Woj: Rockets "frontrunners" for Dwight Howard, Lakers "desperate" to keep him

New ESPN article:

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/...e-free-agent-choice-based-teams-title-chances

D'Antoni is apparently staying, as Shelburne said in the tweet above that Clutch cited. Here's the best line of the article, from a source close to Dwight:

That's sig worthy right there.

If MDA is staying, then I think Dwight is leaving.

 

Honestly there's only 3 teams in play here:

1. Rox

2. Lakers

3. CP3

The rest (Dallas, Atlanta, etc) don't matter. If he's really all about b-ball, then he should sign with the Rox. If he cares about the glitz and glamor, then he should sign with Lakers. If he wants a little of both, he should talk to LA about doign a sign and trade for Blake Griffin and maybe Bledsoe to the Clips. I guess we'll see what his real priorities are.

 

Or would they? If they didn't, they could be playing the lottery, and have a shot at some good free agents.

 

Adrian Wojnarowski ‏@WojYahooNBA 2m
Y! Sports: On eve of free agency, why Houston's Daryl Morey was barred from Major League Gaming's world championship. http://tinyurl.com/p949hhv

 

Yeah, but would Howard want to go there with a core of the oft-injured Curry and a depleted, capped out roster? David Lee, the corpse of Richard Jefferson and $9 million worth of DNPs (Biedrins) are untradeable. They are stuck with Lee through 2016. Remember, the Warriors will be unable to keep Landry and may well lose Jarrett Jack, too.

From the Lakers POV, what do the Warriors have to offer after Curry? To make the deal work, the Lakers would have to take on the bad expiring contracts and two young prospects, or take on Bogut. Do you think Barnes, or Thompson, or both are a good enough return for the Lakers? When you factor in the enormous luxury tax bill they will have to fork out (for example, even an expiring contract of Bogut's would cost them well over his $14 million salary next year), there isn't much of a shot that the Lakers would want to set up a division rival *and* pay another huge luxury tax bill for a team that is not a title contender and may keep them from rebuilding properly.

 

Mitch: Hey DH, you really want to leave us?
DH: umm............yes
Mitch: ok, lets do a S&T to a team you like, who you like?
DH: umm........
Mitch: Rockets?
DH: umm........
Mitch: Dallas?
DH: umm........
Mitch: Warriors?
DH: umm.......
Mitch: Hawks?
DH: umm......I really don't know, can you pick one for me please?
Mitch: GTFO.

 

The only thing that still makes me nervous is that we're the first to make our pitch and LA is the last. I wish it were the other way around. However, perhaps we can get a verbal commitment from him at the meeting and the rest will just be a formality.

 

I wish Dwight was just bluffing about the other teams and commits to Houston on Sunday night. That'd make my year! Something tells me he will go to GSW or Dallas though. Cuban is great at making sales pitches. I don't know if LA would do a S&T though especially considering GSW is their in state and in division rival. Guess we'll wait and see. Its gonna be a loooong week.

 

There is nothing saying Dwight has to listen to the Lakers offer.

 

"Two of the biggest hurdles facing the Lakers' ability to re-sign Howard remain his disdain for coach Mike D'Antoni's system and a belief that the Lakers not only aren't a championship contender as constructed, but lack the assets and financial flexibility to become one in the near future, sources told Y! Sports."

This i think is the major point. The roster as construct isn't going anywhere, and they're handicapped. I just hope Dwight isn't an idiot.... Houston gives him everything.

 

Given he has already told the Lakers he's going to meet with them, I'm pretty sure he's at least going to be there. I guess he could throw on a pair of headphones and be like, "Shut up, I'm trying to listen to some tunes."

 

Lakers obviously would have never sent him to their biggest rival...but is it possible for Rockets to do s&t of Howard to Clippers for Griffin and Bledsoe? I know it sounds crazy but is it theoretically possible?

 

It's really simple at this point:
- if he wants to win now and not be the #1 guy - which he clearly doesn't want to be since he cannot handle the pressure - he goes to Houston.
- if he wants to win in a few years from now, wants to be the #1 guy and believes he can attract others in 2014 to join him - he goes to Dallas
- if he chickens out and still thinks these old farts can make it happen and doesn't want to deal with the LA media and others all over him - he stays.

 

This is the same case with Dallas! I personally think he chooses Dallas (I hope I am wrong), but at the same time I don't get why he would. They're in the same situation as Dallas. Golden State has to trade Bogut and Barnes to LA to do it. We could just do an S&T with LA sending T-Rob and a 2nd rounder for Dwight. Its not as hard for us. Which is why we make most sense..

 

This is why Parsons is so valuable, he allows you to construct a team better than a full cap team because he's worth so much more than his contract, he's basically that underpaid MLE guy that a superstar team hopes to get in year 2.

 

The thing I like about the future of our roster is that we can hang on to the players that really perform well because we'll have their Larry Bird rights. If Parsons commands a $10 million salary in two year's time we can re-sign him and go over the cap and into the luxury tax if need be.

 

Exactly. Its the same situation with Beverley, and alot of the credit (all of it?) has to go to Morey for locking them up on these deals. Gives us alot more flexibility then teams who overpay mid-tier players.

 

http://youtu.be/oyQ00-1wwRE

 

I trust woj over everybody else..

 

So I guess everybody who was harping about "no way they fire D'Antoni this late" can kindly eat some crow now.