Is Dwight temporary in L.A.?

[Da_Eggman]

The Los Angeles Lakers have plenty of issues to worry about right now, their lack of offensive execution and their lack of transition defense foremost among them. But there's another pressing issue the Lakers might soon have to consider if their season continues along this negative path -- their lack of Dwight Howard's signature on a contract.

Since Howard was traded to the Lakers in the offseason, it has been virtually a foregone conclusion that he would re-sign with the club after this season. The Lakers seemed to have everything Howard wanted -- a great pass-first point guard, a legitimate chance to win championships, a bustling metropolis with tons of endorsement opportunities and, of course, Hollywood.

To be sure, I believe the Lakers are the likely long-term landing spot for Howard. But if this season continues to worsen, the probability of his departure will only grow.

But with the way things are currently going for the 9-13 Lakers, one has to wonder if Howard might consider leaving. Howard told a Los Angeles Times reporter this week that he already knows where he's going to sign, then he spoke glowingly about Los Angeles and his ability to play with Kobe Bryant. It sounded as if he's still planning on a future with the Lakers, but Howard has been known to change his mind.

Make no mistake, the Lakers are still the front-runners in the Dwight Howard Sweepstakes. After all, Howard enjoys the city, and the Lakers can offer him a five-year contract worth $117.9 million while other clubs can pay him only $87.6 million over four years. But if a poor season sours him on Los Angeles, there are some intriguing opportunities elsewhere.

Let's take a look at them:

Houston Rockets

The Rockets had no chance of getting Howard -- before trading for James Harden, that is. Howard has not told me that his feelings about playing for the Rockets have changed, but in Harden they have the kind of outstanding perimeter scorer/playmaker who could perhaps make him reconsider. Throw in a solid group of young players, led by small forward Chandler Parsons, and the Rockets would jump to contender status with Howard in the middle. Like Dallas, Houston will be able to offer Howard a max deal.

Atlanta Hawks

Howard is from Atlanta and I'm not sure he wants to play in his hometown. Danny Ferry, the Hawks' new GM, has set up the club to make a run at Howard and possibly at Chris Paul as well. I don't see Paul leaving the Clippers, but just getting Howard would make the Hawks one of the top clubs in the East.

If they decide to re-sign Josh Smith, Howard's childhood friend, they could have one of the most formidable front lines in the league with Howard and Al Horford. Jeff Teague is improving at point guard, Lou Williams is one of the league's top sixth men and Kyle Korver provides top-notch shooting.

Dallas Mavericks

Dallas has always been on Howard's short list of favored destinations, right behind Brooklyn and Los Angeles, and they have done nothing to hurt their chances this season. The Mavericks will most likely have the cap room to offer Howard a max contract (if they unload someone like Shawn Marion and/or Vince Carter), and the emergence of O.J. Mayo as a potential All-Star-caliber shooting guard gives them a potentially lethal inside-outside tandem if Howard were to join their club. However, Mayo is due for a significantly better contract, since he is expected to opt out of his current one. So much depends on how much Mayo would re-sign for.

That's not even mentioning the injured Dirk Nowitzki, who at 35 should still be able to hit long jumpers and stretch the floor for Howard to work inside. With one of the top coaches in the game in Rick Carlisle, the Mavericks would be title contenders with Howard.

Those three teams could sign Howard as a free agent next summer. Others would have to trade for him. One possibility that could emerge if (and that's a big if) Howard insisted on leaving the Lakers: a trade across Staples Arena to the Lakers' locker mates.

Los Angeles Clippers

I have been pushing a Clippers trade for Howard for a year now. I thought the Clippers should have offered Blake Griffin to the Orlando Magic for Howard. I'm sure Orlando would have taken a package built around Griffin, and I'm sure Howard would sign on long term to play with Chris Paul. But the Clippers didn't want to risk losing Griffin, whom they signed to a long-term deal, for what might have amounted to a one-year rental of Howard.

Well, if it goes so badly with the Lakers that Howard decides he will leave after the season, the Clippers should finally make a run at him. My intitial offer would be DeAndre Jordan and Eric Bledsoe for Howard in a sign-and-trade. I doubt the Lakers would accept that, especially since they'd be sending Howard down the hall to the in-town rival. OK, so then I'd offer Blake and Bledsoe.

