Where Will Dwight Howard Play Next Season?

[jsab4807]

All about those draft picks for the Cavs. I'd be down....besides, Humphries isn't terrible.

[key2win]

Proposed Dwight Howard deal to Nets could contain more than 10 players - Yahoo! Sports

Looks like Cleveland and Clippers may help Nets get Dwight. Nets are going to be really good next year. Dwight, Deron, Gerald Wallace, Joe Johnson, and Jason Richardson.

Talks about a blockbuster four-team trade that would send Orlando Magic All-Star center Dwight Howard to the Brooklyn Nets continue to progress, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Dwight Howard has listed only one team as his desired trade destination: the Brooklyn Nets. (AP)The tentacles of the proposed deal stretched across more than 10 players and three teams on Monday, with the Nets recruiting a fourth team to take on guard MarShon Brooks in exchange for an additional draft pick to send to Orlando. Nevertheless, multiple complexities need to be resolved to complete the deal, including the negotiation of contracts for four of the players in the proposed trade: Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries, Damion James and Shelden Williams.

In the proposed deal, Howard, Jason Richardson and Earl Clark would be sent to Brooklyn, and the Magic would receive the Nets' Lopez, James, Williams and Armon Johnson, Cleveland's Luke Walton and three future first-round picks, sources said. Cleveland would receive Orlando's Quentin Richardson, Brooklyn's Sundiata Gaines, Humphries (on a one-year guaranteed deal), a first-round pick and $3 million from the Nets. Brooklyn also is in talks with the Los Angeles Clippers to exchange Brooks for an additional first-round pick to send to the Magic. If the Clippers decline to participate, other teams are in position to take on Brooks, sources said.

[key2win]

Orlando Magic exploring other Dwight Howard trades, source says - ESPN Los Angeles

The big news for today.

The Houston Rockets have joined the Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets as the most serious potential trade partners with the Orlando Magic on a Dwight Howard deal, according to sources close to the process.

Sources told ESPN.com that the Rockets are discussing a multitude of trade scenarios with the Magic, offering to serve both as the team that would acquire Howard in a direct trade between the clubs and also as a third team that would participate in a trade that lands Howard with the Lakers and brings All-Star center Andrew Bynum to Houston.

The Rockets, in the latter scenario, would push to acquire Bynum from the Lakers while furnishing the Magic with a package of future draft picks and cap-friendly contracts to set Orlando up for a full-fledged roster reload. Sources confirmed a HoopsWorld.com report that the three-team trade construction that sends Bynum to the Rockets instead of the Magic -- with Orlando said to be concerned about its ability to re-sign Bynum for the long term -- gained traction Tuesday.

The key elements of the three-team proposal, sources said, call for the Lakers to acquire Howard and the Rockets -- realizing their longrunning quest to acquire a top-20 player -- to take back the mercurial Bynum as he enters the final year of his contract.

It's believed that Houston would have to absorb the contract of Magic swingman Jason Richardson and perhaps another unpalatable contract or two to complete a trade directly with the Magic for Howard or to get Bynum. Central to the Rockets' offer is a 2013 first-round draft pick that they'll soon acquire from the Toronto Raptors as part of a verbally-agreed trade last week that will send guard Kyle Lowry to Toronto. Houston also has movable veterans Luis Scola and Kevin Martin to sweeten any trade proposal.

It's been an open secret for months, meanwhile, that the Rockets were willing to trade for a player of Howard's or Bynum's caliber with no assurance that either one will sign an extension as opposed to becoming a free agent in 2013.

Houston's posture, sources said, remains one of confidence that any top-20 player it can acquire will be convinced to stay once he becomes part of the organization.

Sources say that new Magic general manager Rob Hennigan might feel more comfortable taking back a package of youngsters, recent draftees and future first-round draft picks -- while shedding some long-term salary as well -- than taking on Bynum as Howard's replacement and facing a similar challenge on convincing him to commit to the franchise long-term like the Magic have dealt with for months with Howard.

ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher reported earlier Tuesday that the Magic had re-opened negotiations with teams other than the Nets for Howard after the Cleveland Cavaliers -- who Monday appeared poised to trigger a four-team trade to bring Howard to Brooklyn that also involved the Los Angeles Clippers -- backed away from the trade talks.

Bucher reported the Atlanta Hawks continue to pursue Howard via trade as well, but one source described Atlanta as "not the best option" for the Magic.

[key2win]

Here we go again. This is just sad now. LOL!

