The Brooklyn Nets

[jason423]

I've given up guessing what Fegan has worked out with the Magic, but I find it hard to believe the Nets would give Hump a contract that huge if they didn't have a blood oath from Fegan to keep up the "Dwight won't sign anywhere but Brooklyn" stance, which ruins Orlando's options

What Orlando ultimately gets back will be Brook, the three firsts, another first they'll get by redirecting Brooks, plus the expiring contract of Kris Humphries and sh*t-tons of cap space from dumping all their dead weight. That sure beats having to beg Andrew Bynum to re-sign next summer.

Id imagine this is exactly what the Nets have in mind. At this point their main competition is Houston who I think is hoping with Lin can make Howard stay since they should mesh well together- Dwight cant do much with the ball in his hands but he can catch the alley oops from Lin, and he can block whatever guard blows by Line and heads into the lane. Howard has claimed he will sit the whole year out if he stays in Orlando so my guess is the Nets take all the Magic junk in exchange for Lopez' big money.

In Orlandos case Im sure they see Lopez and Hump as tradeable pieces. Humphries will either just expire or they can avoid paying him by moving him to another team who wont be afraid of a 1 year deal. You will always be able to find a team that feels if they had a body inside, even an overpaid one, they could make the leap so my guess is they feel even Lopez can be moved as the years go on. Picks can always be traded for future players down the line from teams that are in a similar situation as Orlando. You cant sell that to your fans but its at least hope that somewhere down the line those picks can be turned into a disgruntled star who maybe decides he wants to stay in Orlando.

[T0mShane]

Id imagine this is exactly what the Nets have in mind. At this point their main competition is Houston who I think is hoping with Lin can make Howard stay since they should mesh well together- Dwight cant do much with the ball in his hands but he can catch the alley oops from Lin, and he can block whatever guard blows by Line and heads into the lane. Howard has claimed he will sit the whole year out if he stays in Orlando so my guess is the Nets take all the Magic junk in exchange for Lopez' big money.

In Orlandos case Im sure they see Lopez and Hump as tradeable pieces. Humphries will either just expire or they can avoid paying him by moving him to another team who wont be afraid of a 1 year deal. You will always be able to find a team that feels if they had a body inside, even an overpaid one, they could make the leap so my guess is they feel even Lopez can be moved as the years go on. Picks can always be traded for future players down the line from teams that are in a similar situation as Orlando. You cant sell that to your fans but its at least hope that somewhere down the line those picks can be turned into a disgruntled star who maybe decides he wants to stay in Orlando.

Agreed, mostly. I think Orlando is a perfect fit for Lopez--it's a low-key market that will be impressed by his ability to put up 22 points per night on a bad team. Humphries getting $12 mil per is so transparently part of a precursor to going after Dwight again that it'll be interesting to see how both Dwight and Lopez react. Dwight's got a built-in excuse to miss a few months with his back surgery, and Lopez can blow the whole thing up by sitting out with his foot issue.

Bucher was on 1050 a few minutes ago saying that Dwight is still going strong with the refusal to sign anywhere but Brooklyn. At this point, I almost feel bad for Hennigan. The guy has to feel like he's a tin duck in a shooting gallery.

[JohnnyHector]

If Houston came up with an offer of a guaranteed lottery pick (from TOR), another #1, and one of their 2012 #1's (Lamb, White, Jones), it's a far better offer than anything the Nets could come up with.

What good is it to dump the contracts of J-Rich, Q-Rich, and Big Baby when you'd be taking on more guaranteed money in Lopez? Is he a guy you can build your franchise around? There's a salary floor now, so they need to pay some guys... Orlando should pay the stiffs they have, not take on any other bad contracts (ie. Lopez, Brook), and try to build through the draft - but not with the garbage #1's they'd be getting from Brooklyn. Without Howard for this entire season, they're almost a lock for a top-5 pick this year and for the next couple after that. Throw in the TOR lottery pick (likely a top-10 pick), and they're moving in the right direction at least.

The best Lopez would do for them, if surrounded with some other marginal talent, is to make them an 8-seed or back-end lottery team. It's crazy to me that the Magic would even entertain going this route from the standpoint of putting their franchise in the best position to succeed long-term, but it's downright insane that they'd also be giving into Howard's wishes in the process.

