Orlando Options

Bobcats deal won’t happen because Howard wants a big city and a contender. No way he’ll resign with Charlotte, so I don’t think Charlotte will even try. Also, Magics can get much better in return. At first I was looking for the "Thumbs down button" when I saw the Clipps deal, but then I thought about it and thought it wasn’t such a bad deal. Clipps has two dominant big men to build around while dealing the injury-prone Gordon. Thing is, I think Magics can still get a better deal. Also, would Howard want to play with another big that needs the ball?

A move I can see happening is a deal with the Nets involving Brook Lopez for Howard. Lopez is a talented young Center that they can plug right in, also still on his rookie contract (remember Orlando is waaaay over luxury cap). A plus if they can get New Jersey to throw in rookie SG Marshawn Brooks. Howard would love to play in Brooklyn, and at the same time he gets to play with a great pg in Deron Williams. NJ has a lot of salary space to take on Howard’s contract, so I’m thinking:   At the trade deadline****

  Howard/Q-Rich  for Lopez/Brooks/Petro and 2012 1st round pick.

**I say wait until deadline so that Nets may have a worst record than if they had Howard the entire year. 

"I will not resign with you"…..saying that alone will keep certain teams from trading for him..or trading anything of value. Think of Mello last year, Nets offered Nuggets a much better deal than what the Knicks gave, but Mello said he wouldn’t sign extention there. You honestly think the Clipps will deal Eric Gordon without Dwight signing an extention there???

He didn’t neccessarily say he was leaving the Magic.  I think he was also putting the onus on Orlando to put a better team around him or else.

I think that’s what he meant by his statement, but just didn’t say it right. Howard wants to be a one team star, but with the contracts on that team, I just don’t see how they can make any moves. NO ONE is going to take Arenas or Turk’s contract off of them. Best bet, Arenas is working out hard this extended offseason to prove something this year. Turk I think can still play good. Thing is, they need another big man to pair with Howard. Bass and Anderson are decent bench players, but they need someone to come in and help bang down low. Also, who’s the starting SG, Q-Rich or Reddick? Maybe they can move Nelson to a team for depth at pf/c and try to outscore opponents. Still above avergae defensive team either way with Howard inside.

I think Nelson is their best trade chip. Only team I think that may be interested are the Kings as Nelson can start for 1-2 years and give Freddette time to improve. Who better to be a role model than Nelson as he and Freddete came into the league with the same questions. Maybe Nelson and (Anderson or Bass) for Jason Thompson and Dalembert (if he agrees to a sign and trade). I still like Thompson, and think he meshes well with Howard, he rebounds very well, athletic and can hit the mid-range jumper with consistency. Kings brought in Hickson who they are high on and would want a backup PF in Bass or Anderson for him. I am guessing they will want Anderson as he can spread the floor for Cousins when he’s in.

Orlando- Jason Thompson/Dalembert

Kings- Nelson/Anderson.

I have to agree that for Orlando to get value for Howard that he would have to sign an extension with them or give a clear indication to whichever team might come in for him that he would resign with them or at least opt in for 2012/13.

The Nets is an interesting option but they gave away talent to get D-Will so what they can offer over and beyond Brook Lopez is perhaps limited. Also Brook comes off his rookie deal next summer and so any cap relief will only be for this season as Brook’s extension is likely to be well over $10 million per year deending on what the CBA agreement might be.

We can throw up any number of options to get Dwight onto a team but if we assume that he would only resign with a contender then this limits it down considerably. Of course putting Dwight on any number of fringe teams could make them a genuine contender, teams like Houston own quite a few stashed picks and have some young talent so could maybe put a deal together.

Might Denver try to replace Melo with a big name signing but given their cap space then any move is perhaps more likely via FA.

I’ll throw a fun one in to end with – Boston have a lot of expiring deals and if they would swallow Turko’s contract could maybe take him and Howard as a package for Ray Allen, Jeff Green ( sign and trade), JO and maybe get Sheed and Shaq to resign to balance the deal out. Orlando obviously would want to rebuild so waive/buyout Ray Allen, JO. Shaq and Sheed stay retired so they don’t pick up any salary costs for Orlando – Boston send them some money to pay Shaq and Sheed for their trouble.

Boston have picks due so can send Orlando a sweetner if swallowing Turko’s deal isn’t enough perhaps. Boston get Dwight to partner KG, Turko becomes a nice bench option allowing PP and KG to limit their minutes, Ray Allen clears waivers and returns to Boston for veteran’s minimum and the vets can ride shotgun to Dwight and Rondo for another few years.

Orlando get shut of Turko’s deal for buying out Ray Allen and get a rebuilding block in Jeff Green plus maybe a pick or two. They save luxury tax certainly in 2012/13 and minus Dwight whilst they may struggle in 2011/12 they would be in prime position to get a good lottery pick in the loaded 2012 draft and if they have to rebuild over the next year or two whilst Arenas’ contract runs down then there are the likes of Shabazz etc in the 2013 draft potentially.

