Howard Thread III (Howard ready to join Lakers p.68)

[Slava]

Pretty soon Mitch will show his pimp hand and all this will be sorted.

In Mitch-iah we trust!

[ennui]

Any word from Jason Mclead? He seems to be on the up and up.

[MAMBAEMD]

Steve Kyler ‏@stevekylerNBA
Being told both Houston and Lakers still very much engaged... nothing close, but both teams working hard. Still up to Magic to deal.

Do it Mitch!

[WCDYNASTY]

Steve Kyler ‏@stevekylerNBA
Being told both Houston and Lakers still very much engaged... nothing close, but both teams working hard. Still up to Magic to deal.

Good to hear... not sure if I believe it though

[hazy_01]

Chris Tomasson @christomasson
During a workout last year with Dwight Howard, Hakeem Olajuwon said Howard told him there was one team at the time for which he most wanted to play. Olajuwon called that “confidential’’ and declined to say if that team is the Lakers, who are also in the mix to land Howard. But Olajuwon said Howard did not say the team was the Nets, who were considered the leading candidate to acquire Howard until they all but pulled out of the running earlier this week. “I was surprised when he was dealing with the Nets because he didn’t mention them to me,’’ Olajuwon said.

Lakers or Mavs (b/c they cud've landed Dwill) I think.

[RamonSessions7]

Chris Tomasson @christomasson
During a workout last year with Dwight Howard, Hakeem Olajuwon said Howard told him there was one team at the time for which he most wanted to play. Olajuwon called that “confidential’’ and declined to say if that team is the Lakers, who are also in the mix to land Howard. But Olajuwon said Howard did not say the team was the Nets, who were considered the leading candidate to acquire Howard until they all but pulled out of the running earlier this week. “I was surprised when he was dealing with the Nets because he didn’t mention them to me,’’ Olajuwon said.

Lakers or Mavs (b/c they cud've landed Dwill) I think.

Then that old black snake guy had to go and call him his Chandler

[TheXFactor]

I wonder if a phone call from Kobe or Nash would do wonders.

[TheXFactor]

david pingalore ‏@pinglocal6

Hearing Houston "MIGHT" be a smoke screen for @DwightHoward and ‪#lakers‬ could really be final destination. ‪

[Wavy Q]

dont ever post ping quotes here again

[TheXFactor]

^

[Father Time]

ljklkasjflaskjd

[Hunter103]

david pingalore ‏@pinglocal6

Hearing Houston "MIGHT" be a smoke screen for @DwightHoward and ‪#lakers‬ could really be final destination. ‪

Now wait just a second! This may be true. It only makes perfect sense that Dwight Howard would conspire with the Rockets organization to gut their roster in order to force a trade to the Lakers. Because...just because, I guess.

[dockingsched]

chad evans and jason mclaed > ping

[miggs]

chad evans and jason mclaed > ping

[TheXFactor]

David Aldridge

Friday came and went, and just like all the other days that have passed since June 24, 2004, Dwight Howard was still a member of the Orlando Magic.

Despite the Houston Rockets using the amnesty provision to waive forward Luis Scola, there was no trade of Howard from Orlando to Houston, and sources briefed on the talks between the two sides said the teams weren’t nearly as close to a trade as many have speculated. That can change in an instant, of course, but late Friday, there was no deal.

Talks between the two sides are “not active,” one source said Friday.

“There’s nothing happening,” another source said.

The Rockets, according to a league source briefed on the discussions, are willing to take one bad contract back from the Magic, not two or three, as has been speculated. And in return, Houston will give up one of the their three first-round picks in last month’s Draft– Jeremy Lamb, Royce White or Terrence Jones –but only one.

The Rockets would be willing to send a future draft pick to Orlando –presumably the Lottery-protected first-rounder Houston received this week from Toronto for guard Kyle Lowry — and send a veteran player to the Magic, helping Orlando clear $10 to $15 million worth of cap room, in exchange for the six-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year.

Orlando has several high-priced contracts it would like to clear if it opts to trade Howard, including forward Hedo Turkoglu (two years, $23.4 million remaining, though the last year of the deal is not fully guaranteed) and guards Jason Richardson (three years, $18.6 million) and Chris Duhon (two years, $7.2 million).