The Magic is progressing in its search for a new head coach and the trade talks with the Nets concerning Dwight Howard have reached a "stationary" point, according to Orlando's general manager Rob Hennigan. In fact, with Brook Lopez expected to sign a new maximum-salary contract with Brooklyn Wednesday night, the center could not be traded this summer. Lopez would have been a key piece of any trade between the two teams.

Orlando has also been engaged in trade talks with the Lakers and Rockets on a trade involving Howard.

Hennigan informed Howard that the Magic attempted to make a deal, but none of the offers met the team's asking price.

Brian Shaw, Mike Malone, Lindsey Hunter and Jeff Hornacek are among the candidates to become the next head coach of Orlando.

The Nets were up against a deadline in their negotiations for Howard due to the unresolved free agency of Brook Lopez and Kris Humphries.

[key2win]

Dwight Howard nixes Orlando Magic GM Rob Hennigan's new plea, source says - ESPN

Another day. More drama. LOL!

Rockets stupidly amnestied Luis Scola so they can take back other horrible contracts for the Magic while trading 7-8 players/picks to them. LOL!

After several months of trying to trade Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic general manager Rob Hennigan called the All-Star center Wednesday night to see if he'd reconsider giving Hennigan and the Magic's new regime a chance to keep Howard in Orlando, a source close to Howard said.

Hennigan's call came several hours after the Brooklyn Nets, the team to which Howard asked Hennigan to trade him, made a futile last-gasp attempt to deal for him before the Charlotte Bobcats could sign one of the Nets' key trade chips, center Brook Lopez, to an offer sheet.

Hennigan, the source said, based his plea on the fact that he was new to the organization and had not been party to the issues that drove Howard to make his trade request.

Team president Alex Martins, who also was on the call, the source said, made a similar plea to Howard last winter when Martins took control of basketball decisions over GM Otis Smith and coach Stan Van Gundy.

Howard was not willing to change his stance, the source said.

[key2win]

Another day another set of rumors. LOL!

The Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers have discussed a three-team deal that would send disgruntled superstar Dwight Howard to Los Angeles, according to sources close to the situation. The three teams have discussed a number of scenarios. While no trade is imminent, the talks are ongoing.

One scenario would send Howard to Los Angeles, Andrew Bynum to Cleveland and a package of picks and prospects to Orlando, according to sources.

The Lakers would land Howard, who they have been aggressively pursuing for quite some time.

The Cavaliers would acquire a second star to put alongside Kyrie Irving, one that they should be able to keep long-term since Cleveland has been mentioned as a team that Bynum will consider signing an extension with.

The Magic would acquire a number of prospects and draft picks as well as a significant amount of cap relief, which is exactly what they want in exchange for Howard. Rather than bringing in veterans who will keep the team competitive, Orlando wants to stockpile young talent and completely rebuild.

The Houston Rockets remain interested in Howard and they’ve also been in contact with Magic brass in recent days. The Rockets’ money is currently tied up in restricted free agents Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik, whom they’ve signed to offer sheets.

At this point, there’s no clear frontrunner for Howard, but the Lakers and Rockets are certainly leading the charge for the six-time All-Star.

[jsab4807]

C'mon Lakers! Get it done! (Just want Bynum in Cleveland....don't give a damn about the Lakers )

[key2win]

And I want to get rid of Bynum. Please send him to Cleveland. LOL!

[key2win]

Another Dwight report. Hopefully this one is true. Everything basically points to Dwight going to the Lakers. Per Real GM.

Dwight Howard has long coveted the Brooklyn Nets as his next landing spot, but after a summer filled with daily rumors of four-team trade proposals, the six-time All-Star has moved on from his Big Apple infatuation and is locked in on joining the Los Angeles Lakers, according to sources.

The Lakers, Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers are reportedly discussing a three-team trade that would send Howard to the Lakers, Andrew Bynum to the Cavaliers, while the Magic would receive Anderson Varejao and multiple draft picks.

Howard has always been impressed with the Lakers’ winning tradition and intrigued with the off-court opportunities that come with playing in Los Angeles.

Questions about Howard's role with the team, however, became an early concern for the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Howard has since moved on from those concerns and is confident he will be an integral part of a team that will have a chance to compete immediately for a championship, according to sources.

The Lakers are reportedly ready to make the trade, but first need assurance from Howard that he will commit to the team long-term. Sources say Howard is “excited” about the opportunity to play for the Lakers and will re-sign with the team when his contract expires at the end of the 2012-13 season.