I know the Lakers won't want to trade Howard to the Clippers, but if they're going to lose him anyway, tey couldn't do much better than getting Griffin and Bledsoe in return. Bledsoe, who looks as if he could become a very good starting point guard, would go a long way toward solving the Lakers' perimeter defensive problems and Blake would give them one of the game's most exciting players and biggest draws.

To be sure, I believe the Lakers are the likely long-term landing spot for Howard. But if this season continues to worsen, the probability of his departure will only grow.

Chris Broussard | NBA analyst

 

[#1 pick]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6fgwqrS48I[/ame]

 

[NatiboyB]

I am thinking so to. And I also think he never wanted to be there. The dummy shouldnt of signed that deal.

 

[Hater]

 

[William Bassington]

Most notably, Dwight Howard says that he knows which team he will sign with once he becomes the most sought-after free agent in the NBA next summer. He’s just not telling.

Howard will be a free agent at the end of this season. I ask him if he knows now where he will be playing next year, and he says, “I know.” I suggest that means the Lakers because he could not know of any other opportunity at this time. But I still make a pitch for the Clippers, figuring he might want to play for the best team in town. He laughs, and when I suggest that some opine that if this season falls apart it will persuade him to leave, he says that’s not the case.

He says the Lakers are all about championships, and “what’s not to like about L.A.?” There is an expectation by some that he cannot coexist with Kobe. “Why can’t we coexist?” he asks. “Because we’re opposites? I thought opposites attract. You know why we can play well together? Kobe knows how hard I work and that I’m all about championships. We’re also entertainers, and for the two hours and 20 minutes that people come to a game they want to be entertained.”

pretty much says it all, no superstar walks out of LA without extreme reason...none..but continue carrying along, place your faith in an article Chris Broussard fabricated along with his imaginary sources

 

[William Bassington]

journalism is fukkin dead, Broussard has 0 credence..just peep the article posted, all opinion, no sources

The Los Angeles Lakers have plenty of issues to worry about right now, their lack of offensive execution and their lack of transition defense foremost among them. But there's another pressing issue the Lakers might soon have to consider if their season continues along this negative path -- their lack of Dwight Howard's signature on a contract.

Since Howard was traded to the Lakers in the offseason, it has been virtually a foregone conclusion that he would re-sign with the club after this season. The Lakers seemed to have everything Howard wanted -- a great pass-first point guard, a legitimate chance to win championships, a bustling metropolis with tons of endorsement opportunities and, of course, Hollywood.

To be sure, I believe the Lakers are the likely long-term landing spot for Howard. But if this season continues to worsen, the probability of his departure will only grow.

But with the way things are currently going for the 9-13 Lakers, one has to wonder if Howard might consider leaving. Howard told a Los Angeles Times reporter this week that he already knows where he's going to sign, then he spoke glowingly about Los Angeles and his ability to play with Kobe Bryant. It sounded as if he's still planning on a future with the Lakers, but Howard has been known to change his mind.

Make no mistake, the Lakers are still the front-runners in the Dwight Howard Sweepstakes. After all, Howard enjoys the city, and the Lakers can offer him a five-year contract worth $117.9 million while other clubs can pay him only $87.6 million over four years. But if a poor season sours him on Los Angeles, there are some intriguing opportunities elsewhere.

Let's take a look at them:

Houston Rockets

The Rockets had no chance of getting Howard -- before trading for James Harden, that is. Howard has not told me that his feelings about playing for the Rockets have changed, but in Harden they have the kind of outstanding perimeter scorer/playmaker who could perhaps make him reconsider. Throw in a solid group of young players, led by small forward Chandler Parsons, and the Rockets would jump to contender status with Howard in the middle. Like Dallas, Houston will be able to offer Howard a max deal.

Atlanta Hawks

Howard is from Atlanta and I'm not sure he wants to play in his hometown. Danny Ferry, the Hawks' new GM, has set up the club to make a run at Howard and possibly at Chris Paul as well. I don't see Paul leaving the Clippers, but just getting Howard would make the Hawks one of the top clubs in the East.

If they decide to re-sign Josh Smith, Howard's childhood friend, they could have one of the most formidable front lines in the league with Howard and Al Horford. Jeff Teague is improving at point guard, Lou Williams is one of the league's top sixth men and Kyle Korver provides top-notch shooting.

