Sources: Dwight and CP3 hope to team up

Wade and Lebron overlap in skillset but they still have gotten to the finals 3 years running...if you can get CP3 and Dwight to put with Harden, you do it. If CP3 doesn't come, but you can get Dwight, you try for Josh Smith at a reduced salary, if not, maybe try for Iguodala or run with Dwight and Asik up front.

CP3/Beverley
Harden/Garcia
Parsons/Garcia
Jones/DMo
Dwight/G.Smith

or

Lin/Beverley
Harden/Garcia
Parsons/Garcia
J.Smith/Jones
Dwight/G.Smith

or

Lin/Beverley
Harden/Garcia
Iguodala/Garcia
Parsons/Jones
Dwight/G.Smith

or

Lin/Beverley
Harden/Garcia
Parsons/Garcia
Dwight/Jones
Asik/Dwight/G.Smith


I will take any of those lineups for next season...

 

Voice of reason, thank you.

 

CP3 and Parsons would be awesome. We need to find a big guy with fundamental skills. Not some drama queen like Howard. He will get you no where. Of course to get CP3 we'll have to move either Lin or Asik. I'd would keep Asik because besides Howard, there's no other big FA this year.

 

If the Lakers stick with D'Antoni, Griffin is probably a better fit than Howard (a.la. Amare with his knees still working). So the Lakers would have to consider it.

 

He is clearly worth it now. The question is whether he will be worth it in 3-5 years with his knee issues. The worry is that you get stuck with a Brandon Roy / Yao / Arenas type problem where you have a max guy on your books who cannot play anymore. That said, most teams who are as close to contention as the Rockets would happily take the immediate benefit for 1-3 years even if it comes with some risk that down the road you are cap-stuck for a couple of years. You simply have to take the chances to get world beater talent whenever you can.

 

Woj:

Howard and Paul wanting to play together - is that real?

I can't speak to somebody else's reporting. I know that Chris Paul has been 100% sure he's staying with the Clippers but if this deal goes down, he's locked in. Even without this deal, I haven't talked to anyone close to this who believes for a moment Chris Paul is leaving the Clippers. Dwight is a different story, much more wide open about leaving. What he wants outside of basketball is there in LA and he has a young core they can win with. I don't think hes leaving and there's hope in Dallas and Houston that they could find a way to get both but both organizations are focused on getting Dwight and don't realistically believe Paul is really in play.

A S&T with Houston?

Lakers have resisted that, resisted any talk of S&T with any teams. The Lakers will dare Dwight to leave. We can give you 5 years, $100 million, you can get the most years from us, the most money from us, it's LA, we're the Lakers, nobody leaves us. The minute the Lakers engage in S&T talks, they lose leverage. Maybe in the end they'll do that, if they are really convinced he's walking, they gotta do a S&T with the Rockets. Mike D'Antoni still loves Lin. Omer Asik. Those guys could be in play but it would be very difficult to do a S&T with the Clippers.

 

Thanks JR. I trust Woj more than anyone else. I guess CP3 is staying in Clipperland.

 

Dude, you are plugged in.

When I need media feeds, I've got you. If the system allowed it, you'd have five rows of rep.

Thanks as always.

 

It looks like Paul is recruiting Howard to play together with the Clippers, not necessarily team up outside LA.

 

"You must spread some rep around before giving to JR again"

Thanks for the info JR!

 

If the Rockets are not getting Chris Paul, then there is absolutely no reason why they need to engage in S&T talks with the Lakers. If Dwight wants to come to Houston, then we will just sign him outright.

 

EDIT.

 

Agreed. Unless we are playing this game where we are pretending like it's just Dwight and CP3 is keeping quiet and then at the last moment, boom! Dynasty

 

Looks like this probably won't happen.

If the Clipps send DeAndre Jordan, Eric Bledsoe, and pick to the Celts for Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett.

They probably won't be in the running for Dwight since the initial trade package would have been Griffin and Bledsoe for Dwight.

Yessssss!!!!!

 

Keep in mind that it also means Rockets wont get Chris Paul either

 

Bledsoe is the hang up though. The clips don't want to give him up and Ainge is demanding it. Who's to say the Clippers don't just turn around and offer Griffin/Bledsoe to the Lakers and go out and sign Hollins to coach the team.

 

There was a 1 percent change that CP3 was coming here to begin with. As Woj said, nothing from CP3 said that he was leaving the Clippers.

 

True. But I really think LAC will want to make this deal for a top notch coach and one of the guys they've been pursuing for the past half season. I'm sure Pierce will follow shortly as well.

I would like my title aspiration chances with those 3 guys while trading DeAndre/Bledsoe and keeping Blake over, trading Blake plus Bledsoe for just Dwight. At least that's my train of thought.

I could deal with that. Our chances weren't enormous to sign both Dwight and CP3 to begin with. He likes LA and will more than likely stay. Dwight is target 1. and Chris Paul is 1A. remember that.

 

So from what I'm getting out of these reports, if Celtics and Clippers reached a deal, Paul will definitely stay in LA and it's open season on Dwight?

I like that, we don't really need Paul even though he's an upgrade from Lin. Feel like it's a highway robbery if Boston gets Jordan, Bledsoe and multiple firsts.

 

FIFY....