Dwight Howard's Clusterfuck Is Now Houston's Problem

[Andrew]

I still think he's more likely to stay in LA, but given how things went down last season, I don't really want to see another wasted year by one of the best bigs in today's era.

Going by the latest reports, that's starting to look like a less likely scenario, but I wouldn't be totally shocked if he stayed. If nothing else, it would be tough to walk away from the extra money, at a point in his career when his earning potential is at its peak.

[NovU]

https://twitter.com/Chris_Broussard/sta ... 8894129152

Sources: Chris Paul's reps telling opposing teams not to bother pursuing him on July 1 bc he'll re-sign with Clippers

Meanwhile this is what we get from CP3. Expected but I'm bored again.

[Andrew]

I don't know, seeing a star player stay where they are and the Clippers remain relevant is a refreshing change of pace.

[NovU]

Not I didn't want him to stay. But he shut down all speculation talk/imagination which we could have done even before it could begin.

[Andrew]

If he was intending to stay, then all that talk and speculation would've been a shaggy dog story.

[JaoSming]

[Jackal]

Douchebag.

[NovU]

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak met with Dwight Howard briefly after free agency started at 9:01 p.m. PDT, according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.The meeting was believed to be a quick "hello and good luck." Howard was given a big presentation by the Rockets Sunday night in Los Angeles and the details of his chat with Kupchak are not yet known. The Lakers have made it clear they want Howard and are expected to be Howard last formal meeting on Tuesday. The Rockets may be the favorite in the Dwight sweepstakes, but don't count the Lakers out.

Previously: Yao Ming joins HOU's pitch to Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant plans to meet with Dwight on Tues

Dwight is insisting that Houston gets another max free agent. #rumour

[JaoSming]

Dwight is insisting that Houston gets another max free agent. #rumour

CBS Sports really shit the bed here. Howard asked whether the Rockets were in a position to offer another max contract, he never made it a request. The quote that CBSSports is basing this entire article off of says exactly that. Howard was just doing his due diligence.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/blog/eye-o ... -superstar
[quote"DWIGHT"]Rockets general manager Daryl Morey discussed not only the plans going forward, but was also asked about how the Rockets were built to position themselves to be able to offer a second max contract.[/quote]
Pretty far from a demand[/quote]

[NovU]

Interesting.

I'm now keen on hearing about Dirk and Mav's sales pitch on Dwight.

[Andrew]

Certainly seems like an accurate depiction of what's running through his mind at the moment.

[NovU]

Warriors Hoping For Sign-and-Trade with Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers free agent center Dwight Howard continued his process of meeting with potential suitors today, taking some face time with the Golden State Warriors’ brain trust. The Warriors, of course, have no hope of signing Howard as a free agent because they don’t have the cap space to do so. They are hoping to put together an offer that the Lakers can’t refuse in terms of a sign-and-trade. The Lakers, to this point, have made it clear they are not willing to make such a deal, but that won’t deter the Warriors from trying to change their minds.

According to multiple reports, the Warriors’ offer for Howard, which is still in the hypothetical stage, would involve Andrew Bogut and either Harrison Barnes or Klay Thompson, with Golden State also potentially sending over the expiring contract of either Richard Jefferson or Andris Biedrins, allowing the Lakers additional cap flexibility in 2014.

As of today, the Lakers have only one contract on the books for 2014, when Steve Nash will be in the final year of his deal with the team. The Lakers’ long-term goal has been and continues to be to rebuild around Howard and a second star (possibly Miami HEAT forward LeBron James once he becomes a free agent). The beauty of the Warriors’ offer is that it doesn’t jeopardize the Lakers’ long-term cap space, as Bogut is expiring and Thompson and Barnes are inexpensive and both have team options built in after this season.

Still, all indications are that the Lakers will either sign Howard themselves or let him walk rather than facilitating a sign-and-trade.

Howard also has meetings scheduled with the Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks in the coming days, so this process isn’t close to being finished.

Interesting. The Warriors are trying hard. Can't wait for Mavs and Hawks.

[Andrew]

That wouldn't be a bad move for the Lakers, given the expiring contracts involved. To me, that's better than letting him walk for nothing. Bogut's finally looking healthy again but even if he can't be a solid third or fourth guy for them, there's still that cap flexibility. Barnes and Thompson are both promising young players worth taking a gamble on.

