Insiders Tom Haberstroh, Chad Ford, David Thorpe, Bradford Doolittle and Kevin Pelton present 10 trades they would like to see, involving seven All-Stars and 15 teams, including five title contenders.

The Cleveland-Boston-New York megadeal

Cleveland Cavaliers send: Kevin Love to Boston
Boston Celtics send: Jae Crowder, Brooklyn's 2016 first-round pick and David Lee to New York
New York Knicks send: Carmelo Anthony to Cleveland and Lance Thomas to Boston

View in ESPN's trade machine

Tom Haberstroh: Who's happiest about this trade? LeBron gets to play with his buddy Carmelo Anthony. Boston gets its star in Love. And the Knicks can realistically dream about a Ben Simmons-Kristaps Porzingis frontcourt.

The Knicks would have to convince Anthony (and wife La La) to waive his no-trade clause and leave the Big Apple, but the carrot of playing for a championship with his pal LeBron James would probably be enough to ease those concerns.

Love would again become the No. 1 option he deserves to be and play for a coach who recognizes his talents. The Celtics would have the defensive muscle out on the perimeter to help mask Love's issues in the pick-and-roll.

The Knicks could rebuild around Porzingis and the Nets' pick. In this draft, that's one of the most valuable trade chips in the game. Crowder is a hard-nosed stud who would fit in the triangle and give them a quality player in return. Icing on the cake: Lee comes home to New York.
Toronto's title-contending push

Atlanta Hawks send: Al Horford and Kent Bazemore
Toronto Raptors send: James Johnson, Lucas Nogueira, Patrick Patterson and the lesser of the 2016 first-round picks belonging to Denver and New York

View trade in ESPN's trade machine

Kevin Pelton: Maybe they put Raptors Kool-Aid in the water in Toronto, but with Kyle Lowry about to turn 30, this could be their best chance to get to the NBA Finals, and Horford could be the missing piece. To match salaries, the Raptors would probably have to offer Patterson's excellent contract and could add the extra first-round pick they have coming, likely to be a top-10 selection.

Given all that value, the Hawks would also have to surrender Bazemore, who's likely to be overpaid this summer anyway. Toronto would immediately become the East's most versatile team, capable of playing big with Horford alongside Jonas Valanciunas or going small with Horford and a healthy DeMarre Carroll.
Houston starts over, Boston vaults ahead

Houston Rockets send: James Harden, Dwight Howard, Marcus Thornton and Jason Terry
Boston Celtics send: Nets' 2016 first-round pick, Isaiah Thomas, Kelly Olynyk, Avery Bradley and David Lee

View in ESPN's trade machine

Chad Ford: The Rockets are currently out of the playoffs and the chemistry is awful. As Kevin Pelton pointed out this week, it's Harden who seems to be the biggest problem, thanks to his matador-style defense.

With this trade, GM Daryl Morey would grab a bunch of assets from his friend Danny Ainge, sell Rockets fans on a quick rebuild and hope he can land Simmons in the draft.
Editor's Picks

Trade talk: Predicting biggest trades in West

Will the Clippers move Blake Griffin? What about the Rockets and Dwight Howard? Our experts break down potential deals in the Western Conference heading toward the NBA trade deadline.
NBA trade talk: Predicting biggest trades in East

Could the Bucks move Jabari Parker? What about the Nets and Brook Lopez? Our experts break down the most interesting storylines in the Eastern Conference heading into the NBA trade deadline.

Whomever the Rockets get in the draft would make them younger, along with Thomas, Olynyk and Bradley and their own talented young core headlined by Clint Capela. Meanwhile, the trade might not make the Rockets any worse for this season -- what they'd lose in star power they'd gain in chemistry.

For Boston, Danny Ainge has been looking to cash in his collection of assets for a superstar. Here he would land one plus a center who still can perform at an All-Star level.

Of course, the move would be risky for the Celtics after seeing what's happened in Houston, but Ainge has something the Rockets don't: coach Brad Stevens.