[wheeler281]

I think my prediction is right on track

Nets have nothing to trade. With the Wallace and Johnson signing that pretty much takes them out. I say he is back in orlando

Howard isn't staying in Orlando. That ship has sailed. He's moving on, but is just a matter of what Orlando wants in return. Nets still are in it (I think ORL rejects them just to spite Howard) b/c Wallace, Humphries, and Lopez can all be used in sign-and-trade deals since they are all free agents. Add brooks and 1st round picks and it is an offer to at least be considered

[ocanseco55]

Magic may wait on Howard deal

The Orlando Magic have told rival executives that they might not trade Dwight Howard after all, according to league sources.

An executive who has had discussions with the Magic regarding Howard said Orlando only will trade the star center in a deal that is great for the franchise. The executive said this has been Orlando's stance for the past "week or so."
Sources -- Orlando Magic might keep Dwight Howard for now - ESPN

[jsab4807]

[gladdyontherise]

We get more DH12 drama!?!

[key2win]

OMG I think the newbie GM of the Magic is even more messed up and confused than Dwight. LOL!

MAGIC IN DUE DILIGENCE MODE AS HOWARD SAGA TAKES LATEST TURN
JULY 24, 2012

ORLANDO – First things first, Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic are too far gone to repair any relationship.

The franchise center has made no secret of the fact he’s ready to move on, a stance that pre-dates new GM Rob Hennigan and has been relayed in numerous conversations since the 30-year-old was hired from Oklahoma City on June 20. Despite this, Hoopsworld’s Alex Kennedy reports that the Magic are headed back to Los Angeles for another face-to-face with Howard late this week, the latest would-be development in a saga that has Lakers fans screaming ”Free Dwight” while Houston looks on with morbid curiosity.

So, why the meeting? Doesn’t it come out of left field? Doesn’t it seem like a fruitless waste of time and resources?

On the surface, yes. Delving deeper and considering this has become a waiting game as it is, it makes sense. The Magic have to keep up appearances. They must make taking a hard-line stance and make holding on to him for a second straight drama-filled season a possibility despite a long-stated desire from CEO Alex Martins to avoid that route.

Howard’s trade demand and stated distrust for the organization has backed the Magic into a corner where teams are trying to get the game’s best center without surrendering the bounty Hennigan feels obligated to get for a player of that caliber. So, this is a proactive way to extend an olive branch and keep alive a possibility of maintaining some of the leverage that the six-time All-Star handed over when he declined to utilize his opt-out clause at the March 15 trade deadline.

Brooklyn failed to put together a package that suited the Magic’s best interests, as reported first by PBN on July 8. The Magic wanted no part of Brook Lopez, which is another reason granting Howard’s wish of getting to Brooklyn would be highly unlikely come January. Preliminary talks with the Houston Rockets surrounding the NBA Draft came too early into Hennigan’s tenure for a move to be struck. Because of this, the perception is that the Magic are wishy-washy, the kid GM doesn’t know what direction he wants to go in and the organization is going back, hat in hand, to beg Howard to stay.

Howard has also been cast as indecisive, but outside of his decision to opt in, has been pretty consistent in his end game. He wants badly to be part of the relocated Nets, only recently relaying a willingness to re-sign in L.A. if dealt there, as first reported by Real GM’s Jarrod Rudolph. Only the desire to look good and appease his massive fan base in Orlando kept him from harping on his preference to play elsewhere, but once he expressed his trade demand on Dec. 11, he hasn’t rescinded it.

One could argue his petulance over not getting the help he needed doomed the lockout-shortened season before it began, but Howard isn’t the first superstar to go to drastic lengths in detailing his frustrations with management. Unfortunately, that steadfast desire to get out of Orlando isn’t aiding the team’s chances of moving him for the value they envision.

As a result, whispers that they’ll hold on to him through 2012-13 have begun to grow louder, which sources reiterate is the right strategic play. The perception is that the trade offers they’ll receive will get worse as the days pass, but that’s the furthest thing from the truth. When you have the best player in any deal, which Orlando will have regardless of trade partner, desperation isn’t on your end, regardless of perception. The Magic don’t mind playing chicken.

At Hennigan’s introductory press conference, Martins told the Orlando Sentinel’s Josh Robbins that despite the quality of candidates, the NBA’s youngest GM hire “set himself apart from the other finalists with his vision, with his approach towards process and procedure, his detailed plan for building a successful basketball operation and a strong focus on innovation.”

Given the situation the new hire was walking into, the Magic knew they had to choose someone who wouldn’t react emotionally and would systematically accomplish the goal of making sure this Howard situation wouldn’t turn into another Shaquille O’Neal saga. Orlando will not lose Howard for nothing. It will play hardball. It will wait out the nonsense, if necessary.