[benji]

A person in LA/D12 meeting:"went well. I'm not sure what he's gonna do. He was indecisive."

Wow, that's quite a twist, nobody had to see this coming.

[NovU]

Jul 2 - 5:07 PM: Owner Mark Cuban said, "it was fun," when asked how the Mavs' Tuesday meeting with free agent Dwight Howard went.Cuban, Rick Carlisle, Donnie Nelson and Dirk Nowitzki met with Howard for roughly 2 1/2 hours, trying to sell him on joining forces with Dirk. He'll now meet with the Lakers and has also reportedly talked to the Hawks, Rockets and Warriors. For what it's worth, offshore sportsbooks have made Houston the odds-on favorites to land Howard.

Jul 2 - 7:40 PM: Free agent Dwight Howard met with the Lakers on Tuesday, wrapping up his meetings with possible teams he'll play for next season.The Lakers group included Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, coach Mike D'Antoni, G.M. Mitch Kupchak and members of the Buss family. Howard said only "I had some great meetings" before leaving, and it's anyone's guess as to where he'll end up signing. The Rockets have been a popular guess, while the Lakers can give him more money (via a longer contract) than any other suitors. Howard will be making his decision in the coming days, but it thankfully doesn't sound like there will be a television special surrounding it. Adrian Wojnarowski is also reporting that Howard will leave California for a few days to mull his future. Stay tuned.

Jul 3 - 1:09 AM: Peter Vescey said on Twitter Tuesday that his sources suggest Dwight Howard will make his "decision" on Friday, in regards to what team he'll be joining next season.The Rockets are the favorites, the Lakers make a lot of sense, and the Mavericks, Hawks and Warriors are also in play. We're thinking Rockets, but wouldn't be surprised regardless of where Howard ends up. He's historically had a difficult time making up his mind and it can be argued that free agency won't truly start until he lets the world know where he's going.

Fun day. I wish this continues longer than Friday.

[Axel The Great]

As a Rockets fan, I'm excited about the possibility of getting Dwight Howard, but I do have a slight doubt. From my observations this season, I think the Rockets needed a jump shooting big man, especially against OKC, something that was lost when they amnestied Luis Scola. That wasn't the necessity that would have put them over the top, but a Scola type of player would have kept Ibaka/Perkins out of the paint due to his perimeter shooting threat. Also, Howard's free throw shooting, while fun to watch when cheering against him, will most definitely be frustrating to watch when cheering for him.

On the other hand, the Rockets didn't have a commanding inside presence this season either, so Howard's inside game will open up their three-point shooting. With Howard, their main strength will get stronger, while also filling an offensive weakness. Also, as I read in another thread, Houston is a good fit for Howard, because expectations here are much lower than in LA because there's less media publicity. Overall, I'm hoping Howard does end up signing with the Rockets, and if he can be at least a 20-10 player, or somewhere close to that, the slight doubt that I have will be gone.

[NovU]

Sorry Axel and StrssFructus. dei and hova say 'not so fast'.

Mavericks have 'every reason' to think pitch to Howard was on target

Howard would clearly be the main superstar if he joins the Mavericks.

The same cannot be said in Houston, where James Harden has entrenched himself as the go-to man who touches the ball on virtually every possession. Or in LA, where Kobe Bryant will continue to be the Lakers’ franchise icon.

The Mavericks, meanwhile, have every reason to feel good. While their silence about how the meeting went is curious, you can be certain that it was a full Cuban production. Video, analytical data and visions of the future were no doubt part of the recruiting meeting.

The Mavericks will have enough room under the salary cap next summer, when Nowitzki comes off the books and will re-sign for probably $14 million or so less than he’s making this season, to add another max-level free agent.

Meanwhile, Houston has Harden and a better overall squad for the here and now. But they will be largely incapable of adding high-priced talent in the future since they will be at or above the salary cap for the foreseeable future.

[Andrew]

Hard to make a prediction that isn't a complete guess. Just put every team's name in a hat and draw one out; it seems like that's what Howard will be doing.

