Dwight Howard Aware That Houston Has Become More Attractive

Chris Paul had a serious knee injury (and missed more games than Howard this year)

And what reoccurring injury has Howard had, exactly? His shoulder injury is a single injury he is playing through, not something that you can look back and see is a frequent injury.

Same, but I'd like to keep Harden if at all possible... I already bought his jersey.

 

I'm sure Morey and Les are sensitive to max players with injury problems and will do their due dilligence assessing the risk of Dwight

 

Howard hasn't missed many games but his play this season has been downright pitiful. Not to mention his clownish attitude, weak mental toughness, game predicated mostly on athleticism, etc. That back injury may make him a shell of his former self for his entire career and unlike CP3 his game is predicated mostly on athleticism.

 

Even after all that, he's still the single-most disruptive force in the paint in the NBA. If he can rehab properly, re-dedicate himself to basketball, and get back to basics, he can very easily go back to the being dominant big man he was in Orlando. Being a member on a young, fun, charismatic team that isn't going to jump down his throat every single time things don't go absolutely perfect might be the revitalizing shot he needs.

 

Problem with Dwight is his back.. he's said himself that he still isn't 100% and back problems aren't a small issue. He may be playing, but you can tell he's not as comfortable as he's been in the past.

With that said, if we have an opportunity to sign him/trade for him we need to jump at it. Asik is great but Howard is the most dominant center in the league. Anyone who says they don't want him is crazy

 

Can anyone take the newest message and apply its underlying message to the original post? They seem like 2 completely different messages.

 

Wrong thread.

 

A shortened offseason is not long enough to recover from major back surgery. LA is lucky he's even on the court. im not defending his diva attitude, but i think the expectations that he should be physically good to go are way out of whack. Dwight is likely to be a new man a year from now, once he's had more time to rehab. This is a guy that can get you 15 rebounds and 20 points while playing elite defense any given night he's out there. He's worth the risk.

 

While I agree with this, it wont change the fact that Dwight is going to want a max deal.

Putting your words into a different context, I would ask myself if someone that needs rehab, needs to rededicate himself to the game, needs to get back to basics, not to mention a higher than average future potential for injury and having his worst season since 05'-06' is a max type player.

 

What I'm saying is that if/when Howard gives you his assurances that he is going to do everything he can to become that player again, you have to give him the max. We all know what he's capable of, and if he's signing a deal under his own volition, then one can only assume he's going to be happy.

 

While he hasnt inked to a long term deal, yet, he was seemingly happy to go to LA.

With Dwight, initial happiness doesn't spell success. He seems one of these guys that needs to feel good in the moment, as things go along. He needs to like his team and their direction. While Houston may satisfy these happiness needs, I am a little worried about both his future health and his recent fickleness regarding his willingness to give his all.

 

I agree with the bold part, but I have very little confidence he can or will do these things. We have seen a lot of professional athletes who could not --who allowed their careers to be destroyed when injuries took away some of their athleticism.

For every Grant Hill who reinvents themselves there are 5 Larry Johnsons who never had the "basics" and depended on having more athleticism and talent.

I agree with the person who said that the Rockets front office will do their due diligence, and this entire discussion is moot and wild speculation -- but it is fun, so who cares. And my thoughts are that Howard's injuries require someone who WILL put in the effort to develop basketball basics and dedicate themselves to basketball, and I am not sure if the personality Howard has so shamefully put on display the last couple years is capable of this necessary dedication.

 

Also, league sources say several other teams intrigue Howard as possible destinations. The Nets, his first choice last season, remain a viable option -- but only via a trade before Feb. 21 since the Nets are well above the tax apron. The third team on Howard's original list, the Mavericks, have plenty of cap room and tradable contracts. The Rockets, hosts for this All-Star weekend, have become more attractive, sources say.

"I like their team," Howard said of the Rockets. "They're a great team. They're young, they play together, they're scrappy. … It's fun to watch them. They're one of the teams that we can tell that in a few years is going to be really good."

Link

 

Game, set, match. Howard is as good as gone in LA. He's Houston bound, I really do think so.

 

Beat me to it. Dudes are now tweeting about Lin/harden/parsons/smith/Howard.

 

Can you provide a link to these tweets?

 

Celtics and Lakers are discussing trade involving Dwight and Rondo

 

Morey plays hardball.
I think it could happen.
6 days!!!!

 