Waiving Scola, who was due $20.6 million over the next three seasons, was not done just to give Houston a better shot at Howard, according to the source. With the Rockets in full pursuit of Howard, however, keeping a high-priced player like Scola on the roster didn’t make much sense going forward — especially if Houston isn’t successful in getting Howard.

By cutting Scola now, the Rockets will be able to take a big contract back at any point this season if it suits their rebuilding plans. After spending the last three years trapped in NBA mediocrity following the injuries to and eventual retirement of franchise center Yao Ming, the Rockets are determined to land a star or construct a roster of players with the potential to become stars.

To that end, the Rockets officially tendered a three-year, $25.1 million offer sheet on Friday to Knicks restricted free agent Jeremy Lin. The Rockets reworked their deal from the original offer they had negotiated with Lin, eliminating a year of the offer but raising Lin’s third-year salary up to $14.898 million, in an attempt to make the offer sheet as difficult as possible for New York to match.

League sources continue to indicate that the Knicks will match, however, feeling Lin’s potential both as a player and as someone whose marketability is unlimited are too important to pass up. But with a roster that currently only has veterans Toney Douglas and Shaun Livingston as point guards, Houston felt it had to do whatever it could to get Lin.

The Rockets are still expected to tender a similar three-year, $25 million offer sheet to Bulls reserve center Omer Asik.

Meanwhile, Orlando continues to take a methodical approach toward dealing Howard, who has indicated the only team with whom he’d be willing to sign a contract extension after this season is Brooklyn. Howard has been adamant that he would not re-sign in Houston if traded there.

However, the Rockets remain convinced they can change his mind once he gets to town. He has a strong relationship with Rockets legend and Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon, who told FoxSportsFlorida Friday night that he’d been asked to reach out to Howard if and when a trade is made.

Orlando is determined trade Howard on its own timetable, when it gets the combination of picks and young players it wants. The Magic, who are still looking to hire a new coach and just hired new general manager Rob Hennigan late last month, may be trying to replicate the formula used by the Nuggets in 2011, when Denver held onto forward Carmelo Anthony for months and months until the Knicks offered a package featuring Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler and Timofey Mozgov for a Denver package featuring Anthony and Chauncey Billups.

Orlando is continuing to talk to other teams, including the Lakers. But after sending two future firsts and two seconds to the Suns in the sign and trade deal for Steve Nash, Los Angeles is out of Draft picks to offer in the near future. The Nets are out of the picture for the foreseeable future after re-signing center Brook Lopez, who was supposed to be the centerpiece of any offer to Orlando for Howard, to a four-year, $60.8 million deal earlier this week. Under league rules Brooklyn cannot trade Lopez until Jan. 15.

[Josephpaul]

What if dwight stays? Biggest waste of time ever?

[alaskan34pac34]

What if the rockets trade for dwight and all those contracts and he leaves? Then they are stuck with bad contracts. Also all this talk about convincing another free agent to come next off season how magic are going to make the rockets take back all there crap. This whole dwight to houston doesn't make sense long term for rockets.

[Sofa King]

What if dwight stays? Biggest waste of time ever?

Then McLaed would be right!

[TheXFactor]

David Pingalore

Local 6 Sports Director David Pingalore has learned Friday night through multiple sources that this past week has been nothing but multiple smoke screens concerning the Dwight Howard drama.

According to Pingalore's sources, this week is all about getting Dwight Howard to Los Angeles and on the Lakers roster.

Sources close to the situation believe the "The Lakers will be the end game for the Magic center".

It is where the league wants him to end up if it couldn't be the Brooklyn Nets, this according to people with direct knowledge of the situation.

Many of the stories about Howard have come from Howard's camp and not from front office people.

It is widely believed with front office people that the end game for Howard is the Lakers.

That point was stressed over and over to Pingalore. The sources went as far to say "follow the money," adding "The Lakers are a big market team that needs a player as global as Dwight Howard."

Pingalore's sources believe that this deal is in place and is set for announcement in the short term.

Pingalore reported Thursday night the Houston Rockets were in play but the situation remains fluid and is changing at the moment and it's about keeping people off base.

The sources say Friday night this still is all but done.

"Some crossing of T's and dotting of I's is only left".

[Michael Lucky]

lol i'll believe it when I see it.