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

In an ideal cap situation we don't want to operate under the cap after we sign Dwight. Ideally we would like to acquire Dwight through sign and trade using the 150% rule and staying over the cap, while preserving assets and adding to our future stockpile. That way we've got the full MLE to go after Llull with and attempt one more (perhaps final) time to get him to get his hiney over here and play ball.

 

can you explain this logic. I thought something similar but I got blasted and made myself look like an idiot.


What are the conditions to have access to all the full exceptions. To be under the cap? Right the cap? or slightly over the cap?

 

Dan Antonio is a clunker for Dwight?

 

he hung out with parsons.....they did a commercial together.

 

Kobe definitely is unlikely to be anywhere close to his best next year. There is a recent study that's out regarding NBA players and Achilles tears:

http://bit.ly/13CJrdy

It basically says guys who suffer the injury are significantly declined in their performance the first year they come back from the injury.

So, Kobe probably won't be "right" with his Achilles until the 2014-2015 season. He'll be 36 then.

If I were Dwight, this would make me want to leave LA more. Because the team almost certainly won't be a contender in 2013-14, and then who knows? This isn't the Jerry Buss Lakers any longer.

Some people think Kobe's injury might make Dwight more inclined to stay in LA, because it could mean Kobe is pushed to the back of the stage faster and Dwight can become "The Man." But knowing Kobe, that sounds like an unlikely scenario.

Houston's prospects seem brighter than the Lakers, at least today they seem to be.

 

Well the first and primary way to have access to the full MLE is to keep it and never use your cap room to sign a free agent. So, instead of "clearing" cap room to sign Dwight Howard, you put together a trade sending out $15.5 million in salary to trade for Dwight. This means we never used our cap space. Which means Morey would have both the full non-taxpayer MLE to use in the 13/14 season ($5.135 million) and the Bi-annual exception ($2.016 million) to use if he wanted to, provided we stayed below $76 million total payroll or whatever the apron turns out to be.

 

Where you got blasted (I assume) was in asserting that the Rockets could use their CAP ROOM on Dwight and then use the MLE and BAE afterwards. As you now know, that is not permitted.

basketballholic is referring to the Rockets staying above the salary cap and TRADING for Dwight in a sign-and-trade deal. By doing so, the Rockets would preserve their ability to use up to the full Non-Taxpayer MLE (up to a 4-year deal starting at $5.15 million) and the BAE (up to 2-year deal starting at $2.016 million). However, in order to do this, the Rockets would need to send out about $15.5 million in outgoing salary.

Unlike bball, however, I don't think the Rockets can feasibly force $15.5 million in salary on the Lakers in a S&T, whether or not some of that is non-guaranteed.

 

July 8th, latest.

 

Hi Bima,

You say Coon's is relatively unbiased in his opinions, but I would disagree. Coon's is unbiased when talking about the salary because he's an expert and the numbers don't lie. He knows exactly how much cap room teams can offer Dwight by making exactly what moves.

However, he is extremely biased in his opinions outside of salary cap considerations. He is a Lakers fan with deep ties to the Laker fan communities. When asked general questions like where he thinks Dwight will sign next season, he will ALWAYS say Lakers.

 

It sounds nice. Operating above the cap gives you access to the non-taxpayer MLE and Bi-Annual BUT by operating above the cap you are reliant on the S&T to get Dwight Howard.

You lose all your leverage because basically any team in the league can S&T for Dwight if they are under the apron. A S&T involves two parties. Why would the Lakers (who also want Dwight) want to help us out? Receiving a bunch assets they don't want doesn't help them. Only good assets like Asik, Parsons, Garcia + future first rounders would help them. Then it comes full circle, why would we trade away those assets when they sign Dwight outright? For a few million more in exceptions? I don't think so.

 

Well, is that so strange to think Dwight will be a Laker again?
Come on, you continue to fool yourself into thinking Dwight to Houston is a done deal.

Does it make the most sense? Yes.
Will it actually happen? Can't actually say until it does.

I think you should set yourself up for disappointment, that way if he doesn't sign with Houston, you felt it coming. If he does sign with Houston, than you'll feel amazing.

Of course analysts are going to say Dwight is going back to the Lakers. Its because, depute how overwhelmingly better our situation is, the Lakers are still the frontrunner.

 

Have to agree with you.

All the media hype is setting a lot of fans up for disappointment.

We just dont know yet if its going to be Laker or Houston fans, or possibly both.

 

Back to my question/suggestion/statement/whatever it was - - why wouldn't a clean, value returning deal sending out Asik not preserve existing player assets (TRob) while allowing for the signing of Howard; this predicated, of course, on and only on the reasonable expectation of this eventuality?

Corrollarily, if the reasonable expectation backfired there would be $$$ to lure Pek away, for example, and still be positioned to swoop in when opportunity knocked.

 

I'll say it for you in bold Coon is a Laker's homer and there's no denying that. When he gives his opinion outside of salary cap considerations this fact should always be kept in mind.

As for the Laker's chances of retaining Howard, the CBA is structured in such a way that affords the advantage to the re-signing team so they will always have a good chance of re-signing the player.

As for setting myself up for disappointment. I've been through many ups and downs in my life and I'm not wired for disappointment in this situation. My attitude is that if we get Dwight, that's fantastic. If we don't, I still love the team we have - I'm not disappointed.

By laying out all the positive arguments for Dwight to come to Houston, I hope to influence the media, agents and all involved to build up a positive perception and hopefully move things in a direction that makes this possible. Once Dwight is signed or not, I'll probably move on to Josh Smith or others who I think can help the Rockets. I think forums like this are probably the hot bed for fans, agents, media and players alike to get relevant information and reasoned arguments as to NBA issues.

 

While I don't disagree with your sentiment, I will say that the few times I have read Coon's blog or random online comments, I always had the feeling that he seemed slightly biased. Not blatantly so, just a feeling I had. I never knew he was a Laker's homer, or that much about him to be honest, so hearing about it later did make some sense to me. He does great work, and we all come with our slight prejudices, so it doesn't take away much from my perspective lol.

 

If atlanta gets CP3, say goodbye to Howard. Rockets need to make sure CP3 goes to Houston or any place but Atlanta to have a chance at Dwight.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9...is-paul-dwight-howard-letter-fans-report-says

 

Thanks for finding that story, its very interesting.

I thought Teams are not allowed to talk publicly about possible free agent signings, not even say their names. In recent interviews with Morey and Mitch they both refused to say Dwight's name. Isn't this a breach and reach?

 

Possible tampering mentioned in the article. Have to see what the fallout is if any from this.

 

Lol dumb mistake, I bet someone in the marketing department is losing their job.