I know that doing trades with "retired" players is dodgy but it has been done before and Shaq might be perpared to help out two of his former teams etc.

Howard has basically stated loud and clear that he wants to go to a larger market.

So that basically elliminates the Bobcats.

I know it will never happen, but can we at least acknowledge that this is the best option for both teams?  Howard gets what he wants-he goes to a contending team in a big market where he doesn’t have to carry the load every game.  LeBron gets what he needs-undisputed alpha dog status.

As for the teams, they both get what they need.  Miami gets a dominant center to make their team way more balanced than it is right now, and with Wade, Bosh, and Howard, they have a perimeter, mid range, and low post scorer.  As for Orlando,they get a superstar under contract until at least 2014.  LeBron is the one player who can take any team, regardless of how lousy the supporting cast, at least deep in the playoffs.  He has mental issues he needs to resolve (jeez that sounded mean), but if he can overcome these sudden post season collapses, he can win a title with anybody.  This trade will never happen, but it makes perfect sense for both teams and both players.  So it should.

 the bobcats trade is a good trade, and the CP3 addition is very interesting…

but like most people said above, it just wont happen because of the small market in Charlotte. The Clippers trade actually makes A LOT of sense because the Clips have a top pick and some really nice young players. If im Orlando, im asking for Deandre and Bledsoe along with the players you mentioned…

honestly he will probably end up in LA (lakers or clippers) or Brooklyn

I seriously do believe Howard for Bynum is a serious option for Orlando…. It’s not going to be straight trade but there will be other pieces involved….

Do you think D12 would rather play with d-will or cp3? 

If I am the Magic I am trying to trade Arenas to a team like the T-Wolves, Bobcats, or Suns for pennies on the dollar.  I don’t think Arenas is done yet, I think he could still be a special, not elite, but a special player.  Minny needs a SG and teams like the Wolves and Cats will have a hard time getting big time players to sign to their low market teams. 

They probably won’t, but who knows they might be willing to take a flyer on Arenas if he is given for dirt-cheap or if the team is even given an incentive to take him. 

If we trade Howard we sure as hell better be getting back at least either one marquee player or a few top draft picks. Obviously we aren’t going to get fair value for him if expresses that he plans on leaving as a free agent at the end of the year but we should at least be able to get something along the lines of what Utah got for Deron.

I’ve posted it before, but I think LAC could give them the best deal considering they have the T-Wolves’ pick, which could lead to the top pick.

That pick combined with a few young players, Chris Kaman’s expiring deal and a couple of other throw ins could make this work.

I’ve posted it before, but I think LAC could give them the best deal considering they have the T-Wolves’ pick, which could lead to the top pick.

That pick combined with a few young players, Chris Kaman’s expiring deal and a couple of other throw ins could make this work.

—————————————————————————————————————

Yeh, if management is convinced Dwight is gonna bolt at the end of the year, I’d be pretty satisfied getting back a top 3 pick in a seemingly loaded draft class and a couple other guys along the lines of DeAndre Jordan and Al-Farouq Aminu and someone else (possibly Kaman) to make the numbers work. Much better than seeing him walk away for nothing.

The Bynum for Howard deal does give Orlando a building piece in Bynum and maybe Turko and Odom get thrown in effectively allowing Odom to be brought out and then return to the Lakers, this saves Orlando maybe $12 to $15 million on the contracts.

Houston! They are actually a solid team even if they threw 3 or 4 young guys and a few picks to Orlando. Remember they were able to win 42 games last year with a 6’6 center.

Houston have the pick due from the Knicks next year and one due from Memphis as part of the Battier/Thabeet trade plus they own all their own future picks going forward so they have the ammo to maybe send 3 picks to any team for the rightv trade. Throw in Hill, Flynn, Patterson,Thabeet, Motiejunas, Dragic, Lee, Marcus Morris and Chase Budinger etc and they have a nice pool of young talent to send a player or two as part of any suitable trade.

Also their GM Daryl Morey is the sort of guy who can generate deals so could maybe bring a 3rd team in to make deals work out better.

If Dwight Howard did go to Houston then I’d flag them up as a 50 win plus team and thus a contender out west. I’d assume that Scola, Lowry and Martin would be his key running mates plus they still have maybe at least 6 of the yonger names above to fill out Coach McHale’s roster and they could obviously add a decent veteran FA or two if needed. 

The picks that Orlando might receive from Houston may well be later first round but they would probably be in the next few years so they could rebuild sooner rather than later and if they did struggle next year then they would have immediate options for the 2012 draft.

Orlando should do trade for Howard only with team willing to take Hedo and Gilbert contracts too.

i agree with kobyz. I dont think they can trade Arenas tho. But any deal I do for Howard. Turkoglu will have to go too. Atleast try to get rid of one of those contracts. I like the idea of Houston. The problem with Houston is that nobody they have to trade is proven yet. So Orlando may be turned off by the lack of proven talent there.