In this deal, the Celtics would be keeping contributors like Marcus Smart, Crowder and Amir Johnson to supply defensive toughness. And by hanging on to several first-round picks and young players like James Young, Terry Rozier, R.J. Hunter and Jordan Mickey, the Celtics wouldn't be giving away the farm to have a legit shot at the NBA Finals in the next couple of years.
Melo to the Lakers

New York Knicks send: Carmelo Anthony
Los Angeles Lakers send: D'Angelo Russell and Roy Hibbert

View in ESPN's trade machine

Ford: Melo's trade value won't get any higher than it is right now. With the arrival of Porzingis, Anthony is no longer the fan favorite he once was, giving the Knicks a trade window. The Lakers are one of the very few destinations that I think Melo would waive his no-trade clause for, especially if L.A. is promising to go all-out to build a contender next year.

Russell was the No. 2 pick in the draft last year, a 19-year-old scorer and playmaker who has shown improvement all season. Putting him next to Porzingis would give the Knicks two terrific young players to build around. While some fans might not feel like it's enough for Melo, this kind of move is the best long-term course of action for the Knicks. (I proposed a similar deal in December that would net Justise Winslow of the Heat for Melo.)

For the Lakers, it's a way to rebuild almost instantly rather than wait to see how the pingpong balls bounce. Add Melo, and L.A. suddenly becomes a much more attractive free-agent destination this summer.
Griffin-Millsap swap

Los Angeles Clippers send: Blake Griffin
Atlanta Hawks send: Paul Millsap and Mike Scott

View in ESPN's trade machine

Bradford Doolittle: Even when fully healthy, the Clippers as constituted are unlikely to survive a playoff gauntlet involving the three teams ahead of them in the West: the Warriors, Spurs and Thunder.

Right now, Millsap is a better fit for the Clippers and maybe a better player than Griffin. He would give them better range at the 4 and enhanced ability to match up with Golden State down the line. Given the four-year age difference, the Hawks would need to add a sweetener, and Mike Scott would provide depth, shooting and experience for the Clippers' playoff run.

Meanwhile, Griffin would provide Atlanta a younger star to pair with Dennis Schroder and Kent Bazemore going forward. And the Hawks could still package Jeff Teague and Al Horford for more young players to fill out their revamped core, such as a combination of guys from the Celtics.
Melo teaming up with Dirk

New York Knicks send: Carmelo Anthony
Dallas Mavericks send: Chandler Parsons, Raymond Felton, Dwight Powell and picks in the next two drafts

View in ESPN's trade machine

David Thorpe: Seeing Carmelo in the playoffs is just something the basketball gods would want. Seeing him under master guru Rick Carlisle would be even more special. If anyone can best utilize his still-considerable skill set, it's Carlisle and the Mavs.

Parsons would be a good fit with the Knicks' style of play and the bright lights of New York. The draft picks could be very valuable, Powell has the potential to be a solid player and the cap space the Knicks would gain in this trade would make them strong contenders to bring in elite talent.
Brooklyn starts the rebuild

Brooklyn Nets send: Thaddeus Young
Toronto Raptors send: Patrick Patterson, Delon Wright and a 2016 first-round draft pick

View in ESPN's trade machine

Doolittle: While in theory I don't think Brooklyn should make any deals without a permanent GM in place, I think this is one that the new guy would want to make anyway. In any case, the Nets' best strategy is to move their best players now for multiple pieces to help them rebuild.

In Patterson and Wright, they would receive two former first-rounders who could get big minutes the next couple of years as things get sorted out. Toronto would want to get this deal done with their own first-round pick (in the No. 25 range), but the Nets might insist on the lottery pick the Raptors are holding (the lesser of the Nuggets' and Knicks' first-round picks).

As for the Raptors, they need to upgrade the 4 to really mount a challenge to Cleveland. Young would be perfectly cast as the fourth-best player on a contending team.
Breaking up the Hawks and Rockets

Atlanta Hawks send: Al Horford, Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver to Houston; Thabo Sefolosha to Minnesota
Houston Rockets send: Dwight Howard to Atlanta; Patrick Beverley, KJ McDaniels and Donatas Motiejunas to Minnesota
Minnesota Timberwolves send: Ricky Rubio to Atlanta

View in ESPN's trade machine

Thorpe: It's time to break up the Howard and Harden show, so sending Dwight home to a fan base that loves him is fair to a man who has had his "rep" beaten up more than he deserves.

