Magic taking other offers

[Roy H.]

I honestly don't view Lopez as an asset. With a max contract, he's an albatross.

I think you're underrating the value of a post-scoring center who can give you 20 points every night.  Yes, you need to play him beside a power forward who defends and rebounds, but post scoring is still a very important skill in today's game.

[celtsfan84]

I honestly don't view Lopez as an asset. With a max contract, he's an albatross.

I think you're underrating the value of a post-scoring center who can give you 20 points every night.  Yes, you need to play him beside a power forward who defends and rebounds, but post scoring is still a very important skill in today's game.

Maybe so,  but the NBA Finals was just Heat-Thunder, where the only post play came from a SF playing out of position at PF.

And if you have two big men on the floor (Lopez and this defensive and rebounding PF), how do you defend small, quick teams?

And how do you defend teams that have stretch fours (which is most teams in the NBA)?  Lopez's partner in crime at PF can't help him on the boards if he is defending on the perimeter.

Seems like you are creating a lot of potential problems for a max contract guy.

[Lucky17]

I honestly don't view Lopez as an asset. With a max contract, he's an albatross.

I think you're underrating the value of a post-scoring center who can give you 20 points every night.  Yes, you need to play him beside a power forward who defends and rebounds, but post scoring is still a very important skill in today's game.

Maybe so. But I'd prefer to acquire some other post scorer than Brook Lopez on a max deal.

[StartOrien]

Because for all the Atlanta hype, how are they gonna give up Horford and Teague without an extension?

If I'm Hotlanta, I take the gamble. It's worth it for basketball and business reasons.

I'm convinced that at the end of the season he couldn't resist the money, playing alongside Josh Smith in front of his hometown, and know there's enough famous rappers that call ATL home to really 'wow' someone with a 14 year old's mind.

Is it? How many post players would you rather have over Al Horford right now? Howard, Bynum, Marc Gasol, Aldridge, and who else?

I'm a huge Horford guy. Think you put him next to a legit center, or even a smarter power forward you turn yourself into a contender. Ideally, Atlanta would be able to hold onto him in a trade and move Smith.

But its Dwight Howard. Yes, he's immature and a jerk. The second he shows up in Atlanta they've sold out the season and can't print jerseys fast enough.

An athletic freak, game changing defense, and can add 20 points a night without having to call a single play for him.

[Change]

How many big market teams are under the cap next year? As of right now, It's between Houston Rockets, and Dallas Mavericks. Mavericks aren't staying put with that roster this year. By this time next year, Houston Rockets could be the only big market team under the cap.

Daryl Morey is taking a calculated risk knowing beforehand Dwight Howard lack of options. So yes, Houston/Orlando partnership makes a lot of sense.

[LarBrd33]

If Brooklyn and Orlando are to make a deal for Howard in near-term, it will likely be a trade between the two teams, sources tell Y! Sports.

So...go Houston, its your birfday?

Try as he may, I still don't think Houston has what it takes. Everything they have is just too 'meh.'

Yeah, but they're doing it without taking on an extension.

If Howard is only going to sign an extension with the Nets, does that give the nets the necessary leverage to work out the trade?

Because for all the Atlanta hype, how are they gonna give up Horford and Teague without an extension?

Same got for LA with Bynum, or really anywhere else.

The only teams out there I see as a valid place to trade for Howard without an extension are Utah and Houston, because they've got guys/assets that are redundant but still valuable, and because its the only shot they're gonna get at a marquee free agent.

Something like this:

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=7bbmulr

What does Houston have that is as valuable as Brook Lopez? 

Houston's collection of assets are more valuable than Brook Lopez on a max level extension. That's assuming he can regain his sophomore year form and be healthy.

Why do people have so much trouble understanding this concept.   Orlando is trading Dwight, because he refuses to sign an extension with them.  THey don't want to lose Dwight Howard for nothing.  If Dwight continues to say he will leave any team other than Brooklyn that attempts to trade for him... why would any team give up a bunch of assets in order to put themselves in Orlando's situation?

