[CBS Sports] Howard no lock for Lakers; interested in Rockets

Tell him dont be livid just join us and all will be well.

 

I honestly think it is down to LA and the Rockets. LA has the glamour, the extra guaranteed yr and the access to the movie industry/fame. It is like why a lot of people choose to live in NYC. I don't get it and would never choose to do so, but it has a certain level of prestige and glamour and allure and access to some things that Houston just does not have. Plus, they can say to him that in 2014, team could be rebuilt to his liking.

Besides that, Houston is the next best option imo, and for pure basketball only reasons, seems to be the better choice between the two (or any other realistic location for that matter). We could rather easily move TRob to sign Dwight, then move Asik + someone else to SnT JSmith. Bam.

 

Which part getting out?

 

Curry/Klay/Dwight along with Rush(expiring, but if he comes back healthy, he's a very, very good player), Ezeli, Draymond, etc. is a nice core and it gives them plenty of cap space in 14 to go after a max free agent. Dwight would cost them Jack in free agency unless he was willing to sign for the taxpayer MLE (something like $3.1 million).

 

The Warriors are legitimate and they have the ability to acquire Dwight in a sign and trade.

There are 2 questions:

1. Would Dwight prefer their team and cap situation going forward to ours or the Lakers?
2. Would the Lakers cooperate on a S&T to GS taking back Barnes and one of Lee/Bogut?

 

Pissed because he didn't want people to know he liked Houston so much?

 

Sure, but we're comparing this with his other option of coming here and what we could provide, right?

Curry/Klay/Dwight with Rush and Bogut vs. Lin/Harden/Parsons/Asik (or whoever we move him for), Bev and a bunch of young promising PFs ??

 

^and of course Dwight would be on the Houston end as well in that comparison haha

 

I think no. But I honestly don't really know.

 

If Lakers took Lee/Barnes for Dwight then
Curry/Klay/Dwight plus Ezeli/Draymond, etc. plus whoever they can add in free agency in 14. Warriors will have around $20 million in cap space to go after free agents with in 14.

If Lakers took Bogut/Barnes for Dwight then:
Curry/Klay/Dwight/Ezeli/Draymond plus around $5-7 million in cap space for 14. That team in 13/14 would compete for a ring. Dwight/Lee is a nice combo at the power spots and the backcourt is already there.

 

Think about things from an LA perspective. Here are the negatives to doing a S&T with the Warriors:

1.) It would cost Jim Buss, by itself, close to $50 million in luxury tax money. The hellish situation they're in now, with talk of having to use amnesty on Gasol... you'd still be in the same boat, albeit with a substantially worse team. Would you want to lose $100 million in taxes on a 25-win team?

2.) You'd be sending Dwight to an in-state, division rival for at least the next four years of his career.

These are enormous negatives. And Klay Thompson -- he of the 12.7 PER in the regular season and 10.3 PER in the playoffs -- is supposedly enough to offset all of that? I don't buy it. I don't see what there is on the Golden State roster, other than Curry (and at that point, it defeats Dwight's whole purpose), that makes it worthwhile for LA to do that deal.

I think Jim Buss would rather see Dwight walk to Houston, saving him $50 million and not letting Dwight star elsewhere in California, if the only perk to the other side is Klay f'n Thompson.

 

GOLDEN STATE

NOT the Houston part...

 

Got that now.

 

so who reported the golden state stuff again?

 

mark medina?

 

Also, Fegan JOINED up with Happy Walters

 

It might seem straightforward to us or at least we AND the lakers fans might want it to be so. Maybe Dwight is genuinely struggling to decide. Or at least he wants to appear to be.

Just think, after all of the drama last year if he was to just coldly dump the lakers and announce while the playoffs are still effectively going on that he's leaving. It'd been seen as pretty cold and the ultimate attention seeking move.

I honestly can't tell whether he is trying to play games in order to feel things out, feel the general fan response out, because he is really unsure and this stuff is leaking out unintentionally, or because he really is the drama queen and attention seeker many of us fear he might be.

I suppose people need SOMETHING to talk about till July, and I hope he shows some character and signs July 10th and puts an end to the speculation rather than let things drag on till the last moment.

That will be the true showing of his character, IMO. He needs to man up, step up, make a decision and let the chips fall where they may.