The big story this NBA off season has been centered around Dwight Howard and where he was going to end up despite the fact he handicapped himself by signing a one year extension with the Magic. However, Dwight has managed to overcome that handicap.
With the Nets pulling out of trade talks, the one team that was still in it was the Lakers, a team that Dwight initially didn't want to go to. Talks continued anyway as Howard was rehabbing from an injury in LA. It seemed that talks were going on forever until we finally had a deal. Sources are saying that Dwight Howard is indeed going to be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a 4 team trade. As part of the deal, the Nuggets get Andre Iguodala, the Sixers get Andrew Bynum (not the Magic) and Jason Richarson, and the Magic get Arron Affalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic, and Moe Harkless, the 1st pick of the Sixers. The Magic also get a protected 1st round draft pick from each of the three teams mentioned.
The trade is done and Dwight's days in Orlando are now officially over. Central Florida can breathe knowing officially they have nothing... at least right now. They will definitely be hoping for the something in the future but they now don't have a headline for Orlando. Anyone want to see Al Harrington?
I can't help but notice the interesting moves around the big guys or lack of moves. Andrew Bynum is going to Philly while Pau Gasol manages to stay in LA. Gasol mixed with Dwight Howard will certainly be a fun combo to see down low. I hope that Kobe will be happy and stop whining for new pieces to make up for the fact that he's older and realizing that he always needed a big guy to win a title. I don't think MJ needed someone better than him to win at least half his titles for him.
OK. That last sentence, I'll admit, was a little sour grapes and jealousy. But to be fair, I wonder if this actually makes the Lakers the favorite in the Western Conference. This move mixed in with adding Steve Nash certainly makes them a contender, there is no doubt about that, but I wouldn't count out the Thunder just yet. They had a good season last year and are certainly going to get better. It certainly makes things look a lot more interesting.
P.S. WHO TOOK KOBE'S RATTLE?!?!?!
Showing posts with label Magic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Magic. Show all posts
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Nets Stop Chasing Howard
Don't you just hate it when you're not able to go where you want to go? Dwight Howard feels your pain.
Howard has been wanting to go to Brooklyn for a while now but the Orlando Magic don't seem to want to roll over and just let him go. After about a week or so of negotiations, talks have stopped between the Nets and the Magic about Dwight Howard going to Brooklyn. The Nets have actually ended the talks seeing that they couldn't risk having no center going forward. So they re-signed Brook Lopez to a four year deal worth $60 million. Because of the deal, they cannot trade Lopez anywhere until January 15 because of the new CBA. With him taking up a lot of the cap room and not being an immediate trade commodity, the Nets pulled out of the Dwight talks.
The one team that wanted Dwight the most is out of the running and so some of that demand for the center has gone down. There is still some interest from elsewhere like the Lakers and perhaps the Rockets but the one team that Howard wanted to go to has stopped trying to acquire him. If there is a trade now, it is likely going to be with the Lakers and involving their big guy, Andrew Bynum. But the Magic better act on something. If they go into the year with Dwight Howard still on the roster, the whole season will be worse than the last one. Every media professional will not want to talk about anything else regarding Orlando but Dwight Howard and if he will be traded or not.
I actually wanted Dwight to go to Brooklyn. It would've been fun to see the team with Dwight mixed in with Deron Williams and Joe Johnson. The Nets as a team look alright and will do okay in their first year in Brooklyn but this series of failed talks will have NYC thinking "what could've been?"
P.S. Could you imagine if Howard doesn't get traded at all? The Magic will not have gotten anything and Dwight Howard will have given them another year for nothing. I still don't get why he opted-in.
Howard has been wanting to go to Brooklyn for a while now but the Orlando Magic don't seem to want to roll over and just let him go. After about a week or so of negotiations, talks have stopped between the Nets and the Magic about Dwight Howard going to Brooklyn. The Nets have actually ended the talks seeing that they couldn't risk having no center going forward. So they re-signed Brook Lopez to a four year deal worth $60 million. Because of the deal, they cannot trade Lopez anywhere until January 15 because of the new CBA. With him taking up a lot of the cap room and not being an immediate trade commodity, the Nets pulled out of the Dwight talks.
The one team that wanted Dwight the most is out of the running and so some of that demand for the center has gone down. There is still some interest from elsewhere like the Lakers and perhaps the Rockets but the one team that Howard wanted to go to has stopped trying to acquire him. If there is a trade now, it is likely going to be with the Lakers and involving their big guy, Andrew Bynum. But the Magic better act on something. If they go into the year with Dwight Howard still on the roster, the whole season will be worse than the last one. Every media professional will not want to talk about anything else regarding Orlando but Dwight Howard and if he will be traded or not.
