sign howard

[Vermont Green]

Dwight Howard, 30 years old, plenty of miles on his body, made $22M last season (highest paid center).  Has a player option on his $23M 2016/17 salary.  Hasn't really helped a team win in several years.

$20M is not that bad for a center these days.  Howard is still a head case in my opinion, but a talented and still very athletic head case.  We just can't afford to overpay.  You have to think he wants a raise at a minimum or why opt out?

I think there is a chance he would consider Boston and that Ainge would be interested.  I prefer Howard to Horford and I think there is no chance we get Durant.  Even 2 years at $25M (which probably wouldn't get him) seems like too much.

[ThePaintedArea]

 You have to think he wants a raise at a minimum or why opt out?

Mainly because he wants a bigger role.  I just listened to his conversation with Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith – he said that he wants to be considered one of the great players who's played the game. Now that  kind of ambition is commendable. And, especially so  for a player on the wrong side of 30. On the other hand,  to achieve that he'll have to do more on the floor, and that looks dubious.

 So, what do you do if you sign him? Do you re-create what he was doing in Orlando? In other words, you run the offense through him in the low post, à la Hakeem, surrounded by shooters.  The trouble is that even if he could handle it now (doubtful), even if  you had enough good three-point shooters to make it work, the league has moved on from that kind of offense, and with good reason; post play is generally inefficient, and he still hasn't acquired much of a repertoire of moves.  He turns it over a ton, and his free-throw shooting is a really bad problem if he's getting a steady diet of postups.

So... he's an over-30 DeAndre or Tristan Thompson in today's NBA. 30 mil is ridiculous, but 15-18 is not. Does he fit the Celtics' offense? Olynyk, Sullinger, Johnson, Jerebko make good decisions and keep the ball moving.  I'm skeptical that Dwight could adapt. To make it work, you don't give him the ball unless he's two feet above the rim, or he gets points off the offensive board.

I think there is a chance he would consider Boston and that Ainge would be interested.  I prefer Howard to Horford and I think there is no chance we get Durant.  Even 2 years at $25M (which probably wouldn't get him) seems like too much.

I agree that 25 is too much. Horford is way preferable;  he is a better fit for a modern offense – apart from the fact that he's been a LOT better than Dwight on both ends the last two years.

I doubt that Horford is available, however.

No one's talking about Marc Gasol.  But he's much more in the mold of the passing big man that Danny Ainge likes. Memphis looks ripe for a rebuild right about now...

[TheSundanceKid]

Everyone wants to be considered a great, it's just what people say

[LooseCannon]

David West chose to turn down a huge player option to sign a one year minimum deal with a player option with San Antonio.

What if Howard opts out and is convinced that the best way to stick it to Harden, Morey, and the Rockets is to sign a below-market one-year deal with a player option for a second year so he can rebuild his value and re-enter the free agent market when the cap goes up again in 2017.  I doubt he would be amenable to anywhere close to a minimum deal, but what about $15-20m per year.  It's still a pay cut from the option he would have to decline.

Now, you may say that you'd prefer it is a team option for the second year, but I don't really want someone dumb enough to accept that sort of contract.

[TheSundanceKid]

David West chose to turn down a huge player option to sign a one year minimum deal with a player option with San Antonio.

What if Howard opts out and is convinced that the best way to stick it to Harden, Morey, and the Rockets is to sign a below-market one-year deal with a player option for a second year so he can rebuild his value and re-enter the free agent market when the cap goes up again in 2017.  I doubt he would be amenable to anywhere close to a minimum deal, but what about $15-20m per year.  It's still a pay cut from the option he would have to decline.

Now, you may say that you'd prefer it is a team option for the second year, but I don't really want someone dumb enough to accept that sort of contract.

