Chris Paul's camp to Broussard: CP3 hopes to play with Dwight

[Michael Jordan.]

Chris Paul (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/2779/chris-paul) and Dwight Howard (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/2384/dwight-howard) have been in consistent contact recently about the possibility of becoming teammates next season, according to league sources.Paul and Howard will be the biggest free agents on the market this summer, and their desire is to play together, the sources said.
"They would love to play together if somebody can make it happen," one of the sources said.

The Atlanta Hawks (http://espn.go.com/nba/team/_/name/atl/atlanta-hawks) could make it happen. Atlanta, which is Howard's hometown, has the cap room to sign both players to maximum-salaried contracts.
Howard is not particularly fond of the idea of returning to Atlanta, but he would do so to team up with Paul, the sources said.

But Paul, despite recently being upset with the Clippers over the perception that he got coach Vinny Del Negro fired, is unlikely to leave Los Angeles, one source said. He has gotten over his anger with the club and likes living in Los Angeles.
"It would be very tough for him to go to Atlanta," the source said. "He loved Atlanta when they should have drafted him in '05 but not so much since then. But hey, everybody is an option at this point."

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/9386386/chris-paul-dwight-howard-hoping-play-together-sources


Chris Paul is desperate to hitch his wagon to Dwight Howard, and dreads Howard alone going to Houston. Here's why:NBA stars tend to have a preferred reporter or two by their agent and the people surrounding them. We’ve been down this road with Dwight and Dan Fegan. Their preferred outlets are Jarrod Rudolph at RealGM and Alex Kennedy at Hoopsworld. From a national and more credible standpoint, they like Adrian Wojnarowski at Yahoo!.

With Chris Paul, this is new, but Team Paul seems to go with Chris “multiple sources” Broussard at ESPN. Broussard is who the “Paul is angry over being blamed for Del Negro’s firing” story was leaked to a couple weeks back, and today, he’s stirring the pot for the possibility of Dwight/CP3 playing together.

http://espn.go.com/los... (http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/9386386/chris-paul-dwight-howard-hoping-play-together-sources)

What’s important is that while mostly speculative, the bits of hard info almost exclusively come from Team Paul. He wants to stay in LA. He’s over his “anger”. It would be tough to go to Atlanta. In short, it reeks of someone with Team Paul wanting to stir the pot and get the ball rolling around the league on possible scenarios for the two of them.

Why? Because if Dwight goes to Houston solo, that is Chris Paul’s worst-case scenario. In terms of contending for a title, he has no option. The Clippers are capped out and have no reasonable means to seriously challenge OKC or San Antonio. Atlanta, with CP3 and Al Horford, is basically Clippers East. Dallas, with an old Dirk and future “cap room”, offer only future promises.

Chris Paul’s best chance to join a contender this offseason is to hitch his wagon to Dwight Howard. I think he’d love for it to be with the Clippers, given his love for LA, but that’s unlikely for many reasons. Beyond that, Atlanta? Houston? Dallas? Paul is open to any, because he’s desperate.


The key for the Rockets is to hope Dwight realizes – and I think he does – that Houston is his best shot to win, even relative to the Hawks/Clippers with Paul. Because in both places, a gutted roster (Griffin/Bledsoe would be gone, in the LA scenario) with only one other star is not enough. Houston offers Harden along with a full complement of young role players in Parsons, Asik, Lin, Beverley, etc.

http://sulia.com/bendubose/f/183f993f-2622-4e72-877a-a623fcf2e499/

[Clipper Nation]

Not even financially possible, whether it's with the Clippers or elsewhere: http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/06/14/report-chris-paul-dwight-howard-text-about-teaming-up-this-will-not-happen/

Broussard just whoring for attention, per par....

[MeloHype]

ATL tbh

[JingleJangleJingle]

http://media2.giga.de/2013/01/multiple-sources-meme.gif

[baseline bum]

Not even financially possible, whether it's with the Clippers or elsewhere: http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/06/14/report-chris-paul-dwight-howard-text-about-teaming-up-this-will-not-happen/

Broussard just whoring for attention, per par....

It is possible in Atlanta. They have boatloads of cap space.

[Clipper Nation]

It is possible in Atlanta. They have boatloads of cap space.
....if they gut their entire team, that is:


Actually, no Atlanta does not have the room to make it happen. Teams have a lot less money to spend than you think because of cap holds and other restrictions.

Atlanta could have up to $35 million in cap space, which is not enough to give max deals to both players, but maybe you could convince them both to take paycuts (ala Miami). But to get that $35 million they have to renounce/let sign elsewhere Josh Smith (he’s gone, but until he signs elsewhere there is a cap hold on the Hawks salary space). Then they have to renounce every other free agent on their roster — Kyle Korver, Devin Harris, Zaza Pachulia, Johan Petro, Ivan Johnson, Jeff Teague, Dahntay Jones, Hilton Armstrong, Erick Dampier, Etan Thomas, Randolph Morris and Anthony Tolliver. Then they have to waive DeShawn Stevenson, Shelvin Mack and Mike Scott. Or they could amnesty Al Horford.

You really think Danny Ferry is going to play that game?