[T0mShane]

^ Agreed that not taking the Houston offer is nuts. The only thing that makes sense is that Houston hasn't officially offered anything and won't until they get a wink-wink from Fegan.

[JohnnyHector]

The only thing that makes sense is that Houston hasn't officially offered anything and won't until they get a wink-wink from Fegan.

Why do they even need one though? Howard cannot sign with the Nets as a FA, so he'd be faced with either signing with another team and leaving $20m+ on the table or re-upping with Houston.

The Toronto lottery pick, the 2013 #1 Houston has from Dallas, and Jeremy Lamb should be more than enough to get this done. The worst case for Houston is that Howard leaves and Toronto ends up with the #4 pick (it's top-3 protected in 2013 and that puts Noel Nerlens, Shabazz Mohammed, and probably Cody Zeller out of reach anyhow) and Jeremy Lamb becomes the next Kevin Martin. Worth the risk IMO.

[T0mShane]

Why do they even need one though? Howard cannot sign with the Nets as a FA, so he'd be faced with either signing with another team and leaving $20m+ on the table or re-upping with Houston.

The Toronto lottery pick, the 2013 #1 Houston has from Dallas, and Jeremy Lamb should be more than enough to get this done. The worst case for Houston is that Howard leaves and Toronto ends up with the #4 pick (it's top-3 protected in 2013 and that puts Noel Nerlens, Shabazz Mohammed, and probably Cody Zeller out of reach anyhow) and Jeremy Lamb becomes the next Kevin Martin. Worth the risk IMO.

Logically, it makes sense, but I don't know if any franchise wants to be left holding the bag if/when Howard leaves. A player like him, at his age, is going to see another max deal down the line, so getting that 4th year probably isn't as big an incentive as we might think. From Houston's standpoint, they're not good enough to trade assets for a one-year rental. If they get left holding the bag when Dwight bails, they're a lottery team for the next three years, minimum, except they'll have surrendered some of those lottery picks for that rental. Morey has to know that would be curtains for him, a career-killer.

Gotta laugh, btw. ESPN took that ****wit blogger Jarrod Rudolph's report that Dwight would sign with LA and ran with it, except that deal never happens unless Bynum agrees to sigh long-term in Cleveland. LOL. Good luck. Cleveland sucks, but even Dan Gilbert isn't stupid enough to give up high picks in exchange for Orlando's garbage just to hope and pray that Bynum re-signs there.

[jason423]

Logically, it makes sense, but I don't know if any franchise wants to be left holding the bag if/when Howard leaves. A player like him, at his age, is going to see another max deal down the line, so getting that 4th year probably isn't as big an incentive as we might think. From Houston's standpoint, they're not good enough to trade assets for a one-year rental. If they get left holding the bag when Dwight bails, they're a lottery team for the next three years, minimum, except they'll have surrendered some of those lottery picks for that rental. Morey has to know that would be curtains for him, a career-killer.

Gotta laugh, btw. ESPN took that ****wit blogger Jarrod Rudolph's report that Dwight would sign with LA and ran with it, except that deal never happens unless Bynum agrees to sigh long-term in Cleveland. LOL. Good luck. Cleveland sucks, but even Dan Gilbert isn't stupid enough to give up high picks in exchange for Orlando's garbage just to hope and pray that Bynum re-signs there.

I think the guy from realgm is basically being told by Howards people a bunch of stories and hoping that they get reported as true and thus push the deals through. He was so sold on the Brooklyn story all the way down to teams involved, some of whom never existed. The LA/Cleveland story I think was a way to simply let LA know that Howard is willing to come play for them now and hoping that it puts them back in the running.

Tradewise I cant even see how that was a better deal for Orlando than the Nets deal. They wouldnt shed any salary and they bring back Varejao? Im guessing they get all the Cavs picks Cleveland has amassed but those are basically all lottery protected and most from good teams (Miami and LA). I guess its less money than Lopez would have received which is the only reason Id see them being interested. I could see Cleveland pulling the trigger though. I think these teams know that the free agency options are very limited and they leave so much money on the table that they are basically bound to whomever trades for them.

