Official Speculation Thread (Pt. XXXVII Off-Season Edition)

[SloNick Russia]

Dwight will sure soon add useless Dallas to his list and maybe LAL with Bynum who doesn't want to be here, at the moment Orlando looks like the best destination for Dwight and we should definetely consider keeping him here for another season. As for Dwight it will take only Fegan been fired for some "bad advise" and another loyalty speech for fans to welcome him back with open arms.

[SolidSnake008]

Who is this Lamb you people speak of?

[cvMagic]

Drew "the reason Dwight extends with the Magic" Nicholson...

Is that nickname too long???

Not if it works.

[cvMagic]

The irony - the Magic may have just landed the kind of compliment Dwight has always wanted to play with.

More ironic - TMac was traded in part because he didn't want to wait for Howard to develop (if he did) - instead TMac was reportedly lobbying for the Magic to trade the Dwight pick for a veteran big man. Same situation in essence - current star wants out just when we pick the guy that they should be playing with.

Guys relax...drew was the 19th pick for a reason...ok, he is not a borderline all-star, ok....this is summer league...a guy can avg 30 in summer league and suck when it counts...so just chill out on thinking drew is some superstar

My opinion on him has nothing to do with summer league. I'm judging him based on what I saw last season. He has a motor and a tenacity that few guys have. The kind that translates to the NBA game.

I could care less about the summer league. Never watched it. Never will.
He was the #19 pick in large part because of where he played. A lot of people said this about him.
He's a steal.

[pogiro]

I too have seen many people who think this, and I have seen your question posed many times too. I have seen the answer to your question many times too, I guess you haven't. He would not have gotten to Brooklyn with his bird rights if he did not opt in last trade deadline. And he would not force his way out of two trades in a four or five month span and be able to salvage any of his image.

I love your optimism that you think Dwight will stay, but it is still not likely. It would be awesome if he did commit and stay, but I don't think it will happen. BUT - it is still good that Brooklyn struck out because resulting from I think Dwight will expand his list of places he will resign in, which is awesome too. Because we will get real value for him.

I prefer a trade with LAL for Bynum, personally. I would not be upset at a trade with Houston. But both are two different routes - rebuilding and retooling. IMO you rebuild when you don't have the option of rebuilding, but I will give Rob a chance if he does choose to rebuild. With that being said though, no one knows the real Houston package.

Oh, I don't think Dwight will stay. I don't think he'll be given the chance and will be traded. But I cannot overstate how huge it is now that Brooklyn is pretty much near a non-factor.

I do think that if we held onto him til next offseason, we have a better shot than most people think if the best alternatives are Dallas and Atlanta; the Magic being slightly behind Atlanta and slightly ahead of Dallas if he bases his decision on winning. And then I do think Dwight cares about his image a lot. And there is no better place to rehabilitate that image than Orlando. And there is the appeal of being able to say that he stuck with one franchise through his career, sentiments that he had earlier in his career. The Magic just need to find a way to tap those motives again.

So if he's still here next year, I think we'll have as decent a chance as the other teams will. I don't necessarily think he'll stay. I think the situation is fluid and anything can happen. We're dealing with people. Not everything has to be as extreme as people make it out to be.

[Chet Wagner]

I believe we turned down 3 draft picks, Martin and Lowry BEFORE the draft, why in a hell should we take less now? If the deal is made I want Lamb and White to be included along with picks

There is no chance this was actually offered..and why wouldn't it have been accepted a week ago when they turned Lowry into the Toronto pick? Why would they even answer Brooklyn's call let alone waste 2 days solely talking to them?

Morey has a pretty good track record, I don't think he's dumb enough to trade away all that + more since you're saying the offer would be higher - while taking on a bunch of terrible contracts

Yes Morey potentially being stupid has nothing to do with the Magic, but at some point I think it's a huge stretch to say he's this bad. Have to remember upper management has to agree to any trade he makes

[SloNick Russia]

Its was the hot topic before the draft that Houston is working hard to obtain picks in order to make a bid for Howard, in order to make the salaries work thay had to include Martin and Lowry, so that gives us 12, 16 and 18 + Martin and Lowry for Howard before the draft

[Driguez]

Who is this Lamb you people speak of?

[Def Swami]

[cb1115]

http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2012/07/rockets-re-emerge-as-contender-in-howard-sweepstakes-as-talks-with-magic-grow-serious/

Rockets re-emerge as contender in Howard sweepstakes as talks with Magic grow ‘serious’

With the Brooklyn Nets going another direction, the Rockets could be in the driver’s seat to land disgruntled Orlando Magic star center Dwight Howard. The problem, as it has been for months, is getting the continuing talks to go far enough.