Rubio is a poor scorer and shooter but would help the Hawks enormously with his passing and defense, and he is especially suited to working with post players. Dwight's offense would grow next to Rubio and Paul Millsap, and he would make those two better players as well.
SportsCenter's Trade Machine: Dwight Howard

Tom Penn explains what moves the Hawks and the Celtics would have to make to afford to trade for Dwight Howard.

In Houston, Horford would play power forward alongside Clint Capela, which would be better for both men, and he would bring leadership skills the Rockets sorely need. Teague is a shooter and penetrator who is better playing without the ball than Ty Lawson has been, making him more suited to play with Harden. The Rockets could finish games with Teague, Harden, Korver, Ariza and Horford -- five 3-point shooters and no one for opponents to hack.

Minnesota would get multiple talented players at a good value, including perimeter defense, with Beverley holding down the starting spot until the Wolves can bring in another point guard. McDaniels would add to their arsenal of athletes with significant upside, and maybe Motiejunas finds his mojo and gives the Wolves their scoring power forward to complement Karl-Anthony Towns.
Utah gets its point guard

New Orleans Pelicans send: Jrue Holiday and Norris Cole
Utah Jazz send: Trey Burke, Alec Burks and the Jazz's 2016 second-round pick

View in ESPN's trade machine

Pelton: With Marc Gasol's injury leaving the Memphis Grizzlies vulnerable, the Jazz are consistent PG play away from realistically getting as high as fifth in the West. Unless George Hill is available, I like Holiday best of the potential fits. His size, defense and shooting allow him to upgrade the position this year without blocking Dante Exum, since the two could potentially play together.

With Tyreke Evans out for the season -- and maybe not a part of New Orleans' long-term plans -- the Pelicans get Burks to replace Evans' ability to create off the dribble, improve their guard depth and save some money.
Reuniting the Morris twins

Phoenix Suns send: Markieff Morris and Jon Leuer
Detroit Pistons send: Brandon Jennings

View in ESPN's trade machine

Haberstroh: The team most willing (or least averse?) to take on Markieff's contract might be in Detroit, where he would reunite with his brother. As I pointed out in the fall, Markieff is near All-Star level when he plays with his brother.

Stan Van Gundy waived Josh Smith, so he's shown he's willing to cut bait on a disruptive talent. But if you're in a non-destination like Detroit, you usually have to acquire talent through trades. In this trade, for taking on Morris' contract, Van Gundy would receive another stretch-4 in Leuer for his four-out system.

The Suns could do this deal to wipe their hands clean of the Markieff situation and start fresh with Jennings, whose contract expires this summer. Even if Jennings leaves, the Suns would be happy to move on from the Morris Brothers era.

and the second:

Spoiler

How do we determine a player's actual trade value? More to the point, how do we figure out which NBA stars have the most?

Who has more: Kevin Love or Blake Griffin? James Harden or DeMarcus Cousins? Steph Curry, Anthony Davis or LeBron James?

There are at least two ways to solve this: an objective statistical approach, and a more subjective approach. Several years ago I began working on the more objective approach, inspired by the subjective approach that was a popular ESPN staple.

A player's projected net value, in my statistical model, is the difference between the dollar value of his production and salary. In the past, I've used a similar measure to rank the league's best contracts over the next three years (the period covered by my SCHOENE projection system).

For example, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry has been the most valuable player in the league by any measure. I estimate his production this year as worth about $36 million -- far more than the maximum salary. But Curry isn't making the max; he's actually paid $11.4 million. The $25 million in net value he's created makes him easily the NBA's best value this season. Nobody else has provided even $20 million in net value.

I also factored in the opportunity to underpay players on future contracts, assuming they would sign for their value or the maximum contract.

However, statistical projections can't capture factors like the off-court financial benefits of stars and players who are more valuable to their current team. And, of course, teams don't all evaluate players the same way. To account for these other factors, we asked the #NBArank panel, using the wisdom of the crowd, to rank players by their trade value.