[baseline bum]

....if they gut their entire team, that is:

Not sure if srs... hell yes Danny Ferry is going to renounce a bunch of scrubs if Howard and Paul agree to go there.

Can picture the call to Ferry right now

CP3's Agent: Chris really wants to be a Hawk now that Dwight has committed

Ferry: Can't do it bro. Devin Harris and Kyle Korver are too important to our future, and we have big plans for Johan Petro. You understand, right?

[Clipper Nation]

Hey, if they take less money to join a gutted team that can't afford to build a real supporting cast around them, then more power to them, just don't expect them to win anything, tbh.... it's a moot point though, since CP3 doesn't want to go to Atlanta and is happy in LA....

[baseline bum]

Also, their cap space will be more like $38 million with cap holds figured in after they dump their first round pick.

[StrengthAndHonor]

Atlanta is not a logical destination. Let's stop beating the dead horse.

[baseline bum]

So Atlanta has enough money to keep Howard's salary the same and still give CP3 the maximum 5% bump for next season.

[baseline bum]

Atlanta is not a logical destination. Let's stop beating the dead horse.

Atlanta is the logical destination if they want to play together. And Atlanta keeps the only two players on the team that matter: Horford and Williams (they obviously don't want Josh Smith back, and who can blame them?).

[StrengthAndHonor]

Howard doesn't want to play in Atlanta and he's been vocal about that.

[baseline bum]

I think it's a long-shot that they go to Atlanta, but it's laughable that people think the Hawks wouldn't renounce a bunch of players they don't want anyways. The only renounced player on the roster they'd really like back is Teague, but obviously you cut him when you can have CP3 play his position instead.

[baseline bum]

Howard doesn't want to play in Atlanta and he's been vocal about that.

Howard said the same shit about LA and still ok'ed the deal last summer. Gotta think he'd love the chance to trade Kobe's chucking ass for a real leader like Paul though after dealing with Kobe's shit for a year.

[Clipper Nation]

Howard doesn't want to play in Atlanta and he's been vocal about that.
And it says in Broussard's article that CP3's "unlikely to leave" and "loves living in LA" too, tbh.....

It's incredible that Broussard actually gets paid to write these shitty articles that don't even match their headlines :lol

[Sportcamper]

Not even financially possible, whether it's with the Clippers or elsewhere

I beg to differ & would take Blake Griffin over Dwight Howard in a heartbeat...:lol

The preference for both players would be to play together for the Clippers, according to the sources. Because the Clippers don't have enough cap room to sign Howard as a free agent, it would take a sign-and-trade deal with the Lakers to make it happen.

The Clippers would be open to working out a deal, but they fear the Lakers would never trade Howard to them, according to the sources.

But while trading Howard to a team in their own building seems unthinkable, the Lakers are not likely to get a better trade package elsewhere than say, Blake Griffin and Eric Bledsoe.

[StrengthAndHonor]

Howard said the same shit about LA and still ok'ed the deal last summer. Gotta think he'd love the chance to trade Kobe's chucking ass for a real leader like Paul though after dealing with Kobe's shit for a year.

Well no question about that. CP3 is a huge fuckin upgrade over Kobe. But that LA deal was not his first preference, as you know, Brooklyn was. Dwight has complete control of his situation now that he's a FA. Atlanta appears like a good choice after Houston but tbh, Dwight and CP3 are not going to be in a better situation even if they team up in ATL.

Dwight to Houston and CP3 back in LA is the most attractive option.

[StrengthAndHonor]

And it says in Broussard's article that CP3's "unlikely to leave" and "loves living in LA" too, tbh.....

It's incredible that Broussard actually gets paid to write these shitty articles that don't even match their headlines :lolThis.

[Spurs9]

Not happening unless Lakers amnesty Kobe.

[jimbo]

I beg to differ & would take Blake Griffin over Dwight Howard in a heartbeat...:lol

The preference for both players would be to play together for the Clippers, according to the sources. Because the Clippers don't have enough cap room to sign Howard as a free agent, it would take a sign-and-trade deal with the Lakers to make it happen.

The Clippers would be open to working out a deal, but they fear the Lakers would never trade Howard to them, according to the sources.

But while trading Howard to a team in their own building seems unthinkable, the Lakers are not likely to get a better trade package elsewhere than say, Blake Griffin and Eric Bledsoe.

Of course. I really like Blake Griffin in the long term. He's shown the willingness to actually build on his game unlike most monkeyballers. He'll be really dangerous in the next few years

[Sportcamper]

Of course. I really like Blake Griffin in the long term. He's shown the willingness to actually build on his game unlike most monkeyballers. He'll be really dangerous in the next few years

Blake Griffin is coach able & a So Cal Favorite…I don’t see Howard ever growing up…If Howard & CP3 really team up this could help the Lakers long term…

[baseline bum]

Of course. I really like Blake Griffin in the long term. He's shown the willingness to actually build on his game unlike most monkeyballers. He'll be really dangerous in the next few years

Yeah, while I hate Griffen's game now, I'd love to see what a quality head coach could bring out in him. If I'm Paul I hold Sterling's feet to the fire to get a coach who can teach Griffen classball. Should have taken Budenholzer before Ferry landed him tbh.