Talks on Wednesday grew “serious,” and the sides at one point seemed close to an agreement, according to a person familiar with the process. But the Magic backed off to consider their options.

The Rockets are open to the three-team deal in which they would receive Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum, with Howard going to the Lakers, but are primarily working directly with the Magic to acquire Howard, the individual with knowledge of the talks said.

Getting in position for the planned next move will be difficult. To create enough cap room for the kind of blockbuster trade that has been proposed, the Rockets are considering making veteran forward Luis Scola an amnesty cut, likely in the next 48 hours, a person with knowledge of the move said. That would create enough cap room for the Rockets to take on the additional contracts necessary to complete a trade for Howard.

[Carlos Arroyo]

http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2012/07/rockets-re-emerge-as-contender-in-howard-sweepstakes-as-talks-with-magic-grow-serious/

Rockets re-emerge as contender in Howard sweepstakes as talks with Magic grow ‘serious’

With the Brooklyn Nets going another direction, the Rockets could be in the driver’s seat to land disgruntled Orlando Magic star center Dwight Howard. The problem, as it has been for months, is getting the continuing talks to go far enough.

Talks on Wednesday grew “serious,” and the sides at one point seemed close to an agreement, according to a person familiar with the process. But the Magic backed off to consider their options.

The Rockets are open to the three-team deal in which they would receive Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum, with Howard going to the Lakers, but are primarily working directly with the Magic to acquire Howard, the individual with knowledge of the talks said.

Getting in position for the planned next move will be difficult. To create enough cap room for the kind of blockbuster trade that has been proposed, the Rockets are considering making veteran forward Luis Scola an amnesty cut, likely in the next 48 hours, a person with knowledge of the move said. That would create enough cap room for the Rockets to take on the additional contracts necessary to complete a trade for Howard.

Thanks for ruining my sleep tonight lol

[DiplomaticMagic]

Lmao, I need to be able to sleep tonight, hopefully I'll wake up in time for the ride! Cmon Houston!

[D12VCMagic]

I wouldn't get excited. Nothing is going to happen on the Dwight front for a while now.

[woosah]

I still think Hennigan wants a deal done by the end of the week, as he said a few days ago. Houston seems to be really pushing, so it doesn't seem like Dwight's assurance is so big. We will see.

[PeePee la Fritz]

Man I go on a cruise Saturday and am out of contact with the world until the following Thursday. I was hoping Orlando had traded Dwight and hired a coach by then. How dare they not consider my feelings!


GIFSoup

[MagicTownBaller]

Dang, I'm going to miss Ryno. He just looks weird in a NOH jersey. But, I'm not even going to lie. New Orleans looks has a beast roster going into the season. What I presume their starting lineup will like,

PG: Austin Rivers
SG: Eric Gordon
SF: Al-Farouq Aminu
PF: Ryan Anderson
C: Anthony Davis (I honestly think he will be a Center in the NBA, especially with the Ryno acquisition)

They could actually sneak into the playoffs. Their biggest weakness is the PG though. They need a true PG.

[ThatFloridaDude]

Wasted No Time. She's hot.

[PeePee la Fritz]

Dang, I'm going to miss Ryno. He just looks weird in a NOH jersey. But, I'm not even going to lie. New Orleans looks has a beast roster going into the season. What I presume their starting lineup will like,

PG: Austin Rivers
SG: Eric Gordon
SF: Al-Farouq Aminu
PF: Ryan Anderson
C: Anthony Davis (I honestly think he will be a Center in the NBA, especially with the Ryno acquisition)

They could actually sneak into the playoffs. Their biggest weakness is the PG though. They need a true PG.

I like their prospects going forward, but that team is way too young and inexperienced to make the playoffs in the West

OKC
LAL
SAS
LAC
MEM
DEN
UTAH

Then DALLAS, HOUSTON, GOLDEN STATE/MINNY (if both teams stay healthy) and PORTLAND will be battling it out for the 8 seed. And if the Rockets get Dwight they are definitely in the playoffs.

The West is sick

[arsenal6106]

Random poster from Houston Rockets forum:

Hell no to Big Baby and Turk is also too expensive, didn't see his contract numbers. J-Rich is a SG and can still score so wouldn't mind him. Duhon is just something we have to deal with.

They have no idea.

Here is a link to there forum. You can see what they think about a potential Dwight trade from their POV.

http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.ph ... 56&page=27

[SolidSnake008]

Wasted No Time. She's hot.

she's alright....