Howard is going to come out of all of this looking like the biggest dope to ever walk the planet. He could have had his way and either been traded to NJ last year or signed with them this year as a free agent. Instead he did that crazy opt-in which made no sense on any level. Either extend with Orlando or go to free agency. He gets the coach and GM fired. They rip him on the way out and everyone agrees with it. Now hes stuck on a team he doesnt want with absolutely no options since the teams who wanted him prepared to sign him this offseason except he didnt allow himself to become a free agent. I guess his agent advised him not to do this, but that guy should have done what Osi's did and simply walk away from the client rather than be part of signing a deal they feel is not in anyones best interest.

[SMC]

The problem is that Howard is a flake. He lacks a backbone and can't make up his mind. This saga is worse than anything we've seen, even with the Melodrama. Dwightmare is the worst.

[T0mShane]

I think the guy from realgm is basically being told by Howards people a bunch of stories and hoping that they get reported as true and thus push the deals through. He was so sold on the Brooklyn story all the way down to teams involved, some of whom never existed. The LA/Cleveland story I think was a way to simply let LA know that Howard is willing to come play for them now and hoping that it puts them back in the running.

Tradewise I cant even see how that was a better deal for Orlando than the Nets deal. They wouldnt shed any salary and they bring back Varejao? Im guessing they get all the Cavs picks Cleveland has amassed but those are basically all lottery protected and most from good teams (Miami and LA). I guess its less money than Lopez would have received which is the only reason Id see them being interested. I could see Cleveland pulling the trigger though. I think these teams know that the free agency options are very limited and they leave so much money on the table that they are basically bound to whomever trades for them.

Howard is going to come out of all of this looking like the biggest dope to ever walk the planet. He could have had his way and either been traded to NJ last year or signed with them this year as a free agent. Instead he did that crazy opt-in which made no sense on any level. Either extend with Orlando or go to free agency. He gets the coach and GM fired. They rip him on the way out and everyone agrees with it. Now hes stuck on a team he doesnt want with absolutely no options since the teams who wanted him prepared to sign him this offseason except he didnt allow himself to become a free agent. I guess his agent advised him not to do this, but that guy should have done what Osi's did and simply walk away from the client rather than be part of signing a deal they feel is not in anyones best interest.

It's a mess, no doubt. I think there's some weirdness going on behind the scenes that nobody is talking about. Maybe Deight is injured worse than anyone wants to admit? Obviously his agent would want to hide that, and the Magic certainly wouldn't want that getting out, either. The rumor you hear is that Dwight opted in because he was threatened with getting traded to the Lakers if he didn't, which makes the Rudolph "report" all that much funnier.

[T0mShane]

The problem is that Howard is a flake. He lacks a backbone and can't make up his mind. This saga is worse than anything we've seen, even with the Melodrama. Dwightmare is the worst.

I think Dwight is a kid, intellectually speaking, and Fegan is doing a good job muffling him right now. I think the "sign with LA" story likely came from the Magic's side, in an attempt to create some movement from Houston with a counter. If you think the Dwightmare is bad, just wait until you guys try to trade for Chris Paul next summer. lol

[SMC]

I think Dwight is a kid, intellectually speaking, and Fegan is doing a good job muffling him right now. I think the "sign with LA" story likely came from the Magic's side, in an attempt to create some movement from Houston with a counter. If you think the Dwightmare is bad, just wait until you guys try to trade for Chris Paul next summer. lol

Yeah, I agree on Dwight. Somone is floating the LA story.

As to your snide Paul comment (), note that (1) Knicks can't trade for Chris Paul next summer because he'll be an UFA, and (2) the new CBA prohibits S&Ts by teams over the luxury tax, which the Knicks will be this season. So except for a MMLE (which he'll never take), there's no way to get Paul next summer.

[SMC]

I know Dwight is a flake, but he and his agent are doing everything right in saying that he'll test FA even if traded. There is no financial incentive to sign an extension rather than a full re-up without getting an idea what the market is.

If I'm the Lakers or Houston, I'd take that chance without insisting on him re-signing. That extra $20 mil he'll make with either by being traded there will be incentive enough for him to re-sign next summer.