The final rankings combine one part statistical projection and two parts #NBArank panel voting, and I've listed both factors for the top 50 players in the league.
1. Stephen Curry

Golden State Warriors
Experience: 6 years
Net value: $107 million (No. 3)
#NBArank panel: No. 1

The reigning MVP and consensus best player in the league also has one of the best contracts. Curry signed an extension before he went from an injury question mark to the best shooter in NBA history, and he has still got one more season left at $12.1 million before becoming an unrestricted free agent.

The only reason he doesn't rank first by the statistical method is that Curry's salary could subsequently skyrocket to nearly $30 million.
2. Anthony Davis

New Orleans Pelicans
Experience: 3 years
Net value: $125 million (No. 1)
#NBArank panel: No. 5

Despite taking a step backwards in his development this season -- in part because of the injuries that have riddled the New Orleans backcourt -- Davis is still poised to become perhaps the league's best player over the next three years (he's projected as such). Remember, he won't turn 23 until next month and was getting MVP buzz before the season.
Editor's Picks

Trade targets for all 30 NBA teams

Our Insiders give every team's top trade targets and assets heading into the 2016 deadline.

However, his top spot in the statistical projections does come with an asterisk -- I'm projecting here that Davis won't make one of this season's All-NBA teams, pegging the contract extension he signed last summer at an estimated $120 million over five years. If Davis makes All-NBA, his contract jumps to an estimated $144 million thanks to the so-called "Derrick Rose rule". In that case, Davis would drop to second.
3. Kawhi Leonard

San Antonio Spurs
Experience: 4 years
Net value: $115 million (No. 2)
#NBArank panel: No. 2

The numbers and voters agreed that Leonard was the second-best value, but because Curry had a wide edge in the voting and Davis a wide edge in the statistical projections, Leonard slips to third when they're combined. His production is projected fifth in the league over the next three-plus seasons, and Leonard is locked in at what will be bargain rates through at least 2019.
4. Russell Westbrook

Oklahoma City Thunder
Experience: 8 years
Net value: $102 million (No. 4)
#NBArank panel: No. 4

The league's second-best player this season after Curry by ESPN's real plus-minus (RPM) and my wins above replacement player (WARP) statistic, Westbrook has surpassed 2013-14 MVP Kevin Durant as the brightest star in Oklahoma City. Westbrook also has a more favorable contract than Durant and LeBron James, who can both become free agents this summer and cash in on the rising cap.

Westbrook has one more year left at $17.8 million -- less than a million more than teammate Enes Kanter.
5. Draymond Green

Golden State Warriors
Experience: 3 years
Net value: $97 million (No. 6)
#NBArank panel: No. 8

Remember those debates last season about whether Green was a max player? He has put those to rest by emerging as a triple-double machine and one of the league's 10 best players. And remarkably, Green isn't making the maximum salary, having accepted about $10 million less over the life of his five-year contract than he could have made. Green's deal tops out at $18.5 million in 2019-20.
6. Karl-Anthony Towns

Minnesota Timberwolves
Experience: Rookie
Net value: $90 million (No. 7)
#NBArank panel: No. 7

Less than four months into his NBA career, Towns is already a top-10 value. He has put together one of the best seasons ever by a 20-year-old player in terms of box-score stats, surpassing what Davis did as a rookie. And Towns has three full years left on his rookie contract, which will pay him less total over that span ($20 million) than Joe Johnson is making this season ($24.9 million).
7. LeBron James

Cleveland Cavaliers
Experience: 13 years
Net value: $69 million (No. 12)
#NBArank panel: No. 3

James' production is projected fourth over the next three-plus seasons, behind Davis, Curry and Westbrook. The King drops this far because he stands to make the most money of anyone in the NBA over that span. That does reveal a limitation of the statistical method, which assumes teams can spend the extra money elsewhere.

Since Cleveland will be over the salary cap for the foreseeable future, James' salary matters primarily to Dan Gilbert's pocketbook. So voters put James in a three-way tie for third with the Thunder's stars.
8. Kevin Durant

Oklahoma City Thunder
Experience: 9 years
Net value: $61 million (No. 17)
#NBArank panel: No. 6

Durant has a chance to make more than anyone besides James over the next three years if he chooses to sign a one-year contract this summer and re-enter free agency in the summer of 2017, when he'd be eligible for the higher 10-year maximum salary pending a renegotiation of the NBA's collective bargaining agreement.