However, CBSSports.com has learned that the Lakers have engaged in preliminary trade discussions with an unlikely trade partner regarding Howard: their fierce rival, the Boston Celtics. The centerpieces of the possible deal, which hasn't gained any traction, would be Howard and Rajon Rondo. The imagination runs rampant with the tantalizing possibilities. CBSSports.com
BOSTON CELTICS, LOS ANGELES LAKERS, TRADE, RAJON RONDO, DWIGHT HOWARD | SHARE
Other significant pieces would have to be involved, since Rondo's $11 million salary is substantially less than Howard's $19.5 million. If the Lakers dealt Howard for an All-Star point guard who is out for the rest of the season following ACL surgery, they'd effectively be throwing in the towel on this miserable, underachieving season and looking to next year. The Celtics would be going all-in for a quick rebuild centered around Howard, with the hopes they could find a point guard in the draft or in free agency to capably run their offense – which they've managed to do in Rondo's absence anyway. Celtics president Danny Ainge has flirted with several trade possibilities for Rondo over the years, and the point guard's hyper-competitive drive and strong personality have proved difficult for coach Doc Rivers to manage. CBSSports.com
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There are at least two significant impediments to a Howard-Rondo deal. First, as Howard said Friday, the Lakers continue to insist they won't trade him, which sources say is the impression the Celtics have gotten, too. Second, Celtics president Danny Ainge would not trade Rondo without an assurance that Howard would re-sign with Boston as a free agent this summer, a league source said. Howard has shown no inclination to commit to anyone, including the Lakers, until the season is over. Since the league source familiar with the discussions characterized them as preliminary, it's possible that the talks could be tabled until after the season. In that case, Howard would have to agree to a sign-and-trade to the Celtics that would only yield him a four-year deal as opposed to the five years the Lakers could offer him (or the Celtics, if he were traded there by Feb. 21 and subsequently re-signed). The Celtics could only acquire Howard in a sign-and-trade if they eschewed their full mid-level and remained below the so-called luxury-tax apron, a threshold $4 million above the tax line that was added in the 2011 collective bargaining agreement. CBSSports.com
BOSTON CELTICS, LOS ANGELES LAKERS, TRADE, RAJON RONDO, DWIGHT HOWARD | SHARE
Also, league sources say several other teams intrigue Howard as possible destinations. The Nets, his first choice last season, remain a viable option -- but only via a trade before Feb. 21 since the Nets are well above the tax apron. The third team on Howard's original list, the Mavericks, have plenty of cap room and tradable contracts. The Rockets, hosts for this All-Star weekend, have become more attractive, sources say. CBSSports.com
BOSTON CELTICS, DALLAS MAVERICKS, HOUSTON ROCKETS, LOS ANGELES LAKERS, BROOKLYN NETS, TRADE, RAJON RONDO, DWIGHT HOWARD | SHARE
LeBron James has been blowing past opponents all season. Now he's blowing by questions about the Cavs, too. As expected, James avoided the issue Friday when asked about returning to the Cavaliers during the summer of 2014. "That’s one thing I’m not even thinking about right now,” James said. “I’m focused on All-Star weekend now and even more trying to win another championship." Akron Beacon Journal
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Kyrie Irving said this week he isn't considering the possibility of a James return until it gets a little closer to his free agency. "When it comes around that time, I’ll actually take it serious,” Irving said. “But he has this season and next season. When it actually happens, I’ll start giving a serious answer to it. Other than that, I haven’t really thought about it." Akron Beacon Journal
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Two years ago, Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh along with forward LeBron James, opted to take their talents to Miami, exiting Toronto and Cleveland. Bosh admitted that weather is a factor. “It (weather) plays a part,” Bosh told CSNNW.com. “It plays a small part in it. But at the end of the day, it's about winning. If you have the opportunity to consider the climate, it's a very good thing to consider. But it's not too many cities like that. So, sometimes you just have to be realistic with it and think totally about basketball.” CSNNW.com
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The Trail Blazers will have anywhere from $11.8 - $13.1 million in cap space this summer depending on a few variables. And Aldridge has made it clear that when he's recruiting, he will be sure to mention “cap room.” “I can just say we have good fans, we have myself, Damian [Lillard], Nic [Batum] and a good young core and we have cap room,” he said. CSNNW.com
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“We’re different, but I think we’re just as good,” small forward Kevin Durant said. “James, don’t get me wrong, he’s a phenomenal player, but we lost him and we got Kevin Martin back, who’s a really good player as well. “And I think for the passing ability that we lost with James, and his defense, we make up for it with Russell and myself, and the guys on the bench that help.” Houston Chronicle
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Westbrook said they’re still good friends, and they’re from the same area so they’ll continue to hang out in summers, and Durant said they’ll remain tight after learning together as professionals. “We miss him,” Durant said. “Of course we all grew up together and I’m happy he’s playing well in Houston, but we’ve got to move past it. “It’s been almost three or four months now, so it’s time to move on.” Houston Chronicle
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Is it strange being back on the same team as Westbrook and Durant? James Harden: “Nah, it's not strange. It was strange when I played in Oklahoma City. When I was in a Houston uniform playing in Oklahoma City, that was strange. This will be more jokes and smiling and just enjoying each other's company.” Oklahoman
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How special is your relationship with Durant and Westbrook? James Harden: “It's very special. We were together all summer, in London, having fun, laughing. And then we got split up. But we're back together and it seems like we never left each other. We're brothers. Simple as that. We're always going to be brothers.” Oklahoman
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Steve Novak, the Knicks' alternate player representative, said the purpose of Saturday's meeting is to "make sure everybody has the same information and decide what that information means." But Novak said Hunter should be given the opportunity to present his side to the players who will decide his future. "I don't think any decision should be made without both sides, on any issue," Novak said. "Obviously, the reports have come out and guys have all seen that and that's from one side. I think as a union and him being our representative for so many years, it wouldn't be right not to hear from both sides." CBSSports.com
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The Spurs' Matt Bonner, one of the five interim committee members who voted to put Hunter on leave, said he'd read Hunter's rebuttal and added, "Personally, I already know his side of things." "I think I have a good grasp of both sides of the story to make an educated decision on how to move forward," Bonner said. "I think a lot of players are in the same boat. ... I think players will be informed on both sides regardless of whether Billy is able to make a presentation or not." CBSSports.com
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Oh ****, ****s about to go down. So much for the lakers assuring Howard wouldnt get traded. lol