FYI... we just saw Omar Asik get a contract paying him 15 mil in year three and we saw Roy HIbbert get a max contract.  Big men are valuable in this league... especially a 7 foot 24 year old who gives you 20 points a night.  If Orlando doesn't want Brook Lopez, I imagine some other team would gladly take him.  I doubt anyone beats that offer... and if they do... their GM has balls of steel. 

On Houston:  People keep bringing them up.  We don't know what the package is they are offering... we only know they were collecting a bunch of draft picks.  Is it coincidence that all the Houston rumors came out BEFORE Dwight explicitly said he would never sign an extension with Houston?

On the Lakers:  I imagine they'd give up Bynum for Dwight, because Bynum is only signed through this year anyways.  But then Orlando is just putting themselves in the same situation since Bynum supposedly will not sign an extension with the Magic.

On Atlanta:  No sense in giving up Horford and Teague if Dwight has no interest in re-signing there.  It's Atlanta... if he's not signing an extension now, I doubt he's sticking around later.

This part is just simply not true.

The rumors were before the draft.

This was the 25th:

Rockets Attempting To Acquire Top-10 Picks
Jun 25, 2012 | Chad Ford, Marc Stein/ESPN
The Rockets have been in discussions to move up in the draft to select Andre Drummond, though it could also be part of a larger plan to trade for Dwight Howard.

Read more: http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/teams/Houston_Rockets/10/news/older/2#ixzz20FR1OsUf

This was the 26th:

Source: No Chance Howard Signs Long-Term With Rockets
Jun 26, 2012 | David Aldridge/NBA.com
There is “not a chance” Dwight would be convinced to re-sign with Houston if traded there, according to a source.

Read more: http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/teams/Houston_Rockets/10/news/older/2#ixzz20FQnANGc

This was the 28th:

The Magic front office is unmoved by Houston's attempt to put together a package of draft picks in an effort to trade for Dwight Howard, according to sources.

Orlando is unlikely to deal Howard on draft night, or in the immediate future.

New general manager Rob Hennigan was hired last week by the Magic.

Sources have said that Howard would be unlikely to sign a new deal with the Rockets regardless of the circumstances.

Read more: http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/teams/Houston_Rockets/10/news/older/2#ixzz20FQRnZ4T

Rumors pretty much died down from there, but the assumption continues that Houston is still offering the same package in the face of Dwight making it clear he has no interest in signing an extension with them.   I'm just somewhat skeptical that they'd continue to offer a huge package when Dwight has now come out and said he'll bail on them.  It's also never been terribly clear what the package from Houston entails.

[gpap]

Still don't understand why the Celtics don't offer Rondo, Pierce and filler (Sullinger, JJJ, draft picks) for Howard and offer to take about Turkaglu's contract.

Guaratee the Celtics as is are a 6th seed at best. Need new blood.

[indeedproceed]

Once again, LarBrd33 is woefully uninformed, and an embarassment to the previous 32 Larbrds.

From July 3rd:

Houston

The Rockets are looking at merely renting Howard for this season and hoping he'll re-sign afterward. It's a huge risk, mainly because any deal with Howard also is going to stick the Rockets with a bunch of bad contracts that might be on their books long after Howard is gone. But between New Jersey's cap situation and the fact Houston can offer the best deal if it has Howard's Bird rights, it could be a worthwhile risk.

At first glance, it seemed as if Houston's offer sheet with Omer Asik might complicate matters by eliminating some of the Rockets' ability to soak up bad contracts from the Magic.

Actually, nothing of the sort. Thanks to the provision in the new CBA that trade dollars between teams need only be within 50 percent of each other, the best way to unload a bunch of money in a superstar trade now exists above the cap, not below it.

Houston wouldn't be taking bad Orlando contracts into cap space; it'd be taking them on and sending two-thirds of the dollar value back.

A workable deal can be had hinging on the expiring contracts of Kevin Martin and Kyle Lowry going to the Magic, as well as a flotilla of young assets to help the Magic rebuild.

Chief among them are the six first-round picks Houston has from the past three seasons: Patrick Patterson, Marcus Morris, Donatas Motiejunas, Jeremy Lamb, Terrence Jones and Royce White.