While more established GMs Mitch Kupchak and Daryl Morey are certainly capable in holding onto their cards and seeing what transpires, both would prefer starting the season with the game’s best center.

Anything can happen once injury-prone Andrew Bynum steps on the floor, including him staying healthy and flourishing next to a rejuvenated Pau Gasol next to point guard Steve Nash. Still, L.A. is in championship-or-bust mode, and is rightfully convinced Howard would be the better fit as the anchor in the middle. If they want another dynasty-type run, they’ll have to secure him by the trade deadline or risk losing out on a massive opportunity

Houston just completed the acquisition of Chicago’s Omer Asik to follow up a similar pillaging of Jeremy Lin, but its roster is flush with the versatility to make the splash of renting Howard or Bynum. Acquiring either gives the Rockets their Bird Rights and a leg up on re-signing a franchise center come July 1. It also gives the team a much better opportunity to compete in a season where they’ll host the All-Star Game, adding to the spotlight that’s on Morey to make a significant move.

Kevin Martin’s expiring $12 million deal is a terrific trade piece, which at some point, the Rockets will put into play. Considering all the manuevering Houston made, Orlando’s thinking has always been that their out for a homerun scenario, either renting Howard or turning him into Bynum in a three-way with the Lakers. Because Morey was so successful in accumulating assets, the Rockets camp has been down-playing their desire to get a deal done, hinting at not doing anythign at all.

Sources say talks with the Cavs haven’t been of much substance since the team is similarly well-stocked with future draft picks and unwilling to part with young assets Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller.

As a result, the waiting game that could first be attributed to the tedious process of Houston’s Lin and Asik signings has another built-in hold-up, since signed rookies like Donatas Motiejunas can’t be moved until Aug. 5.

Instead of a boring holding pattern, Hennigan and the Magic are going to go chat with Howard. He may even relent a bit, if only to strengthen Orlando’s leverage. Better for him to assist the team in their needs than feel persecuted and victimized. After all, he put himself in this position.

Trade talks will resume sooner than later. Howard starting training camp in Orlando remains a monumental upset as the grueling process of getting the most value for him plays out. As easy as it is for invested fans throughout the country to let their emotions get the better of them, this is a business. Hennigan only has one chance to get this right. It’s what he was hired to do. If you expected him to be rash, you’ve got the wrong guy.

[key2win]

Dwight Howard's plan to sign with Dallas next summer makes trade from Orlando problematic - Yahoo! Sports

The Dwightmare continues on. LOL!

As appealing trade scenarios for his franchise player shrink, Orlando Magic general manager Rob Hennigan's mission of beginning to build trust with All-Star center Dwight Howard was met with an unmistakable response in a Wednesday meeting: Howard continues to rule out a future with the Magic, and wants a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers before the start of the season, sources told Yahoo! Sports

"Dwight remained unchanged in his want to be traded," a source with knowledge of the meeting said. "And he has no intention of signing another contract extension with Orlando."

Without a deal that would deliver him to the Lakers in the near future, sources said Howard wants Henningan to revisit trade talks with the Brooklyn Nets in January, when center Brook Lopez is eligible to be traded. If deals don't surface with the Lakers or Nets, Howard plans to sign with the Dallas Mavericks as a free agent in the summer of 2013.

While the Lakers and Nets won't have the salary cap space to sign Howard, nor the opportunity to execute a sign-and-trade deal under new CBA rules, the Mavericks will be flush with cap space next summer. Mavs owner Mark Cuban plans to make a run at Howard, and potentially another star player, to join Dirk Nowitzki.

For Howard, that threat continues to make it difficult for Orlando to attract trade suitors willing to unload valuable assets for a superstar likely to be a rental player for only several months. Despite the Houston Rockets' determination to trade for Howard and convince him to stay long term, Howard's camp has repeatedly warned Houston owner Les Alexander and GM Daryl Morey that they will lose Howard to rival Dallas in free agency next July, sources said.

Hennigan and Orlando assistant Scott Perry flew to Los Angeles on Wednesday and met with Howard and his representatives for about two hours. When told that the Magic had tried to honor his desire to be moved, Howard probed Hennigan on why the GM hadn't accepted deals that could've sent him to the Nets or Lakers before those teams used valuable trade assets to acquire Joe Johnson and Steve Nash respectively.

Hennigan has insisted that no proposed deal has been satisfactory and the franchise has shown some willingness to take its time to see what offers develop. Nevertheless the rental market for Howard is lean and the Lakers used two first-round picks in the sign-and-trade deal for Nash. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston are willing to be third-team trade partners for the Magic and Lakers in deals that would send them All-Star center Andrew Bynum.