Funny, my sources say the same thing...as does common sense. My sources also tell me he will stay in Houston when the year is up.
Taken directly from the CBA FAQ: 30. Do players and teams ever have under-the-table agreements? What happens when the league finds out about them? Is this what happened with the Timberwolves and Joe Smith? If a team makes a direct agreement with a player that is not reported to the league, the penalties can be even harsher than those described in question number 29. Such a violation is considered by the league to be among the most serious a team can commit. Again, the league will investigate any allegations of wrongdoing. A violation can result in a fine up to $6 million, forfeiture of draft picks, voiding the player's contract(s), and/or the suspension for up to one year of any team personnel who were involved. In addition, the player himself can be fined up to $250,000, and prohibited from ever signing with that team. This is what happened in 2000 with Joe Smith and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Smith left the Philadelphia 76ers in 1999 (following the lockout) to sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves for their $1.75 million Mid-Level exception. They made an under-the-table agreement that Smith would play under three consecutive one-year contracts at below market value, and the Timberwolves would reward him by using their Bird rights to sign him to a huge contract beginning with the 2001-02 season. Unfortunately, they reduced this agreement to writing, and the written agreement eventually found its way into the league's hands. It had long been rumored that such under-the-table agreements existed, but this was the first time the league had hard evidence in the form of a signed contract. The league responded by fining the team the maximum (at the time) $3.5 million, taking away their next five draft picks (two were later returned), and voiding Smith's then-current contract. Owner Glen Taylor and GM Kevin McHale also agreed to leaves of absence (in lieu of suspensions, at which time the fifth draft pick was returned). Most interestingly, the league also voided Smith's two previous, already-completed contracts. This essentially stripped the Timberwolves of any Bird rights to Smith, preventing them from re-signing Smith for any salary above the minimum (they had already used their other exceptions). Smith left Minnesota and signed with the Detroit Pistons, but returned to Minnesota in 2001. http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q30
Cyber, The more you talk, the more you seem like just another biased Lakers fan. - who wrote that Bynum and Scott are close?
The Lakers assume everyone on their team has trade value, because well.... they are on the Lakers. I wouldn't doubt that L.A. would ask more from us for Bynum straight up than what we could get Howard for just because they are arrogant and insistent on always "winning" a trade.
I believed you until you said Bynum and Scott are close. Me and multiple other posters have posted the article in which Byron Scott is quoted saying that they are not close at all.
1) Houston just isn't appealing. Not a big enough market, no music scene, no movie scene. 2) No idea at all 3)Dwight does not want Houston so you can either not do a trade at all and stay pat, or get Bynum.
I am an NBA fan. As an NBA fan it kills me that one of the biggest cities in the US has such bad luck with sports franchises.
So, are you gonna answer the question about you saying Byron Scott is close to Bynum, and being wrong?
...seriously guys - are we all so stupid as to believe everything we are told? It's a game where millions of dollars are at stake. Everyone has a motive - Dwight, Dwight's agent, Byron Scott, Andrew Bynum, and even cyberx(and especially the people who no doubt feed him his information). Let's not take everything so personal.
Very silly of you to jump on Cyberx. If I were Scott, I would deny too. Hell, many things have a grain of truth, but connected folks deny them all the time. And the media has always been happy to throw out plenty of false leads, smokescreens and misdirections. Cyberx, do you have any idea how long Hannigan will be away for? Also, if Houston does trade for Dwight, and if it is definite that Dwight walks at the end of the season, what do you think the Rockets would do under such circumstances? Thanks for all the updates anyway. Fascinating stuff watching the show from a different angle then from the official media....
