Dwight Howard's Clusterfuck Is Now Houston's Problem

[benji]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--nets- ... liams.html

All-Star point guard Deron Williams has made one decision about his free agency: If the Brooklyn Nets win the No. 1 pick in the NBA's draft lottery on Wednesday night – and the chance to secure Kentucky center Anthony Davis – it won't be enough for Williams to sign a contract extension, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

"It's Dwight Howard or bust," said a league source who has spoken to Williams.

Williams doesn't want to stay with the Nets unless they become an instant Eastern Conference contender and wouldn't accept waiting for Davis' development.

But that's not all!

Howard regrets forgoing his early termination option on his 2012-13 contract, sources said, and wants a trade before next season. Nevertheless, the Nets become far less appealing should Williams leave in July as a free agent, so Howard's camp is applying pressure on Orlando to expedite a deal once it hires a new general manager.
...

Several of the potential GM candidates in Orlando have already been devising trade scenarios for Howard and plan to propose those ideas to Orlando president Alex Martins in the interview process.

Unless the Nets get one of the top three picks in the lottery, the Portland Trail Blazers will own Brooklyn's 2012 choice.

High fives all around!

[rise]

I'm going to laugh really hard when the Bobcats get #1 and the Nets get #2.

[[Q]]

well David Stern's rigged the lottery again. it's 1985 all over again!

[rise]

When you trade your draft pick, you get Gerald Wallace.
When you trade for Gerald Wallace, your team becomes a little better.
When your team gets a little better, you have a worse chance at the #1 pick.
When you have a worse chance at the #1 pick, you miss out on the #1 pick.
When you miss out on the #1 pick, you can't trade for Dwight Howard.
When you can't trade for Dwight Howard, Deron Williams wants to leave.
When Deron Williams wants to leave, he leaves as a free agent.
When Deron Williams leaves as a free agent, your team is left with nothing and will be stuck in mediocrity for years.
Don't get your team stuck in mediocrity for years. Lottery-protect your draft pick when you trade for Gerald Wallace.

[Andrew]

The Nets are screwed unless every other halfway decent trade scenario for the Magic falls through. Of course, that could still happen if he's not willing to sign an extension to play anywhere else, so there could still be a glimmer of hope.

[Bruce]

The Nets are screwed unless every other halfway decent trade scenario for the Magic falls through. Of course, that could still happen if he's not willing to sign an extension to play anywhere else, so there could still be a glimmer of hope.

So unless Orlando donates Howard to the Nets, Howard and Williams are not going to see PT with each other in NJ/Brooklyn.

[Nick]

When you trade your draft pick, you get Gerald Wallace.
When you trade for Gerald Wallace, your team becomes a little better.
When your team gets a little better, you have a worse chance at the #1 pick.
When you have a worse chance at the #1 pick, you miss out on the #1 pick.
When you miss out on the #1 pick, you can't trade for Dwight Howard.
When you can't trade for Dwight Howard, Deron Williams wants to leave.
When Deron Williams wants to leave, he leaves as a free agent.
When Deron Williams leaves as a free agent, your team is left with nothing and will be stuck in mediocrity for years.
Don't get your team stuck in mediocrity for years. Lottery-protect your draft pick when you trade for Gerald Wallace.

[Andrew]

So unless Orlando donates Howard to the Nets, Howard and Williams are not going to see PT with each other in NJ/Brooklyn.

Sounds about right. It could still happen if Howard isn't willing to sign an extension anywhere else, causing teams that could put together a better offer to decide it's not worth the risk. Right now, the Nets have to be banking on having the best offer left on the table by the trade deadline.

[benji]

(Deron) Williams fired back later in the day on his Twitter account, saying, “I would love to know who (Yahoo’s) Adrian Wojnarowski’s source is, (because) he knows more about what I’m thinking (than) I do. Maybe he can help me decide?” Asked about the report, King refused to comment, referring to Williams’ tweet. “(Williams) responded to that, so I don’t need to respond,” King said. “He gave you a statement, I think, in his tweets, correct? So why should I comment on that if he directly commented?”

“His source is chuck norris! Chuck norris can create a fire rubbing 2 ice cubes together!” Williams retweeted. “Better check your bank account too because if he knows your thoughts then he knows those bank codes,” read another tweet from Williams.

[deihatein]

Just get D-Will to the Mavs already!

[Andrew]

I'm guessing Woj has his fair share of credible sources. Given that Deron Williams has basically said before that he doesn't feel any loyalty to the Nets and didn't ask to be traded there, it doesn't seem a stretch to suggest he's not rushing to sign an extension.

[benji]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/81181 ... oklyn-nets

Howard picked up the option for the final year of his contract with Orlando on March 15. But since then, he has grown increasingly disgruntled with the organization, even telling people close to him that he feels the Magic blackmailed him into signing the "opt-in" clause.

Howard shared his feelings of being blackmailed by the Magic with the NBA Players Association last week, sources said. He -- either himself or through his representatives -- approached the union wondering if he might have a legal complaint against the club.

The goal of such a complaint would be to eliminate his "opt-in," thereby allowing Howard to become a free agent this summer.

[koberulz]

[Radioman]

lol

[Phil89]

Adrian Wojnarowski ‏@WojYahooNBA
Y! Sources: The Orlando Magic have decided to begin engaging in trade discussions for Dwight Howard. http://tinyurl.com/7cxpdod

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--magic ... oward.html

The Orlando Magic have begun to seriously consider offers to accommodate Dwight Howard’s desire to be traded, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The Magic reached out to teams Saturday and told them that they’ll discuss proposals about moving Howard, sources said.

Howard and his agent, Dan Fegan, have repeatedly told the Magic in recent weeks that Howard wants to be moved, and that his preferred destination of the Brooklyn Nets hasn’t changed, sources said.

[_Steve_]

What a bum...

[Radioman]

Send him to Texas.

[Andrew]

As if he didn't "blackmail" the Magic into firing Stan Van Gundy and Otis Smith.

He has the right to take control of his career and seek a way to move on, whether it's via a trade or free agency. However, he's handled the whole situation very poorly over the past year. At this point, I'd say he can forget about trying to protect his image and look like the good guy in all this.

[Jackal]

No need to worry people comparing him to Shaq anymore, he's more Lebron now than ever before.

[_Steve_]

No need to worry people comparing him to Shaq anymore, he's more Lebron now than ever before.

He's even more "LeBron", as LBJ let the GM keep his jobs when he left...

[shadowgrin]

LBJ let the GM keep his jobs when he left...

Danny Ferry quit a month early before the Cavs got a chance to let him go.

[_Steve_]

LBJ let the GM keep his jobs when he left...

Danny Ferry quit a month early before the Cavs got a chance to let him go.

From what I've read, Ferry left because he wanted to go. Otis Smith was chased away just to keep Dwight happy...

[Radioman]

I don't mind if a player wants out of a team, but this is just embarrasing the way he does...

[Phil89]

[_Steve_]