What's the chances Howard and CP3 join the Mavericks?

[AB_Celtic]

I am fully aware no one will agree with me, but if I am Danny I would try to come up with every scenario possible to land Dwight Howard or both Howard and CP3

Neither player is a realistic target. Any efforts made to try and steal them away in free agency will fail. They are both in very good situations with strong talent around them and can be paid more at their current locations than anywhere else.

Nobody is going to be able to make a bid that convinces either one of them to leave their current teams. This isn't Chris Bosh in Toronto or LeBron James in Cleveland. Dwight Howard has Nash, Kobe and Pau Gasol. Chris Paul has Blake Griffin and friends.

Danny needs to focus on targets who are realistically acquirable.

There just aren't any that I can think of at that level of ability. Unless you consider Pau Gasol or Josh Smith on that level.

Of course they aren't on that level, but we don't need that level. We need one more fringe all-star and we're in business. We don't need a superstar.

I disagree with this. I think signing "fringe" players is cutting corners. Remember, 5 years ago KG was a "superstar" player (and despite his age, I think is still considered one today)and that year the Celtics won a title.

You either have a championship caliber team or no team at all. To me, there's no gray area.

If we are talking about guys like Gasol and Smith, that's one thing. But if the goal is continuing to acquire half-as**ed players like Brandon Bass, Jeff Green, Mickael Pietrus and Keyon Dooling, then you're not going anywhere.

How on earth are Bass, Pietrus, and Dooling considered fringe all-stars? Green has the potential to be one, but he isn't.

There are only 12 all-stars from each conference each year. Are any of the four you listed even close to a top 12 player in the east? No. Is Josh Smith? Yes. Is Gasol close in the west? Yes.

[gpap]

You misunderstood me and I probably misunderstood the previous fan as well. I think Josh Smith and Pau Gasol are superstar caliber players and the type of players I would either sign or trade for.

If I have a Josh Smith or Pau Gasol on my team, I feel alot better about competing vs Miami than with some of the guys on the current roster.

Maybe my definition of a fringe star player is different than others. I look at a fringe player as someone who's just barely going to be able to contribute.

I look at a superstar player as not just someone named Lebron, Kobe or Durant, but someone who can make an immediate impact, ala Josh Smith or Pau Gasol

[LarBrd33]

I'm bumping this topic from November, because I think it's a relevant subject.

Not enough is being made of the fact that Dwight and Chris Paul (who have wanted to play together for years) are both UNRESTRICTED free agents this summer.

Lakers just got swept.  I still say Dwight sticks around, but are you going to be shocked if he bails on them?

Clippers are about to lose in the 1st round.  Also, it appears there's a wee bit of trouble in Clipper land according to Bill SImmons:

The macro problem: Even after they bring in another coach, they need to figure out how to mesh Lob City with the CP3 era. Because, right now, Blake Griffin and best friend DeAndre Jordan don't love playing basketball with him — that was the worst-kept secret in basketball until T.J. Simers wrote about it last month. The young guys want to run. Chris wants to win. The young guys think Chris is condescending. Chris thinks they care too much about getting on YouTube. Blake feels like he gets frozen out of games late. Chris doesn't want to pass to him because Blake can't make free throws. Blake didn't understand why Chris got input in last summer's free-agent moves and he didn't. Chris doesn't think Blake works hard enough at defending high screens. Etc. etc. etc. They've uneasily coexisted these past two seasons, and these last few weeks it's gotten rocky enough that they can barely hide it in their on-court interactions.

Let's talk about this.  I may have leaped to conclusions with my suggestion of Dallas (do they have the potential cap space?).... but what about another team?  Atlanta?  Still expecting them both to re-up in LA?   Thoughts?

[Fafnir]

They'd both have to take large paycuts to do so. I don't see it happening.

[LarBrd33]

They'd both have to take large paycuts to do so. I don't see it happening.

Thoughts on a potential sign-and-trade?  Dwight to the Clippers?  Paul to the Lakers?  Still unthinkable?

I'm not making any predictions here (unlike when the Magic extended Dwight for a year and I correctly predicted they were still going to trade him in the Summer)  ... But I think it's worth discussing.  We may have overestimated how happy Dwight and Chris are on their respective teams.

Here's that article on the Chris Paul being unhappy there:  http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-simers-clippers-20130404,0,5863918,full.column ... with them potentially getting bounced in the first round, I think it's something to watch.

[LarBrd33]

BTW, I think Atlanta only has Lou WIlliams and Al Horford under contract next year... something like 18 million on the books...

[SparzWizard]

CP3, Dwight, and Nowitzki will be a force to reckon with in the West.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Some of my Lakers-fan coworkers are thinking the Lakers will (or at least should) sign-and-trade Howard to either Houston or Atlanta. I can also see Dallas as a possibility.

I didn't know about all the Clippers friction, and Howard's situation is certainly a bit rocky at this point. Hard to imagine either of them giving up the extra cash, which is why a couple of S&Ts wouldn't surprise me.

As much as Howard annoys me, I don't mind if he goes to any of those three teams, even if it means him winning a title—my main concerns (outside of the Cs) are the Lakers and Heat NOT winning more titles.

[Fafnir]

Sign and Trade's no longer give a player extra cash over just signing as a FA though right?

[Mr Green]

CP3 won't stick around with the Clippers. My guess is next season he'll end up in Dallas and Dwight will be playing for Houston. Mark Cuban is too savvy not to get at least one of those guys.