Since SCHOENE also sees Durant as being at the high point of his production, his statistical projection is relatively low. Our #NBArank panel resoundingly disagrees.
9. Kristaps Porzingis

New York Knicks
Experience: Rookie
Net value: $73 million (No. 8)
#NBArank panel: No. 9

By RPM, it's Porzingis and not Towns who has been the league's best rookie. Only 20 and still adjusting to the NBA, Porzingis has plenty of room for growth. If he adds strength and moves to center on a full-time basis, Porzingis could be a matchup nightmare sooner rather than later.
10. James Harden

Houston Rockets
Experience: 6 years
Net value: $98 million (No. 5)
#NBArank panel: No. 17

Harden was the runner-up for MVP last season and has two years left on his contract at a combined $34.6 million, making him a terrific bargain. Yet our voters aren't feeling as positive about Harden, surely because of the defensive deficiencies I highlighted in arguing last week that the Rockets should consider trading their best player.
11. John Wall

Washington Wizards
Experience: 5 years
Net value: $71 million (No. 9)
#NBArank panel: No. 10

Over the summer, Wall famously noted that Detroit Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson got nearly the same contract as Wall's five-year, $85 million extension that kicked in last season. Wall was a victim of bad timing, and the Wizards will benefit with a below-market deal.
12. DeMarcus Cousins

Sacramento Kings
Experience: 5 years
Net value: $69 million (No. 10)
#NBArank panel: No. 14

Because of his temper and inconsistent effort on the court and his rocky relationships in the locker room, Cousins is the best player who might realistically hit the trade block any time soon. The Kings have resisted such a move because Cousins can be a one-man wrecking crew when he's fully engaged.

His contract, which pays $35 million over the next two seasons, is also one of the league's best.
13. Jimmy Butler

Chicago Bulls
Experience: 4 years
Net value: $63 million (No. 14)
#NBArank panel: No. 12

Like Leonard, Butler locked into a max contract last summer that won't allow him back on the market until the summer of 2019 at the earliest. Butler won't make more than $20 million per season over the life of the contract, making his deal an excellent one as the cap rises.
14. Paul George

Indiana Pacers
Experience: 5 years
Net value: $64 million (No. 13)
#NBArank panel: No. 13

George and Butler, both two-way wings who are 25 and 26, respectively, have virtually identical statistical profiles. While the projections give a slight edge to George, voters leaned in Butler's direction.
15. Kyrie Irving

Cleveland Cavaliers
Experience: 4 years
Net value: $28 million (No. 36)
#NBArank panel: No. 11

The injuries Irving has suffered -- most notably the fractured patella that forced him to miss the start of the 2015-16 season -- limit his statistical projections. Our #NBArank panel wasn't deterred, ranking Irving 11th in trade value on the strength of his ability to develop at age 23 and a max extension that locked him in through 2019.
16. Chris Paul

Los Angeles Clippers
Experience: 10 years
Net value: $49 million (No. 24)
#NBArank panel: No. 18

Along with James, Paul is the other player in the top 20 in his 30s (he'll turn 31 in May). He has demonstrated during Blake Griffin's absence that he can still carry a team as well as ever, though the time is coming when Paul's game will start to gradually erode.
17. Rudy Gobert

Utah Jazz
Experience: 2 years
Net value: $69 million (No. 10)
#NBArank panel: No. 22

The lowest-paid elite player in the league because he was drafted 27th overall and is still on his rookie contract, Gobert is making less money this season than 14 players who are getting paid by teams that waived them, including four Philadelphia 76ers (Furkan Aldemir, JaVale McGee, Gerald Wallace and Tony Wroten).
18. Klay Thompson

Golden State Warriors
Experience: 4 years
Net value: $17 million (No. 47)
#NBArank panel: No. 16

To some extent, Thompson's production is the result of playing next to Curry, which would make him less valuable to another team. But Thompson's shooting and ability to defend point guards is also the perfect complement to Curry's skills. From the Warriors' perspective, the panel placing Thompson 13th makes sense.
19. Damian Lillard

Portland Trail Blazers
Experience: 3 years
Net value: $56 million (No. 20)
#NBArank panel: No. 23

While Lillard came into the league a four-year college player, he has continued to develop his game in the NBA and has room for further growth at age 25. He'll begin a five-year maximum extension next season.
20. Andre Drummond

Detroit Pistons
Experience: 3 years
Net value: $51 million (No. 22)
#NBArank panel: No. 24

Drummond doesn't quite rank in the top 20 by either method alone, but he's a solid compromise candidate because he's just outside both top 20s.