Also, @Hector/Jason, can teams make contingent trades in the NBA? We see it in the NFL and even baseball. I'm wondering, can a team trade for Dwight without asking for an extension, but include in the agreement getting back one of the 1st rounders sent if he doesn't re-sign? So, let's say Houston sends 2 1st rounders to the Magic. Can they put in the trade agreement that they get 1 of the 1st rounders back if the player doesn't re-sign?

[JohnnyHector]

Logically, it makes sense, but I don't know if any franchise wants to be left holding the bag if/when Howard leaves. A player like him, at his age, is going to see another max deal down the line, so getting that 4th year probably isn't as big an incentive as we might think. From Houston's standpoint, they're not good enough to trade assets for a one-year rental. If they get left holding the bag when Dwight bails, they're a lottery team for the next three years, minimum, except they'll have surrendered some of those lottery picks for that rental. Morey has to know that would be curtains for him, a career-killer.

The only lottery pick I'm giving up if I'm Houston (as I've stated multiple times, but your Nets-colored glasses must be filtering it out) is the one lottery-guaranteed pick they're getting from Toronto as part of the Lowry deal. The other pick I'd include is the 2013 #1 they got from Dallas. No picks beyond this year would be included, for the very reason you stated.

If Howard bails, barring Jeremy Lin averaging 30 and 12 while elevating a bunch of marginal talents to All-Star levels, they're in the high lottery for at least a few years and can hopefully snag an impact player or two with those selections.

[JohnnyHector]

Also, @Hector/Jason, can teams make contingent trades in the NBA? We see it in the NFL and even baseball. I'm wondering, can a team trade for Dwight without asking for an extension, but include in the agreement getting back one of the 1st rounders sent if he doesn't re-sign? So, let's say Houston sends 2 1st rounders to the Magic. Can they put in the trade agreement that they get 1 of the 1st rounders back if the player doesn't re-sign?

I'm not 100% on this, but I believe the answer is no. I know that player health (ie. # of games played) cannot be used as a condition for compensation, so I'd have to think that it wouldn't be allowed in this case either.

The way teams would work a condition into a deal like this is for HOU to lottery-protect the pick for, say, the next 4 years, as Dwight/Martin/Lin/etc probably keeps them out of the lottery (though it could take a .600%+ WPCT to make the playoffs out West). If Howard does split and, after 4 years, they haven't finished outside the lottery, Houston would instead send a #2 to Orlando to complete the trade.

[T0mShane]

The only lottery pick I'm giving up if I'm Houston (as I've stated multiple times, but your Nets-colored glasses must be filtering it out) is the one lottery-guaranteed pick they're getting from Toronto as part of the Lowry deal. The other pick I'd include is the 2013 #1 they got from Dallas. No picks beyond this year would be included, for the very reason you stated.

If Howard bails, barring Jeremy Lin averaging 30 and 12 while elevating a bunch of marginal talents to All-Star levels, they're in the high lottery for at least a few years and can hopefully snag an impact player or two with those selections.

My apologies, JH. I just assumed there would be more picks included in your hypothetical given that's what has been the norm with all of the other rumored packages.

[JohnnyHector]

I just assumed there would be more picks included in your hypothetical given that's what has been the norm with all of the other rumored packages.

That's because they're either being floated by morons and/or people associated with the Magic.

There's no way a team is giving up a chip more valuable than Toronto's guaranteed 2013 lottery pick (which probably has a 50-50 chance of being top-5) in exchange for an uncommitted, giant, man-baby.

If Orlando truly thinks the situation is untenable going into the season with Howard on the roster, they'd be hard-pressed to find a better deal than this. After unloading Howard's near-$20m contract for 2012-13, they'll still need to make the salary floor at $49m anyhow. Trying to unload Turkoglu, J-Rich, Q-Rich, etc, doesn't make much sense, because they'll need to take back some salary in the process. Turkoglu's deal for next year is only partially guaranteed, Q-Rich is owed under $6m total after this year, and J-Rich around $12.5m if (when) he picks up his player option in 2 years. These aren't cap-crippling deals by any means.

