Lakers/Dwight Howard free agency

[HaloMilliVanilli]

I am still completely cool not keeping D12.  Please eliminate any discussion of Dwightmare moving forward.  He is not the player to build around.  Too immature.  Here is what I hope the Lakers do:

 

1.  Sign and trade Howard to either the Clippers (Griffin/Bledsoe, hell, even Griffin/D. Jordan as long as they know they can immediately swing Jordan to another team for picks/youth) or Houston (some combination of an Asik/Parsons/Robinson/Picks deal, again only if you can flip Asik to a team looking for an interior defender and take back picks/young wing or guard type).

2.  Pau's deal only has one more season on it.  Trade him, either early (preseason) to a team looking for that last piece to make a playoff push (Minnesota, any deal must include Trey Burke) or late (trade deadline), looking for solid youth or picks in return.  Worst case you let his deal expire.

3.  Sign Dorelle Wright for SF.

4.  Amnesty MWP.

5.  Consider trading Steve Nash to Toronto for Lowry/pick/fillers that do not extend beyond 2013.

6.  Re-sign Earl Clark.

7.  Save cap space for 2014.  At that time, make an offer for DeMarcus Cousins that Sac-town may find hard to match.

 

2014 Long-shot roster

PG   Burke, Lowry

SG   Kobe (re-signed to a more team friendly deal)

SF   Dorelle Wright

PF   Blake Griffin/Chandler Parsons (via trade), Earl Clark

C     DeMarcus Cousins, Jordan Hill

 

Nice youth and balance with a couple of vets, with the other spots being filled in through the various trades/draft choices.  A lot of work needs to be done in this scenario, but a lot of work is going to be done by Mitch in reality too.  This is just one scenario that would have the Lakers looking good for the future.  There are others.

[Punk]

Lakers aren't going to to do a sign and trade. They want Howard and they're going to try to do whatever they can to keep him.

[HaloMilliVanilli]

Well, I never said my preferred method was in sync with the Lakers plan.  Howard is a talented athlete, but his inability to improve at the free throw line, improve his offensive game outside of putbacks and p/r, and immaturity all add up to a huge negative for me.  I'm a Lakers fan first and foremost, so if they re-sign him I will support them/him, but I'd prefer they not go in that direction.

[xboom28x]

You don't want Dwight because he is immature. However, you want the Lakers to sign Cousins who is even more immature? That makes a whole lot of sense.

[HaloMilliVanilli]

I could put up with Dwights immaturity if he didn't come with other glaring issues, and wasn't going to be a liability to be on the court in tight 4th quarter games due to his inability to improve his free throw shooting.  He has no offensive game after nearly 10 years in the league that requires him to be doubled/tripled.  That is not the makeup of a true #1 build-around player, nor is it worth the max salary IMO.  Cousins, although he may have a similar immaturity, wouldn't eat up the salary that D12 would, is much younger, and already has a developing offensive game beyond D12's.

 

In addition, one could make the argument that Kobe was similarly immature when he feuded with Shaq back in the day, causing the Lakers to ship Shaq out.  However, I could deal with that personality flaw because it was clear that Kobe had the desire to do whatever it took to make himself better, potentially one of the greatest of all-time, and lead us to further championships.

[HaloMilliVanilli]

Just read that Golden State will meet with Howard on Monday.  Didn't know they were in the mix.  I hope Jerry West really wows em' in this interview because they cannot sign Howard in free agency.  They would require a sign and trade with us, and would need us to take on (likely) Andrew Bogut's last year to make salary work.  We could come out of this deal with 1. Harrison Barnes, or 2. Klay Thompson.  Bogut, one of Barnes/Thompson and a pick or two would be amazing.

[tennischmp]

The first thing they have to do is can D'Antoni. They are not winning a chip with him no matter who the sign, trade or re sign

[m0nkey]

Pau for Trey Burke makes a lot of sense for minnesota

[xboom28x]

The first thing they have to do is can D'Antoni. They are not winning a chip with him no matter who the sign, trade or re sign

 

By the Lakers selecting Ryan Kelly from Duke, they just told the public that D'Antoni is going nowhere. That guy fits his system to a T. 6'10" PF who has little inside game but can shoot the 3.

 

D'Antoni will be there until Kobe retires.

[xboom28x]

Pau for Trey Burke makes a lot of sense for minnesota

 

Burke was traded to Utah on draft day.

