Will Morey and the Rockets Finally Land That Star FA This Off-Season?

Leverage for what? Every team that can afford him would pay him the max. He doesn't need us to have leverage. Either he gets his way, or somebody else will pay.

We should make that a slogan.

 

Firing D'Antoni is the only thing I can come up with

 

We are leverage for him, not the other way around.

Leverage for a new coach and control of the team, what he had in Orlando.

 

And he doesn't need to use the Rockets to have that leverage. He could leave for Dallas, or Atlanta, as well and get paid the same. If the Lakers organization were smart they'd oust D'Antoni right away. It was a stupid hiring at the time based totally on their moronic owner's ego getting the best of him. They should've hired Phil Jackson. If they'd have done that, this conversation about Dwight wouldn't even be happening, and the stupid Buss wouldn't be faced with the prospect of having Phil be in the right, or losing Dwight. (There I go rhyming again!)

 

Replaced with who?

Phil Jackson said no way he's coaching again with the Lakers about 6 times today in 6 different ways. Dwight ain't staying inLaLa land with their broken team and front office. They ain't winning anything anytime soon.

 

Part of me thinks he will stay in LA.
Part of me thinks he will come to Houston.

I guess it's easier not to get your hopes up and say he will stay in LA.

I dont think dwight needs leverage. I am sure he is interested in houston, but a lot can change on two months.

 

I can immediately think of several coaches on the market that would be a better fit than D'Antoni.

 

Deeeeright has a history of flip flopping on decisions. I really don't think he knows where he is going right now. When crunch time comes, if the Rockets throw all the love at him, he'll come, but if Kobe says, "Your the man we need," he will go to the Lakers. The latter is unlikely given Kobe's ego is high as Mt. Everest. Deeeeright goes to whoever loves him the most.

 

He doesn't need leverage. It's not like the Lakers are low balling him. He's already getting a max contract he's not holding out for a max-max contract.

 

Brian Shaw...???

 

Its not about the contract. Its about the coach. I don't think Phil Jackson is coming back, but I'm sure Dwight only stays if they get a more competent coach.
I'm sure Dwight knows Jim Buss isn't going to fire D'Antoni before he signs with the team. So he is using the Rockets as leverage to get, not only his way with management, but also to get his own, handpicked coach.

 

besides LA, NY is another block on our way to get a superstar. i can see the possibility of landing a star but not superstar.

 

What's this narrative I'm hearing?

Wil Dwight's desire to trump his fear of leaving a storied franchise?

Hell yes! That desire for the ring all encompassing...

My precious! (said in a golem voice)

 

Title and poll don't match. Finally (and it wouldn't really be 'finally' since we did it already less than a year ago) adding a star can take the form of a number of players, not just Howard. I'm not even wholly convinced he's a player we should want.

Even so, if this thread is just about Howard (haven't had enough of those!), I really think it's illogical for him to stay in LA. And, if he leaves, Houston makes the most sense unless he colludes with Chris Paul to make an Atlanta superteam.

 

PLEASE NO DWIGHT!!!!!

FILL OUT THE BENCH WITH TONY ALLEN, ANDREW BYNUM, ETC

TRADE FOR THAT SUPERSTAR

DWIGHT WILL RUIN ANY TEAM HE'S ON

 

Spot on! Carlos Beltran used the Astros for leverage but baseball doesn't have Max contracts

 

He will choose the Warriors and work out a trade there.

 

Leverage for other things besides salary size in contract negotiations.

Things like trade kickers, no trade clauses, player options, opt-out/in dates, etc.

And leverage for having a bigger say in the franchise like being able to choose your own coach and input into what players the franchise brings in as CP3 is allegedly being offered to say onboard the Clippers, and that Howard was offered on the Magic, but is not on the Lakers (thus far).

Salary size is not the only thing being negotiated during free agency. Leverage helps. There are tons of contract minutiae negotiated.

And I'm sure he would like the same control over the Lakers that he had in Orlando. He could get a coach and GM fired in Orlando and the franchise fawning and letting him pick his own coach and GM. The Lakers are refusing to give him that power and digging in their heels on D'Antoni so far. No way are the fabled Lakers going to let a player gain that much clout to call the shots over their GM Kupchak or Coach, not like how Dwight could control the fates of SVG and Otis Smith. Dwight could be using outside offers and the threat of leaving in order to force the Lakers to capitulate. Kobe had the ability to fire Mike Brown with the Death Stare and get his Olympics favorite D'Antoni hired. Dwight has no such pull or leverage in the Lakers organization. It's a power play.

But I think if the Lakers call his bluff, he'll still remain in LA. But who knows, maybe the Rockets will get lucky.

No star in their prime has ever turned down the glitz and glamor of Hollywood. They get to see Jack Nicholson sitting courtside, or all night house parties with rappers in their Beverly Hills mansions, or beach pow-wows with the hottest young up-and-coming starlets, or pool parties with A-list movie stars (you don't have to wait for Golden Globe or Oscar after parties). That's quite a difference from the half-empty Toyota center and oil refineries in Texas.

The Rockets are a better basketball situation than the Lakers currently, LA is the better city and lifestyle for the mega famous and rich hanging out under the bright lights, and the Lakers have at least the track record and history of being able to use Hollywood's glamor to attract star free agents to rebuild around superstars, especially once the Kobe's era guys are off the books.

Dwight's choice is
1) go to the better basketball situation on the Rockets for a better chance to win now and faster track to contender status. Stuck with half-empty Toyota Center and unglamorous city with an oil refinery backdrop.

2) stick it out till Kobe is gone in a year or two, and they rebuild around Dwight. Given the Laker's track record and using Dwight as even better star bait for free agents than Harden would be, combined with franchise history and Hollywood glamor, they'd probably be able to retool quickly, and at most be a couple of yrs behind Rockets on reaching contender status. In the meantime, he gets to high-five celebs courtside and get invited to all the swanky Access Hollywood parties with the popular in-crowd, and stretch out on the Malibu beaches in between Beverly Hills house parties on his days off between games.

My gut still says he stays in LA. I hope I'm wrong because I think the Rockets would improve a lot with him on the roster. But I'm reluctant to buy it unless it actually happens. With Dwightmare's infamous indecision, nothing is ever certain. I still say he stays in LA.

 

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