Rather than take back huge contracts for non-elite talent (see: Lopez, Brook and Humphries, Kris), they should sit near the salary floor, tank like hell, and (in my scenario) could easily wind up with two top-5 picks next year (their own and Toronto's) plus Dallas's #1. They'd still be in the lottery for another year or two and can continue to build through the draft.

[T0mShane]

^ Makes sense, but I'm guessing Hennigan has self-preservation in mind. I'm not sure that selling the nitwit Orlando ownership and fanbase on tanking while paying stiffs to meet the salary floor is good for a young GM's career prospects.

That said, the new rumor, fwiw, from Broussard, fwiw, is that Hennigan is willing to sit on Dwight until February when the Nets can provide him with a clean slate by taking most of Otis Smith's ****-ups off his hands. I know it's my Netophilia speaking but if I was that young GM, I'd rather start building with Lopez while getting my cap back to zero as opposed to waiting around for two years watching Otis' misfits drag me to the lottery.

[T0mShane]

More hilarity!

Dwight Watch, Year 2: Magic willing to wait until next summer

4 Comments

By Mark Heisler

July 24, 2012 at 2:44 PM

Here’s an update for all of you who want to gag upon hearing another Dwight Howard scenario:

Tough luck.

A source told Sheridan Hoops that trade talks involving Howard, which the Orlando Magic just put on hold, could go on all summer – of 2013.

The Magic seemed ready to take the best current offer – such as the Brooklyn Nets’ package headed by Brook Lopez – but are now determined to draw out the process in hope of getting better offers.

ESPN’s Chris Broussard reported Tuesday that the Magic has told teams it will not move Howard now. Our source said new GM Rob Hennigan has decided that getting the best deal is the priority. That includes the possibility of bringing back Howard for a second season-long distraction, this time without the illusory hope of keeping him and further alienating their already dismayed fan base.

Unless Howard signs a three-year extension – which his agent, Dan Fegan, has said his client will not do with any team – Howard becomes a free agent on July 1, 2013, regardless of where he is playing. If he is still with the Magic, they could negotiate sign-and-trades next summer.

In recent weeks, however, the Magic seemed intent on shutting down the circus and getting on with basketball.

Magic officials actually wanted to move Howard before the June 28 draft but didn’t have a GM in place, having only begun the selection process after forcing previous GM Otis Smith to resign.

With the newly hired Hennigan donating Most Improved Player Ryan Anderson – an ideal, floor-spacing complement to Howard and his best future building block – to New Orleans for unproven center Gustavo Ayon, the Magic seemed on their way to starting over.

However, talks with the Nets broke off after Brooklyn set a July 11 deadline knowing Lopez, a restricted free agent, was about to sign an offer sheet with one of several suitors.

The deadline surprised Magic officials, who said negotiations were ongoing, then discovered they weren’t. Brooklyn signed Lopez to a four-year, $61 million contract, ending its pursuit of Howard at least until Jan. 15, when Lopez becomes eligible to be traded.

The source told Sheridan Hoops the Magic have been only tangentially involved in recent talks as the Rockets, Lakers and Cavaliers have tried to put together packages.

Houston’s package involves a collection of draft picks and young players. Los Angeles and Cleveland have discussed the framework of a three-way deal in which Howard goes to LA, Andrew Bynum goes to Cleveland and Anderson Varejao and multiple draft picks go to Orlando.

Those talks are now over as well, but more await.

If the Magic hold onto Howard through this summer and allow him to come to training camp in late September, they risk further alienating their fan base.

Orlando has until the mid-February trading deadline to deal Howard. It could resume talks once its season is over, but only with teams whose seasons also have ended.

 

[JohnnyHector]

I know it's my Netophilia speaking but if I was that young GM, I'd rather start building with Lopez while getting my cap back to zero as opposed to waiting around for two years watching Otis' misfits drag me to the lottery.

Then you'd make a sh*tty GM.

In my scenario, by 2014-15, Orlando would only have two remaining players from their current roster under contract - Big Baby and J-Rich, both expiring, at a combined $13m. Plus, they'll have no less than (3) very high lottery picks (Toronto, their own 2013, and their own 2014).

In your scenario, they'll have Brook Lopez, to whom they'll still owe $32.5m, and some nearly-worthless late 1st Rd picks to go with their own.

