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

I'm not very optimistic about Dwight playing into his 30's. This guy is breaking down already. A big man with a bad back is a major concern. He didn't look very good running up and down the court this year in my opinion, and next year he's just another year older. The Lakers may end up getting stuck with Dwight, the same way the Knicks are stuck with Stoudemire.

 

The conspiracy theorist Wojnarowski postulates that Chicago has never been an option because of Adidas' contract with both Rose and Dwight. They would never allow their clients to end up on the same team, for max marketing purposes.

 

If Howard, with medical opinions from likely the best doctors in the world, doesn't think he'll be playing into his 30s, then he won't even come to the Rockets. The extra guaranteed year would be too lucrutive to pass up.

If Howard is willing to take the 4yr deal from the Rockets with 3rd year player option, then he likely is very confident about his health going forward. Thinking he'll get a 2nd max contract in 3 years.

So overall, I'm not too concerned about Howard's health. And even if he may not be fully healthy, ala T-Mac in Houston vs. Orlando, I would still be willing to pay him $20mil/yr.

 

Yeah a team built around Dwight and Harden = championship. I'm trying not to get too excited about the prospect because I still think Dwight will choose the money and the glitz of LA over Houston...but I do like what I'm hearing.

 

i never said it was

 

If they lose Howard, they will probably keep Pau Gasol (move him to center) and his expiring contract and go after a guy like Iguodala and, of course, CP3. For the same reason I don't think Howard will walk, I don't see CP3 leaving $30 million on the table even if it does mean he gets to play on the varsity team in LA instead. Lakers will be a playoff team, but likely not be real contender for the championship.

Both CP3 (knee) and Howard (back/shoulder) have a certain risk that they will have to deal with and won't want to gamble with their security. Both will likely opt for the security and ask for a trade in a couple years if things don't go the way they want.

In regards to the Rockets, Harden will obviously need to change his game to play with Howard being that a clear out iso offense won't be in Howard's dictionary. He dealt with it playing with Kobe, but because it is Kobe. I don't think Howard will be able to deal with taking a backseat to Harden. This means Harden will likely need to adapt to Howard's preferred offense which is him in the middle and a bunch of shooters around him. Harden will take a massive hit in stats for sure if he's willing to relegate himself to a spot shooter role.

 

Umm, they can't sign free agents even if Dwight walks? The puny taxpayer exemption is all they get. They are waaay over the tax, so NO to whatever else you were gonna say next.

I love how people pretend as though the collective bargaining agreement doesn't apply to LA.

 

I don't know about championship, but they would definitely be a top 4 team in the West. I see them as being somewhat built like last years Clippers team, but as I've mentioned in my previous post, I don't think you get the stats out of Harden like this year with Howard in the mix. The Rockets probably relied on Harden more than almost any team relied on their top player so, although I would agree he is an all star guard, his stats were a bit inflated this past year.

 

You really should learn about the restrictions the new CBA imposes on habitual tax payers before you make statements like this.

This isnt the old CBA which would allow you to go as far over the cap as you could legally maneuver as long as you didnt mind paying the tax.

Not so anymore.


*my comments in bold

• The luxury tax is progressive, with the rate increasing for every $5 million the team is above the tax line. Repeater penalty when the team is a taxpayer in three out of four years.
  
  No matter how deep the pockets, the repeater is truely onerous once you have been over the tax for as long as they have
  
  
• The Bi-Annual exception is not available to teams above the apron ($4 million above the tax line).
  
• Teams over the apron have a smaller Mid-Level exception (3 years, with a lower starting salary).
  
• Non-taxpaying teams can receive in trade 150% plus $100,000 (when trading $0 to $9.8 million), 100% plus $5 million (when trading $9.8 million to $19.6 million), and 125% plus $100,000 (when trading more than $19.6 million).
  
  The three above reduce the options LA has when trying to sign other FAs or make trades. other teams can offer more lucrative contracts
  
  
  
• Starting in 2013-14, teams above the apron cannot receive a player in a sign-and-trade transaction.
  
• Once a team has used an exception unavailable to teams over the apron, the apron becomes a hard cap.

If you are interested in learning the details, go read question 21 and 23 at the CBA FAQ

 

I disagree. While they are "inflated," you're assuming they will be worse because Harden has somehow hit his ceiling. He hasn't. He's 23 lol. Even if they do drop, I will settle for Harden having 1-2 fewer pts a game, 1-2 fewer assists a game and 1-2 fewer rebounds a game if he actually puts in the extra energy into becoming a good defender! We so need perimeter defense right now, and he doesn't give anything there. With Howard, he can calm down a bit on offense and focus more on defense. Maybe Parsons can even return to his 1st yr defensive form...

 

More disagree...sure there will be less iso Harden ball, but that is to everyone's benefit, including Harden's. An inside-out game with Howard in the paint and 3 pt shooters is exactly what we can give him, except we'd still have Harden able to drive. You make it sound as if Harden has to choose to either only be a spot up shooter or a driver lol. Beauty is he can do both (AND pass out from a drive). It is what makes a team deadly -- having multiple tools in the toolbox. See: OKC when WB was healthy.

 

Lol, yeah, I had to put in some time to craft a post that allows him to educate himself on real cba knowledge.

Lets see if he bothers to read it.

 

The collective bargaining agreement doesn't apply all that much to Lakers because Time Warner is picking up the bill. The Lakers get approximately $200 million per season from Time Warner for their exclusive Lakers channel. If they kept everyone, including Kobe's ridiculous $30 million salary next year, they will pay something like $80 million in taxes, but then everyones contract expires the following season with the exception of Howard and Steve Nash (who may even retire). At that point, every unhappy superstar will have opportunity for a spot on the Lakers stage.

Jim Buss is not his dad, but he knows that paying an extra $80 million out of the extra $200 million they get next year will not be such a big deal compared to the horrible PR mess of not putting a team of superstars out there. Plus, Time Warner will probably have some say in it too. It could cost the Lakers even more if they go into a lawsuit over expectations of their deal.

 

I think what they mean is, how the heck will LAL sign Iggy or CP3 (even if CP3 agrees to leave LAC) when LAL is already over the apron, much less the luxury tax and salary cap thresholds lol. Magic?

 

Dude, you're in way way way over your head here.

 

I'm only commenting on the stats being inflated with Harden. He is certainly one of the top guards in the league. Also, my comment was more of a knock on Howard because he doesn't seem to excel unless he has the ball so he's better with spot up shooters. In a faster pace offense, he gets a bit lost and whines that he is not getting the ball enough.

 

Couldn't you say the same thing about Harden? lol

And the whole Houston offense tends to inflate our offensive numbers. But our system isn't changing, and adding Howard in won't deflate Harden's stats too much, imo, just because he'll become more efficient. Less focus on him so he won't have to hero ball and take bad shots as often, and again, he's 23! Bound to get better, kinda like KD and WB did this yr.

 

I'm pretty sure the apron rules don't apply after next season when the Lakers clear all their books with only Steve Nash and Dwight Howard on contract right? I've never read anywhere that it follows the team for seasons after they've violated the cap. Why wouldn't Iguodala sign some weird deal where he gets a balloon amount with more salary in future seasons? Players...and more importantly, players agents always seem to find a way to make it work so their clients can get on the Lakers.

 

I don't really think Kevin Durant got better this year. He was closer to MVP the previous year imo.

 

By the way, what's the deal with Dan Fegan and Daryl Morey anyway? I keep reading that they don't like each other but don't really know why. Did Fegan get screwed on a potential deal with the Rockets?