Drummond is making $3.2 million in the last year of his rookie contract. He's a certainty to sign a max deal next summer as a restricted free agent after making his All-Star debut on Sunday.
The #NBArank panel was higher on Andrew Wiggins than his statistical projections. Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images
Nos. 21-25

21. Kyle Lowry (Projected surplus value: $48 million, Panel: No. 25)
22. Andrew Wiggins ($1 million, No. 15)
23. C.J. McCollum ($23 million, No. 19)
24. Isaiah Thomas ($50 million, No. 28)
25. Blake Griffin ($26 million, No. 21)

Wiggins might represent the biggest discrepancy between the two methods. Because of his poor RPM performance during his first two seasons, Wiggins' statistical projections are incredibly modest. But voters still see him as a future star based on his incredible scoring ability.
Nos. 26-30

26. DeAndre Jordan ($61 million, No. 32)
27. Myles Turner ($40 million, No. 29)
28. Nikola Jokic ($57 million, No. 36)
29. Giannis Antetokounmpo ($19 million, No. 26)
30. Derrick Favors ($42 million, No. 31)

Surely the most anonymous player on this list, Jokic was only the 41st pick in the 2014 draft. However, he has been one of the league's most productive rookies (he tops all first-year players in RPM) at age 20. Plus, Jokic will make less than the mid-level exception ($4.3 million total) over the next three years.
Nos. 31-35

31. LaMarcus Aldridge (minus-$1 million, No. 20)
32. Jae Crowder ($63 million, No. 47)
33. Devin Booker ($17 million, No. 27)
34. Kevin Love ($51 million, No. 41)
35. Eric Bledsoe ($59 million, No. 48)

Aldridge is another major point of disagreement. Though he was the prize of last summer's free agency and has helped the Spurs to the best start in franchise history, Aldridge's modest efficiency and poor RPM in 2015-16 suggest he won't live up to his contract over the next three years.

Voters still placed him 20th in their rankings, far ahead of cheaper, younger players such as Bledsoe and Crowder.
Nos. 36-40

36. Khris Middleton ($41 million, No. 39)
37. Marcus Smart ($33 million, No. 37)
38. Rodney Hood ($33 million, No. 38)
39. Serge Ibaka ($7 million, No. 30)
40. D'Angelo Russell ($24 million, No. 33)

A relatively slow start for Russell hasn't scared off the #NBArank panel, which voted him 33rd in trade value -- ahead of No. 3 overall pick Jahlil Okafor. The statistical projections generally concur with that assessment.
Nos. 41-45

41. Paul Millsap ($29 million, No. 46)
42. Clint Capela ($34 million, No. 49)
43. Al Horford ($13 million, No. 35)
44. Gordon Hayward ($18 million, No. 40)
45. Danilo Gallinari ($15 million, No. 42)

Given the recent report by ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz and Brian Windhorst that the Hawks are considering trading Horford before the deadline, the center is an interesting case. The impending free agent is likely to be fairly paid on the max contract he's sure to get next summer.
Nos. 46-50

46. Kemba Walker ($48 million, No. 62)
47. Robert Covington ($40 million, No. 59)
48. Jahlil Okafor ($minus-2 million, No. 34)
49. Aaron Gordon ($18 million, No. 50)
50. Marc Gasol ($7 million, No. 43)

A couple of Sixers present interesting cases here. Covington is the ultimate Sam Hinkie signing. A solid 3-and-D role player who can defend both forward spots, Covington will make the league minimum the next two seasons. Voters weren't as high on the merits of his cheap contract. Instead, they favored Okafor, whose horrendous RPM rating improbably leaves him with projected negative net value over his rookie contract.

edit: bolded the rockets sections in the first article

 

At this point, I just think Hou is willing to roll the dice and will see what happens with DH when this season is over. Because as you mentioned it, the offers aren't as valuable nor do I expect most of them to be. That's why I don't really see him getting moved.