[T0mShane]

Then you'd make a sh*tty GM.

In my scenario, by 2014-15, Orlando would only have two remaining players from their current roster under contract - Big Baby and J-Rich, both expiring, at a combined $13m. Plus, they'll have no less than (3) very high lottery picks (Toronto, their own 2013, and their own 2014).

In your scenario, they'll have Brook Lopez, to whom they'll still owe $32.5m, and some nearly-worthless late 1st Rd picks to go with their own.

If I were actually a GM, I would hire you to advise me on these matters while I preached patience to ownership, closely following your scenario. We could be co-GM's, where you'd be the meticulous, conniving genius behind the scenes while I'd be the gregarious, smooth-talking fresh face of the franchise.

How-ev-ah, it would appear that Hennigan has something else (fear of killing his career?) in mind. If he hasn't taken the rumored draft-pick-laden Houston package, it has to be because he's desperate to clean up his roster in one fell swoop. Maybe he has a mandate from ownership to clean house?

[T0mShane]

^To clarify, Hennigan has been offered the draft pick package and turned it down (allegedly). At this point, given the (alleged) evidence, he's got motivations that defy logic. Obviously, your scenario is more prudent, but what he's looking for is something beyond simple prudence.

[JohnnyHector]

If I were actually a GM, I would hire you to advise me on these matters while I preached patience to ownership, closely following your scenario. We could be co-GM's, where you'd be the meticulous, conniving genius behind the scenes while I'd be the gregarious, smooth-talking fresh face of the franchise.

How-ev-ah, it would appear that Hennigan has something else (fear of killing his career?) in mind. If he hasn't taken the rumored draft-pick-laden Houston package, it has to be because he's desperate to clean up his roster in one fell swoop. Maybe he has a mandate from ownership to clean house?

You would think that the Orlando brass brought in Hennigan, an assistant under Sam Presti, to rebuild the Magic in the same mold as the Thunder. You're not going to do that with bloated contracts for non-star players and late-1st Round draft picks... those picks are where you fill out your team with a Serge Ibaka (if you're lucky), not draft stars like Durant, Westbrook, and (to a lesser extent) Harden.

[RutgersJetFan]

...an uncommitted, giant, man-baby.

He's not a baby he's a MAN. He's an ANCHORMAN!!!

[T0mShane]

You would think that the Orlando brass brought in Hennigan, an assistant under Sam Presti, to rebuild the Magic in the same mold as the Thunder. You're not going to do that with bloated contracts for non-star players and late-1st Round draft picks... those picks are where you fill out your team with a Serge Ibaka (if you're lucky), not draft stars like Durant, Westbrook, and (to a lesser extent) Harden.

Believe me, good sir, I was more afraid of the Nets losing out to Houston's offer of Lamb, Jones, and draft picks than I ever was about any of the Bynum rumors. What GM wouldn't want a bunch of good, young players to start building with? But, watching Hennigan repeatedly decline that, you have to figure his overriding mandate is to flush his roster completely, immediately. And, every day that goes by with Dwight on the Magic roster, my dreams of a Brooklyn dynasty being born in February still have life. Life, I tell you.

[JohnnyHector]

Lamb, Jones

I was hoping to never see those two words in succession ever again. Thanks.

[T0mShane]

I was hoping to never see those two words in succession ever again. Thanks.

It's like my niche to bring misery to everyone around me.

[T0mShane]

Wow. Wojo got somebody to open up about the Dwight chase.

--Fegan apparently told Houston if they traded for Dwight, Dwight would sign with Dallas in 2013. That's cold.

--Hennigan wants a package that looks like the one Denver got for Melo.

--Dwight and Fegan reconfirmed that there's no chance he re-signs in Orlando.

--Three routes from here: 1. Somebody antes up and gives Hennigan a Melo-like package soon; 2. He waits until February and lets the Nets battle it out with LA; 3. Dwight gets to free agency, where Dallas is the favorite to sign him.