I actually wanted Dwight to go to Brooklyn. It would've been fun to see the team with Dwight mixed in with Deron Williams and Joe Johnson. The Nets as a team look alright and will do okay in their first year in Brooklyn but this series of failed talks will have NYC thinking "what could've been?"
P.S. Could you imagine if Howard doesn't get traded at all? The Magic will not have gotten anything and Dwight Howard will have given them another year for nothing. I still don't get why he opted-in.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Nets Get New Player... Not Howard
The Nets have a big year coming up: they have a new arena, they are relocating to Brooklyn into that new arena, and they need good players to attract fans and contend for a title. The last two things are on hold right now. The Dwight Howard saga in Orlando has had the Nets waiting for a trade to be made or for Howard's contract to expire. After Howard opting into the Magic for another year and several negotiations before and after that fact with the Magic, it seems that the Nets are trying other things. The Nets made a knee jerk trade for Joe Johnson of the Hawks in exchange for 5 players and a 1st round draft pick. The trade puts the Nets in an awkward situation as they gut some of their team for a "star" in hoping to get Deron Williams to come back and excite the fan base in Brooklyn.
This one is a a bit difficult to understand. I know that the Nets need to get some excitement going into the team and I know that their chances of getting Howard are small but Joe Johnson isn't going to get them the excitement they need. Johnson by himself makes the team alright and they probably endure in Brooklyn. They still, however, need Howard or Williams to play in Brooklyn with him if they want to go somewhere in the postseason. They need both for a title run.
They gave up a lot for Joe Johnson and they might just stuck with him and him alone.
This one is a a bit difficult to understand. I know that the Nets need to get some excitement going into the team and I know that their chances of getting Howard are small but Joe Johnson isn't going to get them the excitement they need. Johnson by himself makes the team alright and they probably endure in Brooklyn. They still, however, need Howard or Williams to play in Brooklyn with him if they want to go somewhere in the postseason. They need both for a title run.
They gave up a lot for Joe Johnson and they might just stuck with him and him alone.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Dwight Howard Asks for a Trade to Brooklyn
What a Surprise? The 'Dwight Howard wanting out of Orlando' saga continues. Sources say Rob Hennigan, the new GM for the Magic, apparently met with Dwight Howard, the star of the team, on Friday for the first time. During the meeting, Dwight apparently stated that he wanted to be traded to the Brooklyn Nets. The interesting part of it all is that people close to Howard have said that he felt blackmailed into signing the "opt-in" clause of his contract by way of a trade he didn't approve of. Howard is even looking into the possibility of voiding the 1 year opt-in based on the blackmailed charge that probably won't stand.
Man, things just don't seem to get better in Orlando. By the sounds analysts seem to be making, it seems that Dwight Howard will get his wish. Maybe not right away but I would bet that a deal would get done by the pre-season. The intriguing part is whether or not this influences contract talks between Deron Williams and the Nets. Deron hasn't made up his mind yet where he wants to go and would love to play with Dwight but the fact is that he is not going to wait for Orlando to make a move. Deron make a choice where to play within the next couple of weeks, regardless of Dwight's situation. The Nets, however, have a window of opportunity here to get both Williams and Howard on the same team and make themselves an instant playoff contender.
While it is fun to speculate what will happen, I must say that this is a first meeting between Hennigan and Dwight Howard. I know Dwight has his heart set on leaving Orlando but this could all easily be the result of a rough first meeting in which Hennigan might want to try and let time heal the wounds further. The team has changed coaches for Dwight and management for Dwight. They might not trade him so easily.
Man, things just don't seem to get better in Orlando. By the sounds analysts seem to be making, it seems that Dwight Howard will get his wish. Maybe not right away but I would bet that a deal would get done by the pre-season. The intriguing part is whether or not this influences contract talks between Deron Williams and the Nets. Deron hasn't made up his mind yet where he wants to go and would love to play with Dwight but the fact is that he is not going to wait for Orlando to make a move. Deron make a choice where to play within the next couple of weeks, regardless of Dwight's situation. The Nets, however, have a window of opportunity here to get both Williams and Howard on the same team and make themselves an instant playoff contender.
While it is fun to speculate what will happen, I must say that this is a first meeting between Hennigan and Dwight Howard. I know Dwight has his heart set on leaving Orlando but this could all easily be the result of a rough first meeting in which Hennigan might want to try and let time heal the wounds further. The team has changed coaches for Dwight and management for Dwight. They might not trade him so easily.
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