Dwight Howard to demand trade to the Nets (Broussard)

[Aten]

The Clippers are already offering Gordon and the pick and New Orleans apparently wants Bledsoe too.

I told you. Now they're saying the demand was Bledsoe and another pick on top of the Gordon/Kaman/Aminu/Minnesota 1 offer. What a disaster. They are never gonna do better than Gordon and that pick. Bledsoe isn't even good. Nor is the extra pick all that likely to be either. Stern's out of his mind.

[JohnnyHector]

I told you. Now they're saying the demand was Bledsoe and another pick on top of the Gordon/Kaman/Aminu/Minnesota 1 offer. What a disaster. They are never gonna do better than Gordon and that pick. Bledsoe isn't even good. Nor is the extra pick all that likely to be either. Stern's out of his mind.

I didn't doubt that's what New Orleans Stern was requesting, I was simply referencing what the Clippers' offer was at the time.

This makes no sense to me in that there is no other team in the NBA that can possibly offer more in terms of young, cheap talent and a (guaranteed) high pick than the Clippers. If the league/owners are going to operate out of spite rather than in the best interest of the Hornets franchise - especially in terms of improving the team for a buyer - they might as well contract New Orleans before the season, re-work the schedule, and make Paul go play in Turkey for unlimited dolmas and hashish until 2012.

[jason423]

I told you. Now they're saying the demand was Bledsoe and another pick on top of the Gordon/Kaman/Aminu/Minnesota 1 offer. What a disaster. They are never gonna do better than Gordon and that pick. Bledsoe isn't even good. Nor is the extra pick all that likely to be either. Stern's out of his mind.

Indeed he is. He is not running a team, he is just doing something not in the best interest of a team but a philosophical viewpoint of what is good for a small market owner. Basically 2/3 of the NBA wanted the new CBA to mean that star players basically deciding where they get traded to be over and done with, but since that was not going to get a deal ratified they just assumed the new rules might stop it. And of course as soon as the year begins the players demand trades and those same owners are like WTF so Stern does their dirty work since he has the power on the Hornets to veto all these deals. I dont like the players doing it, but this is basically collusion on the part of Stern and some owners and Paul is the guy getting shafted. Its not right at all. Now not only are the Hornets going to get next to nothing for Paul when its time for him to go, but no free agent is ever going to want to go to NO with the way its being run.

[Aten]

Indeed he is. He is not running a team, he is just doing something not in the best interest of a team but a philosophical viewpoint of what is good for a small market owner. Basically 2/3 of the NBA wanted the new CBA to mean that star players basically deciding where they get traded to be over and done with, but since that was not going to get a deal ratified they just assumed the new rules might stop it. And of course as soon as the year begins the players demand trades and those same owners are like WTF so Stern does their dirty work since he has the power on the Hornets to veto all these deals. I dont like the players doing it, but this is basically collusion on the part of Stern and some owners and Paul is the guy getting shafted. Its not right at all. Now not only are the Hornets going to get next to nothing for Paul when its time for him to go, but no free agent is ever going to want to go to NO with the way its being run.

It's funny that you think Stern is pushing a small market philosophy as against the players. I'm sure that's exactly how it's meant to look. But what he's really doing, even as he blocks Chris Paul to the Lakers, is advancing the big markets' agenda at the expense of the small. This is because taking a hard line on Paul is ultimately predicated on the assumption that the max contract system works to the small market's benefit when it just obviously doesn't.

[SMC]

Magic just pulled Howard off the trade market.

I'm going to laugh my a$$ off if the Nets lose Williams in FA and Howard signs elsewhere.

Nets should've gone the Thunder route in building team. Instead, they try to go the big boy route and it might blow up in their faces.

[jason423]

Magic just pulled Howard off the trade market.

I'm going to laugh my a$$ off if the Nets lose Williams in FA and Howard signs elsewhere.

Nets should've gone the Thunder route in building team. Instead, they try to go the big boy route and it might blow up in their faces.

I think they would have gone that route had they gotten Wall in the draft 2 years ago (and of course missed out on James too).. Favors was such a project that once they realized that was the choice they immediately went into trade and win mode. They thought that had the deal for Anthony but Anthony didnt want to play with NJ. So they turned it into Williams and were hoping to convince Howard to come. The fact that Nene signed back with Denver tells me the Nets thought the deal for Howard was done (Nene and Howard have the same agent and clearly Nene was in a holding pattern) before Orlando pulled out last night.

I heard Jeff Van Gundy on the radio talking about the trade possibilities and he is speaking for his brother when he does that. Once I heard the interview I knew it was done. He tore apart the NJ deal. Said Lopez is a nice offensive talent but a horrible defender and rebounder (pretty much true) and Orlando wont see any of those draft picks in the deal. He went on to more or less say that Orlando had Howard by the balls and its best to take your chances that he re-signs because of the money than to trade him and get nothing of merit back in return. So this stop last night came from the coach who convinced ownership why not to make the deal. Now I dont think its dead yet, but it is dead for now. My guess is if behind the scenes Howard isnt happy and it shows and the team has a bad start they will reopen talks with the Nets or potentially the Lakers and go from there. At that point Van Gundy would probably has less valued opinion than he does now.

[SMC]

Good points, Jason, but the problem from the Nets end is that they're going to be a bad team in the interim while they wait for the trade possibilities to materialize. So the closer Howard gets to free agency, the less attractive they will be. The main hope would be, like you said, a bad start for the Magic, but also a good start for the Nets. Also, we have to see if the Lakers go hard for him.

