Dwight update: Not close to a trade with Rockets

^^^This.

 

Tony Mejia: "@DanAllweissTBDP: Good article but youre wrong if you think Hennigan is auctioning him off and has given up." DH won't be in ORL come camp. 1 minute ago

 

Bingo...my thoughts as well...I don't think lamb will be as good as people
suggest, he's just a solid gamble, but struggles, like at UCONN when not having
the offense go through him.

 

I think you're underestimating Orlando's GM having a desire to create a soft landing for Howard if he can. It's bad business to exile a superstar to a destination he's unhappy with in his final year.

However things may seem now, Dwight has lived up to his end of the bargain and earned his right to free agency.

Forcing him to the Rocks for one year sets him up to be a villain when he exercises his right to leave. Orlando may be able to do it, but every superstar and their agent throughout the league, will be taking note of how Orlando and their new GM treats their players on the way out the door.

Don't kid yourself. They'll be lucky if they ever sign a superstar free agent again.

Part of the reason superstars don't play in Houston is that they don't trust Morey very much. The guy has a reputation for dumping on everyone and anyone (this year it was Scola) with no senese of loyalty anywhere.

And now he's going to leave no doubt by participating in this bad faith arrangement to force-fit Howard into Houston.

No other GMs are willing to pursue this route. You have to ask yourslef why?

 

What about how Dwights treating the organization?

 

Good point never thought of it like that before

 

No stars are signing in orlando anyway. And if they were i tend to doubt they would give a damn about Howard's treatment. He's the one that wants to leave, they aren't trying to get rid of him.

 

When was the last time a marquee free agent signed in Orlando anyway? I don't think that enters into their thinking. They know they have to build through the draft and convince somebody they already have to stay, not woo over free agents in a vacuum.

Anyway, Howard has toyed with Orlando more than they've toyed with him. He has no right to cry foul after what he has done to that organization. I'm sure other athletes all realize that he needs to grow the hell up, when even Charles Barkley is saying it on ESPN.

 

I wouldn't consider T-Mac marquee at the time he signed...but Grant Hill drank Sprite

 

It's bad business not to look out for the best interests of the team you are employed by. If Hennigan fails to put together a winning team after Dwight is gone, nobody is going to care about the soft landing he was able to create for their departed star.

 

...but yet this board is rampant with talk about how howard will be this great FA magnet .

 

Houston is in the same boat really...nobody wants to come here

 

I haven't heard that many people say that. I sure haven't been saying it. There's a chance he could attract other free agents but more than likely not. BUT I think you can contend by building around Howard with Morey's knack for finding excellent roleplayers. This is a guy who can make .500 teams in his sleep, he just needs a damn superstar to take them to the next level.

 

That's just because they can't. Think back 12 years when Orlando was able to sign two of the top 3 free agents that summer. If the money is available they will. Same goes for Houston now.

 

My response


@DanAllweissTBDP @TonyMejiaNBA Hennigan is auctioning him off, when the winning bid is in, he's giving Dwight the choice to sign extn or go

@DanAllweissTBDP @TonyMejiaNBA and the winning bidder is Houston. Hennigan is going to let Dwight choose to sign extension or go to Houston

 

I think you're very much mistaken. This is the first real go 'round since the new CBA which was a bitterly negotiated arrangement.

Both sides are learning a lot about what they can expect from the other side for the future years while this is in effect.

If Orlando and Houston handle this negotiation like good 'ole boy owners acting solely in their own self interest, it's going to send a really loud message across the community of players.

Don't kid yourslef! The players are watching the Dwight situation very carefully.

If he gets screwed just because he's trying to exercise his free agent rights the players, their agents and the union are NOT only going to view it as the league owners operating in bad faith, but Orlando and Houston will be seen as Siberia.

 

Have a question:
Why not just go after Dwight Howard in free agency?

He's already said that regardless of what team goes too, he will test out free agency.

Sure we wouldn't be able to offer him the same amount of money as the team with his bird rights would. But what we could offer him and Chris Paul, is the chance to play with each other.

Not to mention we would be stacked with assets from not trading for Dwight, allowing us to put even more talent around them. Making an immediate power house.

 

Gotta love Mejia. This has probably already been posted, but if you haven't already, read it:

http://www.probasketballnews.com/news/mejia-howard-playing-waiting-game-he-volunteered-for/

 

He screwed himself by exercising that last year option. He could be a free agent as we speak if not for a decision he made totally on his own.

The onus is not totally on Orlando to make it all work to Dwight's liking. He had his chance to leave and didnt take it. What ever happens now is his own doing.

 

He's not testing free agency because he wants to go to any of the teams with cap space next offseason. He's testing free agency because that's the only way he gets to sign a 5 year contract. I pretty much believe at this point, the team which has him is the team which will sign him.