I'm serious when I say that I think Orlando would seriously consider a Dally, Scola, Martin, Patterson, Dragic, expirings deal for Dwight/Hedo. That leaves us with enough ammo to go after DWill and get him as well. There is not another team that can offer more than us in trade that will offer more than us in trade without Dwight being willing to lock down with them. I think the Lakers would actually offer Bynum and Gasol for Hedo and Dwight if they could get Dwight to commit. But Dwight won't commit without enough cap space to add DWill during the offseason. Dwight wants to play with guys his age for the length of his contract, another superstar or two that his age that he can depend on to help him get rings. IF the Lakers move heaven and earth for him, they do not have cap space to sign DWill. The Lakers are trying to push this thing to the offseason where Dwight can ratchet up the leverage on Orlando to move him or lose him and get them to accept Bynum plus a pick for Dwight straight up or lose him for nothing to the Nets. This in turn would allow DWill to tell the Nets to trade him to LA for Pau or risk losing him to Dalls for nothing. So, with that in mind, there is no other team that can offer the combination of good players, young talented players, draft picks, and expiring contracts for cap relief that we can that is willing to do it without getting a commitment from Dwight to extend. WE ARE IN THE DWIGHT SWEEPSTAKES! Don't know if we will win or not but we are in the sweepstakes.
Yeah, they very well might. It's a huge risk to take tough. Also, Hedo's contract is a killer. Even if Howard were to stay, you'd basically have to build around Dwight, Deron, Hedo, Lee and minimum(-ish) guys.
I would still take that risk. Morey has been pretty good the last few years in getting good role players in the draft.
Trade for Jackson and Josh Smith. Should not take a lot to bring Jackson over. Howard wants to play with them and Clee. Lowry Lee Jackson Smith Howard All defense.
Agree with this. Things can certainly change but looking doubtful that they move him. They're convinced they can keep him.
It's too big a risk. If they don't trade him, they've got a deal worked out with him to sign long term. Otherwise, they have to trade him. If they can't get something done to bring in an appeasement for him, either Ellis or SJax or Josh Smith or whatever, then they aren't going to be able to keep him from walking to New Jersey.
Orlando's deluded if they think Howard will stay. Watch Orlando keep him, then Mark Cuban snag him and Dallas' reign continues while the Rockets continue in mediocrity. Sorry; did that sound negative?
Definitely can see that happening. Sure would suck but....props to Cuban if he can/could/should/would pull it off.
I'd take most all of Orlandos junk to get D12.... KMart/Sam/Thabeet/Twill for D12/Hedo/Wafer and Dragic for Duhon... then Lowry/Hill/PPat/Bud for Deron and expirings... throw the ny pick and 2nd rd wherever u need to grease the wheels... DWill/Duhon/Flynn CLee/Wafer Hedo/Parsons/Morris Scola/Morris/Smith/expiring D12/Smith
wilson chandler and jamal crawford sitting there for the taking, will morey pull trigger on them? or will he let them go to contending teams while we looking at pipe dream trades. These 2 will drastically improve our team at the SF and SG posistion and they dont have huge salaries.
Let's get 'diculous Rockets receive Pau Gasol Lakers receive Scola Dalembert Dragic Budinger Depending on how desperate the Lakers are for a PG/to get rid of Pau (since they are playing well of late, this seems implausible) this package makes more sense thanone including Martin. Martin cannot guard SFs and they can't have Kobe wasting energy on defense guarding bigger SFs, so there isn't much chance they would be on the court at the same time. It doesn't make sense to pay $11.5m for a backup SG who plays 20min/gm. This trade gives them a PG, a fill-in for Gasol's spot (Scola), and an actual bench (Budinger and Dalembert). Then.... Rockets receive Eric Bledsoe Randy Foye The Prodigal Son (Brian Cook) Bobby Simmons (or whoever the Clippers have signed to the vet min salary) Clippers receive Ray Allen Marquis Daniels Celtics receive Kevin Martin NYK 1st rd Pick The Rockets shed salary (Foye et. al are expiring) and pick up a backup PG with a lot of potential under rookie scale contract for the next two years. Clippers get someone to fill their SG spot (and get a defensive SG for the bench in Daniels). Celtics turn Ray Allen's expiring deal into a more competent (at this stage of his career) replacement who is only under contract for 1 more year, and another 1st rounder. Rockets roster after Lowry/Bledsoe Lee/Foye Parsons/Morris Patterson/Hill or Morris Gasol/Smith or Hill That is a fringe playoff team (probably a little worse than our current roster)... however it provides somewhere between $26m-$28m going into the offseason (before the cap hold for our 1st round pick and Courtney Lee)
I don't think it's in Morey's DNA to cripple the club's future in a pure gamble for Dwight Howard, whether that's actually the best plan or not. He's carried that team full of scrubs in Orlando to fifth seed, and even if we traded the better half the team we'd still have a better supporting cast for him than that. But, would Morey really give away his entire gradual, safe rebuild--because it would take all of our most valuable young assets--on a chance to convince Howard to sign an extension? I doubt it. It would be exciting as hell though.
They wouldn't seriously consider it because Houston is NOT a destination that Dwight Howard is interested in. You keep thinking this protocol for high priced free agents is irrelevant to the mother ship team who in the end can decide to trade with whomever they wish without regard to consequences. But of course, this is preposterous nonsense. These players (Howard and D Williams) have served their time with the respective teams not of their own choosing according to the rules to get to this point and in so doing gave these organizations more than an ample opportunity to improve. If the parting gesture from Orlando is to convolute the process and take a shot at Howard by making his world unnecessarily complicated when he played by all rules; by deliberately sending him to a destination he does not want to go, then Orlando shall be known from that day forward as a franchise to be avoided by superstar free agents at their own peril. And you better believe that tag will stick. Furthermore, the Rockets will be recipients of damaged goods. To play out the string of games for what? Three months? And you've convinced yourself that by helping Orlando precipitate this ruse to redirect Dwight to Houston against his will soon gets re-translated by him as having been a necessary step on a mission of good will? In what alternate universe does this become so? If anything Houston would be seen as willing participant in perpetrating this outrageous outcome. Howard to my knowledge never insisted that his team mate had to D Williams. In fact he was very much interested in playing together with Chris Paul. And I don't agree at all that the Lakers would sacrifice both Gasol and Bynum for Howard. Part of the reason I think the Lakers have been so interested in Kyle Lowry talks is because he would be nearly perfect in a three team arrangement that would bring the Lakers back Lowry and Howard in return for Bynum and Gasol. That is a deal I believe they would do. Orlando won't dance with the Rockets on this so no, the Howard sweepstakes don't include Houston.
Wilson Chandler is a restricted free agent. We don't have the cap space to sign him and by rule the Nuggets aren't allow to (sign&)trade him anymore.
Otis Smith said he's looking at all 29 teams to make a trade not just the 3 teams that dwight is interested in. I think the magic don't give a rats ass where d12 wants to go. It's where the Magic is going to get the best offer. I thin the Rockets may be able to offer a lot more than most teams can
bolded statement is wrong. GM's will decide where dwight goes not his mystery list. IF houston had pieces that orlando wants then he would be traded here
CDave, that's a ridiculous argument. It's a business and everyone involved knows it. Orlando will deal Howard to any team they want, and whatever team they feel is offering the best package. The question is, will anyone offer enough to beat out the teams Dwight had professed a desire to play for? I would also like to point out yet again that Dwight Howard has not ruled out any city. He has only said which teams he DOES want to play for. There is a huge difference between saying "I like teams X, Y, and Z" and saying "I will NOT play for any other team".