Amazingly, the Rockets can trade all six of them, as well as last season's starting backcourt of Martin and Lowry, and still have a very strong team. They would solidify the backcourt by re-signing Goran Dragic and Courtney Lee, starting Chandler Parsons and Luis Scola at forward, and having Howard at center with Asik backing him up.

The rest of the team would be built from the Magic's leftovers; for instance, if Houston included Patterson, Morris, Motiejunas and Jones, Orlando could conceivably dump Jason Richardson, Davis and Duhon on Houston along with Howard.

Doing that would leave Houston with a second unit of Duhon, Richardson, White, Lamb, Davis and Asik -- not too shabby -- and the Rockets still could fortify that with another guard via the under-cap midlevel exception. (Incidentally, it also would threaten to make Houston the first team in recorded history to sign a player with cap space and pay luxury tax in the same season.)

But what of a post-Howard nuclear winter? The Rockets would be capped out with a very average roster for a couple of seasons, but even that scenario presumes they couldn't work a sign-and-trade to get some assets back. At worst, they'd have one very good year with Howard and two bad ones after he left. It's a risk that seems worth taking.

And when the news broke recently that Houston was likely asking for another 1st rounder back for Courtney Lee, again you got the 'Houston doesn't give up hopes for Howard, looks to get more picks' tweets.

But I'm having a hard time getting those. I just need more time.

[Fafnir]

Still don't understand why the Celtics don't offer Rondo, Pierce and filler (Sullinger, JJJ, draft picks) for Howard and offer to take about Turkaglu's contract.

Guaratee the Celtics as is are a 6th seed at best. Need new blood.

Because Howard would immediately say he wouldn't sign an extension with the C's. Thus giving away Rondo/Pierce for a rental is a bad deal.

[Snakehead]

How many big market teams are under the cap next year? As of right now, It's between Houston Rockets, and Dallas Mavericks. Mavericks aren't staying put with that roster this year. By this time next year, Houston Rockets could be the only big market team under the cap.

Daryl Morey is taking a calculated risk knowing beforehand Dwight Howard lack of options. So yes, Houston/Orlando partnership makes a lot of sense.

I wouldn't assume the Mavs aren't going to mostly stay put with this roster.  They are an attractive free agent destination that is still in play and have already shown they will blow their shot at contending to land a top free agent.  I mean they will sign some players I'm sure but if they didn't make any moves of note I would not be surprised.

They can give Boubois PT this year and see what they have with him and turn him into a player or a trade chip, for example.

[StartOrien]

Still don't understand why the Celtics don't offer Rondo, Pierce and filler (Sullinger, JJJ, draft picks) for Howard and offer to take about Turkaglu's contract.

Guaratee the Celtics as is are a 6th seed at best. Need new blood.

Because Howard would immediately say he wouldn't sign an extension with the C's. Thus giving away Rondo/Pierce for a rental is a bad deal.

Do we know how Dwight feels about the Wahlberg's? Did he see "Contraband"? Did he think it was awesome? I'd need to know all these things before I'd consider it.

[LarBrd33]

Once again, LarBrd33 is woefully uninformed, and an embarassment to the previous 32 Larbrds.

From July 3rd:

Houston

The Rockets are looking at merely renting Howard for this season and hoping he'll re-sign afterward. It's a huge risk, mainly because any deal with Howard also is going to stick the Rockets with a bunch of bad contracts that might be on their books long after Howard is gone. But between New Jersey's cap situation and the fact Houston can offer the best deal if it has Howard's Bird rights, it could be a worthwhile risk.

At first glance, it seemed as if Houston's offer sheet with Omer Asik might complicate matters by eliminating some of the Rockets' ability to soak up bad contracts from the Magic.

Actually, nothing of the sort. Thanks to the provision in the new CBA that trade dollars between teams need only be within 50 percent of each other, the best way to unload a bunch of money in a superstar trade now exists above the cap, not below it.

Houston wouldn't be taking bad Orlando contracts into cap space; it'd be taking them on and sending two-thirds of the dollar value back.

A workable deal can be had hinging on the expiring contracts of Kevin Martin and Kyle Lowry going to the Magic, as well as a flotilla of young assets to help the Magic rebuild.

