Dwight Discussion: Houston we have a problem (986)

last stand wrote:how is it different speculating that dwight will not improve his fundementals to bynum will continue to get hurt?

last stand wrote:its only different because it helps your argument.

last stand wrote:i agree i haven't changed that list in a long time. the only safe women are emma, natalie, and mila

lakerswiz wrote:

Rooscooter wrote:Neither of these would be my choice for the "star" after Kobe retires either.......

The biggest thing I dread the most. To me Kobe = Lakers. Lakers = Kobe. I have not known a time where the Lakers and Kobe weren't essentially one and the same.

The next few years are going to be interesting. Though I truly believe that Kobe will have 2 or 3 really great years left and then start to dwindle down. I honestly believe this season will be one of his best yet.

I Am Cornholio wrote:

lakerswiz wrote:

Rooscooter wrote:Neither of these would be my choice for the "star" after Kobe retires either.......

The biggest thing I dread the most. To me Kobe = Lakers. Lakers = Kobe. I have not known a time where the Lakers and Kobe weren't essentially one and the same.

The next few years are going to be interesting. Though I truly believe that Kobe will have 2 or 3 really great years left and then start to dwindle down. I honestly believe this season will be one of his best yet.

you must be young

While Kupchak remained guarded with his answers, Lakers forward Matt Barnes was much more open when asked about the rumors surrounding his former teammate Howard.

"You know, I've been hearing Dwight. I've been hearing Baron [Davis]. I've been hearing stuff a lot lately," Barnes said. "I've talked to both of those guys and they want to be here, so we'll see what happens."

A source close to Los Angeles Lakers Center Andrew Bynum has been predicting that he would end up being traded to Orlando Magic for months
now and reiterated that sentiment to HOOPSWORLD today. The belief is based off the assumption that the Magic are eventually going to be willing to trade All-Star center Dwight Howard.

For the first time in three summers, Bynum was healthy and spent the prolonged offseason preparing himself for what should be the best year of his career. The source classified Bynum as “indifferent” to all the trade talk and willing to play wherever. This is the third time he’s been rumored to be the centerpiece of a package for an All-Star, previously being involved in discussions for Kevin Garnett and Jason Kidd.

The source also spoke highly regarding how good of a fit Bynum would be in Orlando, stating that it’s his time to be the man. Bynum voiced the desire to be more of a featured option at the conclusion of last season, but it’s going to be hard for that to happen as long as Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant are still Lakers.

The Howard saga is still in its early stages, but should start to speed up once he notifies Orlando that he is unwilling to sign an extension.

Rooscooter wrote:Bynum voiced his desire to be a featured option last year because the second team would go 4 minutes without even threatening to pass it to him......

Arguably he was our best player in the playoffs last year and should be considered at equal option to Pau until Pau finds his spheres again....

last stand wrote:something tells me bynum wants to be traded to orlando. no pressure and all the touches

Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops wrote:Regarding Dwight Howard and Chris Paul and their respective trade desires, it is worth explaining in dollars and sense why they’d prefer to be dealt sooner rather than later.

In order for them to get the most possible money, they’ll need to finagle a way into landing in their desired destinations prior to the trade deadline.

And despite all the hand-wringing over the owners’ capitulation in negotiations over the so-called Carmelo Anthony rule, neither of those guys is likely to do an extend-and-trade.

Here’s why:

From the NBA memo sent out to general managers regarding terms of the new collective bargaining agreement:

_ Extension-and-trades permitted, except maximum length of such contract is 3 years (e.g. 2 new years if player during last year of his old contract and max annual increases are 4.5 percent. If a player signs a contract extension for a longer period or higher amount that would have been permitted for an extension-and-trade, then the team is prohibited from trading the player for a period of six months following the date of the extension. If a team acquired a player in a trade, then, for a period of six months following the date of the trade, the team is prohibited from signing the player to a contract extension for a longer period or higher amount than would have been permitted for an extension-and-trade.

Let’s look at this in a little more detail:

Both Howard and Paul are under contract for two more years but have opt-outs that would allow them to become free agents July 1, 2012.

Any extensions they signed between now and June 30, 2012, could only take them through the 2013-14 season because of the above-noted 3-year rule (the upcoming 2011-12 season counts as one year, the 2012-13 option years on both players’ contracts count as Year 2, and the extensions they would receive as part of the extend-and-trade deals would count as Year 3).

If the Magic decided to fast-track a Howard trade (as Marc Stein reports they are strongly considering), Orlando could only give him a one-year extension (and the maximum raise would be 4.5 percent off his 2012-13 salary) in an extend-and-trade deal. So Howard, who is due to make $19.54 million in 2012-13 if he does NOT opt out, could sign an extension that would pay him $20.415 million for the 2013-14 season, after which he would be a free agent.

He would be much better served to opt out of his contract and sign a five-year deal with 7.5 percent annual raises with the team that acquired him for a total of $110.8 million over 5 years.

The trick is getting to his desired destination. If he was traded somewhere he wasn’t happy, he could leave as an unrestricted free agent but would be limited to a 4-year deal with 4.5 percent annual raises.

if Howard plays out the season with the Magic and opts out, the best deal he could get in a sign-and-trade or an outright unrestricted free agency signing would be $80.5 million over four years. (A team would need $18.9 million in cap space to make him a max offer.)

So, to summarize, here are the options and the financial implications for each player.

Howard:

_ Plays the entire season in Orlando, opts out and ends up elsewhere (either by signing as a free agent or through a sign-and-trade): $80.5 million for 4 years.

_ Gets traded in February, opts out, then re-signs with the team that acquired him: $110.8 million for 5 years.