[Sauru]

even after all this shit being said about where he may land i still say he is staying put

[Stress Fracture]

As a Rockets fan, I'm excited about the possibility of getting Dwight Howard, but I do have a slight doubt. From my observations this season, I think the Rockets needed a jump shooting big man, especially against OKC, something that was lost when they amnestied Luis Scola. That wasn't the necessity that would have put them over the top, but a Scola type of player would have kept Ibaka/Perkins out of the paint due to his perimeter shooting threat. Also, Howard's free throw shooting, while fun to watch when cheering against him, will most definitely be frustrating to watch when cheering for him.

Dammit I suddenly missed Luis. I do hope D-Mo develops his jump shot. He has shown some range last season.

[Axel The Great]

Howard would clearly be the main superstar if he joins the Mavericks.

If by "superstar" they mean first scoring option, that wouldn't be such a good idea. Even though Dirk is aging, I'd trust him as my go-to guy a lot more than I'd trust Howard. Besides, I don't think Howard is skilled enough to be the first scoring option on any contending team.

[Jackal]

Dwight is a douchebag until he proves otherwise. He's the center version of Lebron James.

[NovU]

Bryant Challenged Howard During Lakers’ Meeting?

As the Los Angeles Lakers tried to persuade Dwight Howard to re-sign with the team, they put up billboards and sent out affectionate tweets. Mitch Kupchak, Jeanie Buss and Steve Nash delivered messages that showed Howard just how much they cared about him. The Lakers understand that Howard can be sensitive, and they wanted to be careful about how they handled their recruitment.
Well, Kobe Bryant didn’t get the message.
In the Lakers’ meeting with Howard, Bryant decided to try a different technique. Rather than coddling Howard, as most have done throughout this process, he challenged Howard.
“You need to learn how it’s done first, and I can teach you here,” Bryant told Howard during the Lakers’ presentation, according to Yahoo! Sports. “You have to learn how it’s done. I know how to do it and I’ve learned from the best – players who have won multiple times over and over. Instead of trying to do things your way, just listen and learn and tweak it, so it fits you.”
Bryant repeatedly told Howard that he needs to “learn how it’s done” throughout the meeting, a condescending message that Howard likely didn’t take well.
The relationship between Bryant and Howard has always been rocky, since both players see the world very differently but both want to be the alpha male. It remains to be seen how Howard responds to Bryant challenge. The center is currently in Colorado mulling over his free agency options.

Is joining the tank war a choice for the Lakers by any chance? There are Philly & Boston who are fired up tankers, and a natural born tanker the Bobcats. Since Kobe's not coming back at least till Jan/Feb and takes a month or two to fully get the game shape back on, which still is doubt at this stage of his career, I think the Lakers might want to think about this. Gasol, and Nash are attractive pieces and there's Metta Peace too. Assets you might want to sell at high price if things don't go too well with Dwight.

[Jackal]

He can't deal with that. It's why he has friction with Shaq. Shaq challenges him to be the most dominant center out there, with his physical attributes Howard should be head & shoulders above the current "centers". He obviously isn't, he's really good...but he's not anywhere near being the most dominant player on the floor on any given night.

Which is why I don't think he's capable of carrying the Lakers franchise. He wants to be an alpha male so bad but he just doesn't seem capable in my opinion. Getting tossed sure as hell didn't help his case. Someone like Garnett in his prime would mind fuck him so bad he'd try to get tossed sooner.

[Andrew]

To be fair, I think some of that is Shaq being a bit childish rather than challenging Howard for any constructive purpose. Having said that, Shaq's one of the all-time greats who knows what it takes to be a dominant centre, so at least he's in a position to talk.

Dwight is a douchebag until he proves otherwise. He's the center version of Lebron James.

Agreed. For all his attempts otherwise, he's completely tarnished his reputation these past couple of years. At least LeBron has dominance and success to his name; we can dislike his methods, approach and attitude, but we can't argue with the results. Howard's done some good things in his career, but there's too many questions about his offensive game and whether he can be The Man for him to get away with anything and everything. Winning ultimately shuts everyone up and he's not shutting anyone up right now.

Kobe's approach is interesting and while it might not be the best approach to appeal to Howard to re-sign, it may be a good measure of whether he's a player they want to re-sign and try to make into their next franchise centre. If it ultimately drives him out of town, I guess they have their answer.