[T0mShane]

For those so inclined, Peter Vescey took to Twitter to demolish Jarrod Rudolph over his consistently wrong "reporting" on the Dwight Howard situation. Rudolph brought it on himself by allowing himself to be used as his source's misinformation-peddler, but Vescey was brutal. That'll teach Rudolph to go on both WFAN and 1050 with supposed exclusives that turn out to be absolute fiction.

[jason423]

For those so inclined, Peter Vescey took to Twitter to demolish Jarrod Rudolph over his consistently wrong "reporting" on the Dwight Howard situation. Rudolph brought it on himself by allowing himself to be used as his source's misinformation-peddler, but Vescey was brutal. That'll teach Rudolph to go on both WFAN and 1050 with supposed exclusives that turn out to be absolute fiction.

I think certain writers are being told to go after him now because the league is all kinds of mad at Howards agent because they know its him blatantly using guys like that to spread the word about everything that is being said behind closed doors. I think the real story is that they knew the Nets deal was dead and they floated the story to guys like Rudolph (and probably Steven A as well but he didnt run fully with it and instead just went wild ranting on the Knicks for not getting good deals done) to get Orlando pushed. A guy like that goes on the radio and all the real tied in guys wonder how they missed it, start making a few calls, and next thing you know it becomes a real story. Of course using your mouthpiece as a guy that calls Lopez the next Eddy Curry isnt too bright since that certainly isnt going to push any trade.

[SMC]

For those so inclined, Peter Vescey took to Twitter to demolish Jarrod Rudolph over his consistently wrong "reporting" on the Dwight Howard situation. Rudolph brought it on himself by allowing himself to be used as his source's misinformation-peddler, but Vescey was brutal. That'll teach Rudolph to go on both WFAN and 1050 with supposed exclusives that turn out to be absolute fiction.

Vecsey laid into him. The old man doesn't give a sh*t, but Rudolph deserved it. I still don't understand why he was so insistant that the deal was done, giving that 95% crap. He was getting fed info from only 1 source, a source that didnt have any authority to act, and a source that had an agenda.

[T0mShane]

^ Part of me feels bad for Rudolph. Here he is, essentially a blogger, and somebody hooks him up with what looks like the major scoop that might get him an ESPN gig, and it turns out to be crap. I don't feel bad for him, though, because he followed up the Nets thing with the "Dwight would sign with LA" thing, which was also shot down. You'd think Rudolph would have learned his lesson the first time.

Jason, I was thinking Rudolph's "source" might be Dwight himself, (or one of Dwight's boys). Leaking the Nets thing likely annoyed both Fegan and Hennigan, and leaking the Lakers thing had to piss off Fegan to no end. Not sure there was enough for either party to gain in setting up Rudolph with bad info. But we know that Dwight is pretty chirpy and likely frustated. I could see him dropping a few texts trying to move the needle.

[SMC]

^ Part of me feels bad for Rudolph. Here he is, essentially a blogger, and somebody hooks him up with what looks like the major scoop that might get him an ESPN gig, and it turns out to be crap. I don't feel bad for him, though, because he followed up the Nets thing with the "Dwight would sign with LA" thing, which was also shot down. You'd think Rudolph would have learned his lesson the first time.

Jason, I was thinking Rudolph's "source" might be Dwight himself, (or one of Dwight's boys). Leaking the Nets thing likely annoyed both Fegan and Hennigan, and leaking the Lakers thing had to piss off Fegan to no end. Not sure there was enough for either party to gain in setting up Rudolph with bad info. But we know that Dwight is pretty chirpy and likely frustated. I could see him dropping a few texts trying to move the needle.

Having DH or one of his boys as your "source" is the worst. DH is so flighty and he had no power in this situation because of the optin the source was worthless and Rudolph shouldve known better.

[T0mShane]

Having DH or one of his boys as your "source" is the worst. DH is so flighty and he had no power in this situation because of the optin the source was worthless and Rudolph shouldve known better.

I was just driving home, listening to the radio, and Evan Roberts said, "Jarrod Rudolph from RealGM will be on to discu..."

I turned off the radio.

[JohnnyHector]

I was just driving home, listening to the radio, and Evan Roberts said, "Jarrod Rudolph from RealGM will be on to discu..."

I turned off the radio.

I can only imagine what Roberts was calling Howard off-air (NSFW language):