howard will be a rocket

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Good info, guys. Thank you.

BTW, why NOT amnesty Kobe? He's not going anywhere, he can still rehab with the team, they save a bucking futtload of money and they can re-sign him if and when he's healthy. Nobody thinks he's going to contribute next season, do they?

[Chinook]

Good info, guys. Thank you.

BTW, why NOT amnesty Kobe? He's not going anywhere, he can still rehab with the team, they save a bucking futtload of money and they can re-sign him if and when he's healthy. Nobody thinks he's going to contribute next season, do they?

Well the issue with that is that they can't re-sign him unless 2014. And it may not even be his choice whether or not he comes back. It's possible that someone claims him (I think it'd be likely, actually) for a couple of million to see if he can come back at some point. For example, the Spurs might put in a bid for him in hopes he'd be ready for the playoffs. Or the Bobcats could claim him for ticket sales. Then, those teams have his Bird rights, and he may be content to finish his career with a contender.

[100%duncan]

IMO, if Howard knows what's best for him then he'd ho to Houston. But I pray that he stays in LA and signs a 5 year max contract so that LA is stuck with mediocrity until almost the end of the decade.

[Venti Quattro]

BTW, why NOT amnesty Kobe? He's not going anywhere, he can still rehab with the team, they save a bucking futtload of money and they can re-sign him if and when he's healthy. Nobody thinks he's going to contribute next season, do they?

He brings a lot of business to the Lakers. Could you imagine the media spectacle that the Lakers are gonna create if they do that? They are gonna get killed

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He brings a lot of business to the Lakers. Could you imagine the media spectacle that the Lakers are gonna create if they do that? They are gonna get killed

No, you're right. I forgot that people would bid on him, and someone would just to with the Lakers. The Sixers have to be feeling pretty annoyed at LA right about now. If there was ever a time for the team to dig into their TV contract fund, it's now with Kobe.

[Embedded]

I hope San Antonio considers Pau Gasol. He seems like a true mature professional, how he handled being traded, and when the trade didn't go through he didn't pout. Can you imagine Dwight Coward or Lamar Odum if a team tried to trade them away, and the trade didn't go through? Lamar would be curled up in bed the entire season in the fetal position with a case of Watermelon-flavored blow-pops and a stack of breast-featured nudie books, and Dwight Coward would hug the coach at a press conference while stabbing him in the back with a toy knife! Oh, LMAO @ CJZERO, hahahahahah

[The_Worlds_finest]

Shaq at 27 could have won a game for the Lakers in this series

[vander]

can't believe people writing off this guy's ability after one crazy year in lala land.

would love to see him sour on LA and come to SA

Pop and TD could get his head right, maybe, possibly

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

If I were Howard I'd go to Houston (they're like Orlando a few years ago but have the potential to be better with Harden, D12 and Parsons), but I bet he takes the extra $30mil and the LaLa Land frills and remains a Faker... let's face it, that suits his flaky, childish personality.

[will_spurs]

would love to see him sour on LA and come to SA

Please no. Just no. Let him destroy another franchise, just not ours.

Re: Kobe, I thought there was some injury provision in the CBA to save a bit of money when a player is out for the year?

[exstatic]

Please no. Just no. Let him destroy another franchise, just not ours.

Re: Kobe, I thought there was some injury provision in the CBA to save a bit of money when a player is out for the year?

The injury provision is an allotment to sign another replacement player. You save nothing on the injured player.

[TampaDude]

He brings a lot of business to the Lakers. Could you imagine the media spectacle that the Lakers are gonna create if they do that? They are gonna get killed

Heh...SAS was talking about this on First Take yesterday. If Jim Buss amnestied Kobe, he better get himself some really good armed security.

[tmtcsc]

I don't know man. If you were a fraud, would you go to Houston for 30 million less just to have a better chance at winning a ring? 30 MILLION LESS. I think he stays and has built in reasons for not winning a ring. Surrounded by yes-men, able to dodge accountability with a double tech, its a flake, its a fraud, its, its...Super !!

[Mel_13]

can't believe people writing off this guy's ability after one crazy year in lala land.

There's also the drama surrounding his last two years in Orlando as well as the health concerns associated with the back surgery. I don't think any serious observer is writing off his ability, but making Howard your franchise player has real risks. There are sure to be several franchises, starting with the Lakers, willing to assume those risks.

[therealtruth]

The Lakers have no other option. Kobe's going to be retiring soon. They're hoping to rebuild around DH.

[kaji157]

The only way he goes to Houston is if his agent finds a way to explode Lin´s image in the asian market and re-rout that advertising to howard.
Difficult to say the least as Lin would be the 4th or 5th best player on that team and his touches should be greatly reduced, actually the team would be better with a pass first PG who can take care of the ball and defend, al skills Lin´s lacking.

[Spur-Addict]

THey'd be better off getting Al Jeff in my opinion.

[spurraider21]

Even if Howard walks the Lakers are still over the cap

basketball reasons
do it mitch!

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There's also the drama surrounding his last two years in Orlando as well as the health concerns associated with the back surgery. I don't think any serious observer is writing off his ability, but making Howard your franchise player has real risks. There are sure to be several franchises, starting with the Lakers, willing to assume those risks.

The Lakers have the money to give him a max deal and still not have him be the franchise player. They're the only team in the history of the league that could not be completely destroyed paying a guy 30 million dollars to sit on a couch and heal up. That's a lot of leeway the rest of the teams just don't have.

[ducks]

Report: Dwight Howard will consider multiple teams in free agency, is said to be most intrigued by the Rockets

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.c...y-the-rockets/

[thiste]

Shouldn't this thread be downstairs?

[buttsR4rebounding]

What will Houston trade to get him? Dwight will agree to a sign and trade, because it's too much money to pass up.

If Howard signs a 4 year deal with an opt out at the end of 3, he can sign an extension at the end of 3 years and end up with about the same money. If you add in the savings from no state income tax in Texas he will be ahead. He can insure himself against a career ending injury that would be the only risk associated with this strategy. No sign and trade necessary.

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If Howard signs a 4 year deal with an opt out at the end of 3, he can sign an extension at the end of 3 years and end up with about the same money. If you add in the savings from no state income tax in Texas he will be ahead. He can insure himself against a career ending injury that would be the only risk associated with this strategy. No sign and trade necessary.

Correct, and they can't do sign and trades like that anymore, apparently. Just about the time I begin to understand the CBA they completely change it.

[Mel_13]

Correct, and they can't do sign and trades like that anymore, apparently. Just about the time I begin to understand the CBA they completely change it.

Teams over tax apron can't receive a player in a sign and trade, so the Lakers are allowed to trade Howard in a sign and trade.

Another change to the sign and trade rules is that the player can't get a better contract in a sign and trade than the max contract that he can get from a team with enough cap space to sign him outright.

[Indazone]

Do not want! Hope Morey spends his money and goes after LaMarcus Aldridge or Chris Bosh