Also, Dallas is positioning itself to have the cap space to sign Dallas native DWill outright next summer. He's mentioned his willingness to re-sign with Nets, but lets how he is if the Nets have another bad year and they don't get Howard.

I think Prokhorov has done the Nets a disservice in his mandates.

[Aten]

2011 Wins Produced (per 48)

Gasol 14.81 (.234)

Bynum 8.78 (.281)

Kidd 11.77 (.213)

Odom 11.63 (.212)

Humphries 10.92 (.254)

Lopez -.18 (-.003)

Fields 12.52 (.237)

Chandler 11.52 (.268)

I don't see how Howard doesn't ultimately get dealt to the Lakers. They're getting their depth in order with McRoberts and Murphy, Pau keeps telling everybody who'll listen that as far as he knows he's still on the block, and the basic salary framework is pretty clean. There's room to give LA a little something extra, obviously Anderson would be ideal but dunno if Orlando's gonna go for that, but I'd think they'd be entitled to something more for shipping both Gasol and Bynum and taking back Turkoglu's contract.

Nets supposedly passed on Nene because they thought they had a deal before the Magic broke off talks but I just don't have any idea how that's possible. They don't have assets. Neither does Dallas. We have the assets but can't realistically take on any of their contracts until we can extend-and-trade Fields and put together enough expirings to match on Duhon and QRich or something.

[jason423]

Good points, Jason, but the problem from the Nets end is that they're going to be a bad team in the interim while they wait for the trade possibilities to materialize. So the closer Howard gets to free agency, the less attractive they will be. The main hope would be, like you said, a bad start for the Magic, but also a good start for the Nets. Also, we have to see if the Lakers go hard for him.

Also, Dallas is positioning itself to have the cap space to sign Dallas native DWill outright next summer. He's mentioned his willingness to re-sign with Nets, but lets how he is if the Nets have another bad year and they don't get Howard.

I think Prokhorov has done the Nets a disservice in his mandates.

Its a big issue for NJ. It was the same issue they had when they made the move for Williams. They were so far out of it by that point that it made no difference. They could have made that trade sooner but they just kept waiting and waiting and waiting for Denver on Anthony. The lure for Howard to NJ is Brooklyn and the chance to basically be the guy who makes the team in that city. Supposedly one of his big hangups with LA is the fact that he is just another in a long line of great big men in LA and he would specifically be following Shaqs exact path. I dont think Kobe is too excited with the possibility either because he knows the move for Dwight means LA is officially looking towards the future and Kobe moves to the past. Hes basically in the position Shaq was in when Kobe wanted him out if they make the move. Dallas is intriguing. Its an older team so he would become the new centerpiece and would likely give them a whole new identity with the way he plays.

Id be stunned if he stays in Florida. He knows where the NBA has headed (2 max contracts plus a high priced piece) in an attempt to win it and he is never going to get that chance in Orlando. Their big moves are going to be picking up backup pieces like Big Baby when they need starters. Same issue James had in Cleveland. LA, Dallas, and NJ would all have a big 2 ready for him now. NJs would be the younger grouping which could sway him. I tell you if Phil Jackson took over for D'Antoni the perfect landing spot would be the Knicks in a trade for Amare. Never happen since Orlando is not looking to take on big money, but that would be the ideal setup for him. NY loves big guys and he gets a chance to do what Ewing never could. He and Anthony would make up the best team in he East.

[jason423]

2011 Wins Produced (per 48)

Gasol 14.81 (.234)

Bynum 8.78 (.281)

Kidd 11.77 (.213)

Odom 11.63 (.212)

Humphries 10.92 (.254)

Lopez -.18 (-.003)

Fields 12.52 (.237)

Chandler 11.52 (.268)

I don't see how Howard doesn't ultimately get dealt to the Lakers. They're getting their depth in order with McRoberts and Murphy, Pau keeps telling everybody who'll listen that as far as he knows he's still on the block, and the basic salary framework is pretty clean. There's room to give LA a little something extra, obviously Anderson would be ideal but dunno if Orlando's gonna go for that, but I'd think they'd be entitled to something more for shipping both Gasol and Bynum and taking back Turkoglu's contract.

Nets supposedly passed on Nene because they thought they had a deal before the Magic broke off talks but I just don't have any idea how that's possible. They don't have assets. Neither does Dallas. We have the assets but can't realistically take on any of their contracts until we can extend-and-trade Fields and put together enough expirings to match on Duhon and QRich or something.

See I think the salaries for the LA guys are a problem which is why they considered the Nets deal (plus I think there is resentment towards LA). Gasol has 3 years left I think at huge money and Bynum has potentially 2. The Magic arent going to compete for a title with those players. They fall right back into the race for #8. Lopez probably drops them out of the race for #8 but he costs pennies. So I think it becomes an economical thing. Why pay much to compete for a 1st round sweep when they can just pay the minimums to field a team and vilify Howard for not wanting to stay.

But one of the problems the Nets have had, really ever since the Kenyon Martin deal, was the belief that draft picks mean something in the NBA. They clearly do in the NFL and also in MLB where getting anything in return is better than nothing. But draft picks in the NBA are almost worthless unless its an unprotected pick from a badly managed team (the Knicks for example in some of their more boneheaded moves). The pieces the Nets have are more or less junk in that regard. There was a time when teams didnt even want a first round pick and it was why they would throw them away on European guy with almost no upside and no real desire to play here or trade it for a low level vet.