If Dwight has any sense at all he will sign a long term deal this summer. It's his last chance to cash in on big time money. Waiting til next year to do that just risks his future too much. One significant injury and he'll have missed out on 10s of millions. It's only really LeBron and maybe Durant this summer who can do the 1+1 at their market value. For people like Dwight it is still better to lock up the money long term

[LooseCannon]

David West chose to turn down a huge player option to sign a one year minimum deal with a player option with San Antonio.

What if Howard opts out and is convinced that the best way to stick it to Harden, Morey, and the Rockets is to sign a below-market one-year deal with a player option for a second year so he can rebuild his value and re-enter the free agent market when the cap goes up again in 2017.  I doubt he would be amenable to anywhere close to a minimum deal, but what about $15-20m per year.  It's still a pay cut from the option he would have to decline.

Now, you may say that you'd prefer it is a team option for the second year, but I don't really want someone dumb enough to accept that sort of contract.

If Dwight has any sense at all he will sign a long term deal this summer. It's his last chance to cash in on big time money. Waiting til next year to do that just risks his future too much. One significant injury and he'll have missed out on 10s of millions. It's only really LeBron and maybe Durant this summer who can do the 1+1 at their market value. For people like Dwight it is still better to lock up the money long term

I'm sure that is what he wants, but it is uncertain how likely he is to get a long-term deal.  It's an option if he doesn't like the offers he is getting.

[LGC88]

I believe that the teams who will give 25mil contract to Horford will be in trouble later and won't fully contend. Same apply for whoever will give Howard more than 20mil.
In fact, I hope many teams will sign albatros contracts so we can have better chance next year to get 2 or 3 nice FAs.
Cheers 

[TheSundanceKid]

David West chose to turn down a huge player option to sign a one year minimum deal with a player option with San Antonio.

What if Howard opts out and is convinced that the best way to stick it to Harden, Morey, and the Rockets is to sign a below-market one-year deal with a player option for a second year so he can rebuild his value and re-enter the free agent market when the cap goes up again in 2017.  I doubt he would be amenable to anywhere close to a minimum deal, but what about $15-20m per year.  It's still a pay cut from the option he would have to decline.

Now, you may say that you'd prefer it is a team option for the second year, but I don't really want someone dumb enough to accept that sort of contract.

If Dwight has any sense at all he will sign a long term deal this summer. It's his last chance to cash in on big time money. Waiting til next year to do that just risks his future too much. One significant injury and he'll have missed out on 10s of millions. It's only really LeBron and maybe Durant this summer who can do the 1+1 at their market value. For people like Dwight it is still better to lock up the money long term

I'm sure that is what he wants, but it is uncertain how likely he is to get a long-term deal.  It's an option if he doesn't like the offers he is getting.

I could see Charlotte replacing Jefferson with Howard. Howard and Clifford have a previous relationship which might be enticing for him. It would also take Dwight out of the spotlight of the major markets.
He'll get a deal larger than his current salary for sure. That's the market this summer unfortunately. It certainly makes me take pause though. It might be the sensible strategy to either target RFAs or conserve the cap space if we miss out on Durant. Let the other teams lock themselves into ageing veterans on long term deals.

[ThePaintedArea]

Everyone wants to be considered a great, it's just what people say

Everyone wants it, true. But it's different if you say it on TNT, isn't it? You never heard Bruce Bowen or Kenny Smith or Robert Horry, despite their multiple rings, saying such things. You invite the judgment, even the contempt, of fans - and especially of the chattering classes.  He's putting his ass on the line in saying that, and it's especially risky because he's over 30 and has body issues, and his accomplishments do not yet match that ambition. Kudos to him.

I don't think he's a great fit in Boston without downgrades in salary and role. Ergo, he won't be coming to Boston.

[trickybilly]

Interesting interview with Dwight here.

I always felt he was somewhat of a victim of circumstances. Especially, getting stuck with peak ayhole/declining Kobe. Such a shame he will still ask for more than 20m per year on a multi-year deal.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/15596878/dwight-howard-qa-superman-returns