Chief among them are the six first-round picks Houston has from the past three seasons: Patrick Patterson, Marcus Morris, Donatas Motiejunas, Jeremy Lamb, Terrence Jones and Royce White.

Amazingly, the Rockets can trade all six of them, as well as last season's starting backcourt of Martin and Lowry, and still have a very strong team. They would solidify the backcourt by re-signing Goran Dragic and Courtney Lee, starting Chandler Parsons and Luis Scola at forward, and having Howard at center with Asik backing him up.

The rest of the team would be built from the Magic's leftovers; for instance, if Houston included Patterson, Morris, Motiejunas and Jones, Orlando could conceivably dump Jason Richardson, Davis and Duhon on Houston along with Howard.

Doing that would leave Houston with a second unit of Duhon, Richardson, White, Lamb, Davis and Asik -- not too shabby -- and the Rockets still could fortify that with another guard via the under-cap midlevel exception. (Incidentally, it also would threaten to make Houston the first team in recorded history to sign a player with cap space and pay luxury tax in the same season.)

But what of a post-Howard nuclear winter? The Rockets would be capped out with a very average roster for a couple of seasons, but even that scenario presumes they couldn't work a sign-and-trade to get some assets back. At worst, they'd have one very good year with Howard and two bad ones after he left. It's a risk that seems worth taking.

And when the news broke recently that Houston was likely asking for another 1st rounder back for Courtney Lee, again you got the 'Houston doesn't give up hopes for Howard, looks to get more picks' tweets.

But I'm having a hard time getting those. I just need more time.

TP.  I didn't bother reading every article related to the Rockets pursuit of Dwight.  I just knew they were trying to put together a package... and then Dwight's people made it clear he wouldn't sign an extension with Houston.  If Moray is still willing to give up considerable assets for a rental... maybe this is a two horse race to land him.

Anytime you can get Patrick Patterson, Marcus Morris, Donatas Motiejunas, Jeremy Lamb, Terrence Jones and Royce White for Dwight Howard... you pull the trigger. 

[CelticsFan9]

Because for all the Atlanta hype, how are they gonna give up Horford and Teague without an extension?

If I'm Hotlanta, I take the gamble. It's worth it for basketball and business reasons.

I'm convinced that at the end of the season he couldn't resist the money, playing alongside Josh Smith in front of his hometown, and know there's enough famous rappers that call ATL home to really 'wow' someone with a 14 year old's mind.

Is it? How many post players would you rather have over Al Horford right now? Howard, Bynum, Marc Gasol, Aldridge, and who else?

"Uhh....  Brook Lopez?" - Orlando Management

[StartOrien]

Still don't understand why the Celtics don't offer Rondo, Pierce and filler (Sullinger, JJJ, draft picks) for Howard and offer to take about Turkaglu's contract.

Guaratee the Celtics as is are a 6th seed at best. Need new blood.

Because Howard would immediately say he wouldn't sign an extension with the C's. Thus giving away Rondo/Pierce for a rental is a bad deal.

Do we know how Dwight feels about the Wahlberg's? Did he see "Contraband"? Did he think it was awesome? I'd need to know all these things before I'd consider it.

Wait! Does anyone know if Seth MacFarlane is a Celtics fan? We might be able to throw a wrench into things.

[indeedproceed]

Still don't understand why the Celtics don't offer Rondo, Pierce and filler (Sullinger, JJJ, draft picks) for Howard and offer to take about Turkaglu's contract.

Guaratee the Celtics as is are a 6th seed at best. Need new blood.

Because Howard would immediately say he wouldn't sign an extension with the C's. Thus giving away Rondo/Pierce for a rental is a bad deal.

Do we know how Dwight feels about the Wahlberg's? Did he see "Contraband"? Did he think it was awesome? I'd need to know all these things before I'd consider it.

Wait! Does anyone know if Seth MacFarlane is a Celtics fan? We might be able to throw a wrench into things.

My biggest concern is 'will Dwight Howard be able to forgive Entourage and How To Make It In America'?

Ted is a huge step in the right direction, but as Ray Allen proved, some kinds of disagreement are beyond patching.