Dwight update: Not close to a trade with Rockets

The article mentions several times that the Magic aren’t interested in Bynum because of injury concerns. My question would be why the Rockets wouldn’t be equally concerned, especially after what they went through with Yao and McGrady?

Another thing that doesn’t make sense is that Orlando is talking to the Lakers because they are not happy with what the Rockets are offering. But the Lakers have nothing that Orlando wants, so the Rockets have to be a third team facilitator. Logic says that the offer the Rockets would make for Bynum would be less than they would offer for Howard. Even if the offer were to remain the same, Orlando gives up Howard and gets assets from the Rockets so why would LA need to be involved?

I assume this is all posturing, but I am starting to get nervous that Pau ends up here.

 

How do you gauge that? All I've been hearing is CAVS/FAKERS/MAGIC. Where have you been?

 

Where is the latest tweet/article saying that we are?

 

Tony Mejia ‏@TonyMejiaNBA
‪#Dwightmare‬ finally been advanced legitimately since LAL-CLE-ORL 3-way been overblown. Story coming on why ‪#Rockets‬ deal even more likely.

 

How do you figure? I believe it is possible that two out of White, Dmo and Lamb have all-star potential. We will have multiple lottery picks next year, possibly in the top ten. It is conceivable, given the track record, that Morey will be able to use those wisely. Very possibly moving up into the top of the draft.

Let's say we trade our assets for a top-three pick in the draft next year. We could draft our greatest need and still have room to sign a max-contract player.

I see that as getting off of the treadmill, but if you are referring to one more season on it then I guess I can see your point. I'm not sure what alternative you would propose that would be a better method of hopping off of it though.

Getting Dwight Howard will arguably keep us on it a little longer than the proposed alternative. We certainly would not be hopping off of it next year as it would virtually ensure that we make the playoffs without being contenders. Then if he walks (unlikely) we lose a lottery pick and are back where we are now with less potential to develop because we traded one or two of those guys away to get Dwight. If he doesn't walk, we can only hope that Toronto really, really sucks next year.

 

^^For like two weeks now it's been pretty obvious that the Rockets have the biggest potential package. About once every three days a story will come out along the lines of:

"LAKERS/CAVS MAKING HARD PUSH FOR DWIGHT"

Then someone (usually the Cavs) will wreck the deal because they aren't willing to offer anything, or someone else will come out with "wait no, we actually talked to the Lakers and they said that's not true, our bad". Then the national media grudgingly goes back to pointing out that the Rockets are the frontrunners. Most people here assume that it's a ploy to get Morey to stop lowballing and up the offer. Again- there's no real question that we have the biggest potential offer to give out. If you look at the magic fan forums:

1. They like our deal the best
2. They think the Nets deal is garbage
3. They don't see a Cavs/Lakers deal offering more than ours

We're out ahead. The local Orlando guys are more willing to admit it, and the local Cleveland guys are more willing to shoot down E$PN "CAVS LAKERS BROS, CAVS LAKERS!" rumors.

 

Ok, so I'm going to go off someone's opinion on why the Rockets deal is more likely?

I'll wait til' Woj says something....**** these no name mother****ers.

 

So this is what i'd like to see. We retain the Dallas and the Toronto pick, plus our own. We use all 3 picks to move into the top 2 or 3. We draft a franchise player, and then go after Bynum or another max free agent in the offseason.

We could have a franchise player through the draft, Bynum (or another max free agent), added to Lamb, D-Mo, White, and Jones (all with a year of development), and Lin. That could be the new OKC.

 

Mejia's pretty good

 

When's the last time you saw a top 3 pick traded for something other than a superstar or a pick only one or two behind it? The teams at the top of the draft are in on the superstar secret, too. They're not interested in moving back for "depth".

 

Say what? Mejia has been right time after time these past two weeks (consistently denied Brooklyn deal), while ESPN has been dead wrong... yet you're still willing to let ESPN shape your opinion on it?

 

I would go with that as well. Woj hasn't said anything since last week so there's no need to be panicking over any recent "news".

 

Rockets deal is more likely means we are likely getting Bynum?

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Dwight's desire to be next Lakers icon is nice, but increases Rockets options. DH's future now tied to Bynum's wishes: <a href="http://t.co/TFOsByYB" title="http://www.probasketballnews.com/news/sources-howards-lakers-wish-wont-deter-houston/">probasketballnews.com/news/sources-h…</a></p>&mdash; Tony Mejia (@TonyMejiaNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/TonyMejiaNBA/status/225994701264809984" data-datetime="2012-07-19T16:45:10+00:00">July 19, 2012</a></blockquote>

 

It's always been more likely! Bucher just reports what he wants to happen! I'm getting so sick ESPN (Bucher) and their big market agenda!

 

Because that worked so well this year.

Those of you who think our pick is going to be so much higher this year, are really underestimating the talent level of the Lin/Parsons/Asik trio, and also underestimating how NBA ready guys like Lamb, Jones, and Motiejunas are.

If we get Asik and nobody else I think this team gets the #10 pick. Whoopee.

That's why we're still on the mediocrity treadmill. Toronto probs winds up with the #14 pick with our luck. So we get the #10 and #14 pick. How is that different from this offseason?

Since none of our rookies project to be superstars and free agents don't want to sign in Houston, we're kind of screwed unless we get Dwight or Bynum. Even if we get Dwight and he walks, THEN we'll be off the mediocrity treadmill for sure, because we'll have to give up some assets to get him. If we get Dwight and he stays, sweet. We'll have ourselves a Linsane Dwightmare.

 

Woj was on vacation man

 

So whos still in this I thought the LA/Magic/Cavs were in and Cavs got ahead of the Rockets ???

 

Probably not the most reliable source(s) below but...

Magic message board 'insider'/Dwight's friend(?), I don't know what to call him, ha(ask Fullcourt, maybe he can explain it better than me ):

Larry Ridley ‏@mrlarryridley
‪#Magic‬ source, if D12 traded which isn't a given, Hennigan "wants to get young and rebuild with guys on rookie scale contracts" ‪#Orlando‬

 

I'm starting to get cold on that YBR fellow. He:

1. Said Dwight was going to make a statement after the twitter leaked DMs (didn't happen, now says that he changed his mind because it didn't blow up enough to warrant it)

2. Said Rudolph's report was completely false (Dwight is doing an interview with an LA paper soon, presumably to confirm the report)

He's either a very dumb/risky charlatan (why make such unlikely predictions? There are safer ones to keep your cred if you're just making it up) or he's being fed bull**** by Dwight.