 

Little surprised we haven't heard from Cyber. Hope he gives us some details today

 

Hahahaha Atlanta sending us Korver, Teague & Horford? Journalism these days..

 

AHAHAHA ohh man this guy gets PAID to put that crap out there?

 

Those trades are asinine. Bobby can make better than those..

 

His absence doesn't surprise me. I believe he has more than a passing connection to the Lakers organization (someone can correct me, I'm not 100% sure on that, but it seems the case) so he might or might not chime in, depending on what moves the Lakers and other teams are looking at (or not looking at).

 

Agreed. I think there are some possibilities because of course.... Teams WANT Dwight Howard (despite what you hear in the media), but the offers I don't see getting good enough to > the Dwight cap space + possibility of getting him back on the cheap.

Somehow though I don't think this is the last Dwight trade report we will hear about in the next 48 hours. I suspect his name will be out there alot more, and I wouldn't be shocked if Fegan tried to force it to happen knowing there is no way in hell Houston now offers Dwight the max. Fegan is a smart but ruthless guy, and he knows that in order to secure a max contract he's GOT to get Dwight traded to a team in a similar manner to the Dragic trade from last year where there is a wink wink from the other team.

From Houston's perspective though, I think what we just said holds true on our end. I don't see much changing there. What we are going to hear from now on is going to be pure Fegan noise. The guy uses the media like crazy.

Regardless... Its going to be a long 48 hours.

 

What a greedy b*stard. He doesn't care about Dwight at all, just that max money cut he gets.

 

Greedy, yes, but I can't fault him. It's the right move for his client. Dwight needs to maximize this last contract.

 

Not sure about that, buy cyber has come through on multiple occasions. I suspect he's busy with his day job with the trade deadline coming up?

Anyway, nothing has happened yet, so maybe there's nothing to cyberbomb.

 

I do not think that it has anything to do with the Lakers. If there is no a trade for the rockets, what can he say? We already have too many speculations here.

 

Correct, that is basically his main function as an agent.

 

It's utterly absurd. I'd ask Boston for pretty much every single asset they have, and if they agreed, I'd still say "nope".

Harden drives me crazy at times, but he is an ELITE player in his prime with two more years left on his contract. Even if Harden was expiring this summer, he would still command a kings ransom, which is pretty much the same reason why Demarcus Cousins won't be traded anytime soon.

 

Look... I negotiate large contracts for a living myself so I don't hold it against him. You do what you gotta do. Especially when the NBA collusion rules really only penalize teams and the agents pretty much can be as slimy as they want to. The way the system is now, it begs for agents to take advantage of it.

That being said, I wouldn't be shocked if alot of this he's orchestrating without Dwight even really having a say so or knowing much of what he's doing behind the scenes. I think Dwight the person wants to stay in Houston, and negotiate when the time comes this Summer, but Fegan is doing the whole "trust me... I can get you paid by Houston by creating a market" bit. Maybe Dwight wants Houston's locker room to be more of a HAPPY PLACE with Tellatubby time and Sponge Bob sessions, but it would better from his perspective to fix Houston rather than him leave I can guarantee you that much. The guy setup roots in Houston, is really active in the community, and it seems like he's fine with his role on the team as long as they are having fun, and occasionally winning.

From the player's perspective, its not your job to handle the contract and Fegan has proven he can negotiate a hell of a deal (see Parsons contract). He's got to worry about basketball, staying healthy, and his personal life/family/cartoons/etc.

I think this whole Dwight/trade thing started with Fegan trying to secure a max contract offer with Houston this Summer. That was the only reason to start calling teams... to get a solid market statement from other GM's he can go back to Morey with, and negotiate.... obviously Fegan failed miserably, and now he's essentially dared Morey to trade Dwight. Fegan's one saving grace right now would be a Dragic-like deal to secure a max deal.... cause then he could say "At least I got you paid". Right now, Fegan sort of blew it big time for Dwight who probably wants nothing to do with getting traded in February.

 

I hear Chris Bosh is available.

 

Lol, would have repped.

 

He could be out for the season again with blood clots