[Punk]

Time Warner Cable is having discussions with Dwight Howard being giving his own show if he re-signs with the Los Angeles Lakers.

 

 

LOL

[tennischmp]

Bend over backwards for a guy that doesn't fit the system of the current coach

[Catwhoshatinthehat]

More like bend over backwards for a guy you don't build around.  He supposedly told Houston they need to get one more star so that Houston would have a big 3 of their own ala Miami.  Cut ties with this guy asap Lakers and let him become someone elses problem. 

[tennischmp]

More like bend over backwards for a guy you don't build around.  He supposedly told Houston they need to get one more star so that Houston would have a big 3 of their own ala Miami.  Cut ties with this guy asap Lakers and let him become someone elses problem. 

Not build around but a healthy Kobe, Pau and Dwight that's a legit SG, PF and C. Bring in Phil and get some role players and they are championship contenders.

[xboom28x]

Bend over backwards for a guy that doesn't fit the system of the current coach

 

The current coach is not the long term answer to this team. I'm sure that is a selling point to Dwight. I have yet to hear that D'Antoni was going to be present at any of these conferences to get him to stay. My guess is, D'Antoni, short of a championship next season, will be canned by the end of next season.

[tennischmp]

The current coach is not the long term answer to this team. I'm sure that is a selling point to Dwight. I have yet to hear that D'Antoni was going to be present at any of these conferences to get him to stay. My guess is, D'Antoni, short of a championship next season, will be canned by the end of next season.

You just said above that by drafting Kelly they are staying with D'Antoni. If they plan to keep him for only 1 year, why draft a rookie who probably won't contribute much during that year. 

[xboom28x]

You just said above that by drafting Kelly they are staying with D'Antoni. If they plan to keep him for only 1 year, why draft a rookie who probably won't contribute much during that year. 

 

For this upcoming season, yes. Kelly was drafted so that if Howard left and Gasol moved to Center, Kelly could play at PF and open up the floor giving D'Antoni the shooting PF he desires. That being said, if Howard stays and D'Antoni doesn't win a ring with Howard, Nash and Kobe, he will be fired and someone will be hired that can coach a dominant center.

[Catwhoshatinthehat]

Not build around but a healthy Kobe, Pau and Dwight that's a legit SG, PF and C. Bring in Phil and get some role players and they are championship contenders.

The word is Gasol is bought out if the Lakers resign Howard and kept for one more year if not. He's 32 and having knee problems so there's not much you count on him from here on out. Kobe is coming back from a torn Achilles and has a lot of miles on his legs. Nash is almost 40 and really was nothing special when he played. He's always been a defensive liability and now his offense is declining. The Lakers are old and signing Dwight means they're building around him.

[Stradling]

Time Warner Cable is having discussions with Dwight Howard being giving his own show if he re-signs with the Los Angeles Lakers.

LOL

I'm not a huge Howard fan, but this is a brilliant idea and selling point.

[m0nkey]

Reports have lakers in the "lead". Whatever that means

[Angel Oracle]

I would just assume that they didn't do the stupid "billboard campaign" on Howard. 

If he signs, meh.

 

Just let all of the aging players go after next season, and bring in Lebron and one of the other FAs a year from now, and then fill in around them like Miami did.

 

Lebron doesn't have much more to achieve in Miami, especially if they next season join the Lakers, Celtics, and Bulls as the only NBA teams to ever win 3 straight titles.

[xboom28x]

I would just assume that they didn't do the stupid "billboard campaign" on Howard. 

If he signs, meh.

 

Just let all of the aging players go after next season, and bring in Lebron and one of the other FAs a year from now, and then fill in around them like Miami did.

 

Lebron doesn't have much more to achieve in Miami, especially if they next season join the Lakers, Celtics, and Bulls as the only NBA teams to ever win 3 straight titles.

 

Yes he does. "Not 4... not 5... not 6"

[m0nkey]

I think it's doubtful lebron leaves, but it's still possible.  I would think he would still want to be top dog/have the spotlight on him, and with dwight and probably kobe still there, i don't see him going to the lakers.  Cleveland has a nice thing going for them, but if LeBron were to go back, he'd be the clear #1

[St1ck]

I really hope they don't re-sign him. 

[Ray McKigney]

Enough with the drama, Dwight. Make your decision this week so we don't have to hear about it anymore.