Dallas Mavericks

Dallas has always been on Howard's short list of favored destinations, right behind Brooklyn and Los Angeles, and they have done nothing to hurt their chances this season. The Mavericks will most likely have the cap room to offer Howard a max contract (if they unload someone like Shawn Marion and/or Vince Carter), and the emergence of O.J. Mayo as a potential All-Star-caliber shooting guard gives them a potentially lethal inside-outside tandem if Howard were to join their club. However, Mayo is due for a significantly better contract, since he is expected to opt out of his current one. So much depends on how much Mayo would re-sign for.

That's not even mentioning the injured Dirk Nowitzki, who at 35 should still be able to hit long jumpers and stretch the floor for Howard to work inside. With one of the top coaches in the game in Rick Carlisle, the Mavericks would be title contenders with Howard.

Those three teams could sign Howard as a free agent next summer. Others would have to trade for him. One possibility that could emerge if (and that's a big if) Howard insisted on leaving the Lakers: a trade across Staples Arena to the Lakers' locker mates.

Los Angeles Clippers

I have been pushing a Clippers trade for Howard for a year now. I thought the Clippers should have offered Blake Griffin to the Orlando Magic for Howard. I'm sure Orlando would have taken a package built around Griffin, and I'm sure Howard would sign on long term to play with Chris Paul. But the Clippers didn't want to risk losing Griffin, whom they signed to a long-term deal, for what might have amounted to a one-year rental of Howard.

Well, if it goes so badly with the Lakers that Howard decides he will leave after the season, the Clippers should finally make a run at him. My intitial offer would be DeAndre Jordan and Eric Bledsoe for Howard in a sign-and-trade. I doubt the Lakers would accept that, especially since they'd be sending Howard down the hall to the in-town rival. OK, so then I'd offer Blake and Bledsoe.

I know the Lakers won't want to trade Howard to the Clippers, but if they're going to lose him anyway, tey couldn't do much better than getting Griffin and Bledsoe in return. Bledsoe, who looks as if he could become a very good starting point guard, would go a long way toward solving the Lakers' perimeter defensive problems and Blake would give them one of the game's most exciting players and biggest draws.

To be sure, I believe the Lakers are the likely long-term landing spot for Howard. But if this season continues to worsen, the probability of his departure will only grow.

how does this nikka have a job, some of us can do this

 

[DStyles]

He is.

He never wanted to be in LA. His heart was set in Brooklyn

Guess he gonna have to settle for a homecoming in Atlanta

 

[Lucky_Lefty]

I sort of hope so....he comes off the books, Paula comes off next year, Kobe, MWP....lotta of dough for that summer of '14

 

[DStyles]

LA nikkas now sounding like Orlando nikkas being optimistic that Howard will stay

 

[THASTUNNA]

morey going to try hard to get Dwight.

 

[madness]

when you lose in orlando nobody cares. everyone just shrugs and goes to disney world.

when you lose in L.A. you get reporters from all over the country asking you stupid shyt before and after every game, every sports station in the national media is bashing you and legends like magic show their greasy faces all up in the news...all up in the videos.

this smiley faced fakkit is a mental midget and i wouldnt be shocked if he bounced.

 

[William Bassington]

LA nikkas now sounding like Orlando nikkas being optimistic that Howard will stay

There has been zero evidence to show otherwise other than shotty journalism and wishful Laker haters...everybody and they momma know Dwight not leaving LA, what he look like turning down an extra $25 mil to leave one of the greatest sports franchises?..THINK, its not hard

 

[Loose]

There has been zero evidence to show otherwise other than shotty journalism and wishful Laker haters...everybody and they momma know Dwight not leaving LA, what he look like turning down an extra $25 mil to leave one of the greatest sports franchises?..THINK, its not hard

He will never win nothing there and that 25 million is nothing compared to winning.

 

[KevCo]

There has been zero evidence to show otherwise other than shotty journalism and wishful Laker haters...everybody and they momma know Dwight not leaving LA, what he look like turning down an extra $25 mil to leave one of the greatest sports franchises?..THINK, its not hard

sign and trade?

 

[William Bassington]

He will never win nothing there and that 25 million is nothing compared to winning.

just like Kobe wouldnt win without Shaq right?