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Wouldnt it be fun to trade for Dwight Howard and rent him for a year like the Rockets and GSW are inclined to do. What a year it would be! We would have to trade Jefferson's expiring contract, Kanter, and GSW pick adn might have to include another future #1. We would be title contenders for one year.

PG WIlliams Watson Tinsley
SG Hayward Burks Murphy
C Howard Favors Merji
PF Favors Millsap Evans
SF Williams Hayward Carroll

This team wins the West and it would be by far the NBA's best defensive team. I think one year would be worth it. After winning a championship, maybe a fickled Howard likes Utah to stays long term.

I think we would still have trouble with OKC. I am not so sure that would be the best defensive team by far.

It would be a ton of fun for the year as long as he plays like he wants it until he bolts.

Dwight may not be able to play at the beginning of the season. By the time he shakes the rust off, gets into shape, and regains his confidence it may be midseason. Even then, his heart will still not be invested in the success of the Utah Jazz.

Furthermore, we traded D-Will precisely to avoid the kind of will he/ won't he drama associated with Howard's likelihood of re-signing with a team not on his 'list.' I would say the last thing the Jazz need is a pouting, sissified superstar interrupting the development arch of our already strong core.

In other words, no, I do not believe it would be fun to throw away promising assets for a partial season of an uninspired Dwight Howard, the petulant man-child, only to watch him try to weasel his way onto the Lakers after feigning a back injury just before we lose to LA in the playoffs.

What cynicism, you say? What unrelenting bitterness and resentment? Surely no professional sports figure would conspire to actively cause harm to the Jazz? Surely I must be exaggerating the negative impact such a bold and impressive trade could have on our beloved franchise? Perhaps you are right. Perhaps I'm being a bit of an alarmist. But then again, perhaps you should pause to ponder the three words which I shall leave with you: Dan F***ing Fegan.

Sure, it would be fun, but I'm far from convinced that roster would win it all, and if that's the case then what's the point? We'd all deeply regret it in a year when the Jazz are still ringless and we traded half of our valuable assets.

Yes I would do it. Too many people spend too much time trying guess what a guy wants just like they did deron. Deron stayed even when people thought he was for sure going to Dallas. Dwight is loyal and if Utah really trys there best to quickly build around him and shows him the love he seeks, he will stay. This is the same guy who was guilted into resigning his option. No other player did that except chris paul and that was just to get the heck out of new orleans.

We have enough assets to still go after another guy to play with him and Jefferson plus tons of cap room next season. Did I mention dwight and Jefferson would destroy all big men duos, and yes even those guys in laker land. Chris Paul would seriously consider joining us as well when he sees our potential and experiences another early exit in clipper land.

The only problem with this is I dought the owner really wants to pay up to accomplish this but if he's willing to pay some extra, we gotta do it. I don't think its as risky as it sounds, KOC can do it if he aint scared.

Dwight is loyal? WTF?

The59Sound wrote:Dwight is loyal? WTF?

Yes, he exercised his option when he didn't and shouldn't have. Mabey that stupidity but I know Lebron, bosh, Deron, Melo, ect ... didn't do it.

reapaman wrote:

The59Sound wrote:Dwight is loyal? WTF?

Yes, he exercised his option when he didn't and shouldn't have. Mabey that stupidity but I know Lebron, bosh, Deron, Melo, ect ... didn't do it.

He demanded a trade again almost immediately after opting in.

There are many reasons why Dwight may have signed that extension, the least of which was selfless devotion to the Magic franchise. I know you love to play the contrarian, reapaman, but in this case that tendency compromises your ability to remain in touch with the reality of the events as they actually transpired.

Like what reason? The only reason anyone would opt in to a team is because they want to stay with that team and want to give it another year before they commit long term. There is no other possible reason. He may rather go to the nets to compete now rather than gamble with the magic ever being a contender but if he really wanted to be a net so bad he could have left like lebron and orlando wouldve did a last minute sign and trade like cavs did.

Plus howard never actually demanded a trade and Hennigan never said he would actually trade him. All howard asked was that they explore and make a strong effort to find a workable trade with the nets and henningan said he will carry out that request which he did. If not then he said he will play the season out and evaluate things later. He is still giving the orlando magic a chance to change his mind or get good assets for him if they do trade him unlike lebron. Henningan also explored trading him to other teams even tho he said only one team is on his list so that alone should tell you it wasn't an actual trade demand but more of a trade request.

So, he never asked to be traded... he just asked that they make a strong effort to find a trade. This isn't making a lot of sense.

The59Sound wrote:So, he never asked to be traded... he just asked that they make a strong effort to find a trade. This isn't making a lot of sense.

Demanding a trade and asking for a trade are two different things no matter how strong the effort is.

In other words it is the difference between "TRADE ME TO THE NETS NOW, I'M DONE WITH THE MAGIC" vs "Please try your best to find an acceptable deal with the nets". Had he demanded a trade to the nets and it didn't happen, Dwight wouldve reacted by now. At least a twitter bash to the magic.

So, you're guessing at how he phrased/presented it when he made clear he wanted out... and using that as the basis for determining that he's "loyal?"

The ironic thing is that Dwight is the only guy to hold his team hostage twice. He wrecked their season last year, then opted in at the last minute, only to begin the nonsense again almost immediately afterward.

He'd be helping the Magic a lot more if he didn't repeatedly say no one but the Nets had a chance to retain him. If he was a loyal soldier doing his damndest to help them out, he'd keep his mouth shut, play out the year at his new destination, and wait for free agency.

Dwight is anything but loyal, and got a very good coach fired. I don't want to rent him, much less be held hostage by him any time soon. Not worth it.

reapaman wrote:Like what reason? The only reason anyone would opt in to a team is because they want to stay with that team and want to give it another year before they commit long term. There is no other possible reason.

This statement reveals a stunning lack of understanding of the situation at hand as well as the subject of human motivation on a more general level, while also underlining my point that you take positions contrary to conventional wisdom simply for the sake of standing apart from the crowd. I appreciate your desire to be unique, but when one consistently seeks the darkness, is his identity not determined by the course of the sun just as much as those who seek the light?

From Dwight's own mouth, he was "blackmailed" into opting in. Poor choice of words, granted, so lets just agree to consider the threat to go to a team not of his choosing in a trade before last season's deadline acted on Howard's fear of loss. No great revelation, as that particular dynamic is unfortunately a prime source of motivation for most of us.

Dwight is wrapped up in appearances, and would not want to look like the man who deserted a franchise. In other words, he feared loss of reputation and/or legacy. Concern for the way one's actions will be perceived in that context reflects not altruistic intentions, but a selfish lack of comprehension of the greater picture. Did he not request a trade nearly immediately after opting in? How odd for someone who had just chosen to "stay with that team... to give it another year before they commit long term."

Money is always a factor in professional decisions, and it would seem more likely for the Magic to accommodate a sign and trade request than a team who had just mortgaged its future in order to acquire him for the last two months of the season. Howard and Fegan want that super-jumbo max, and have no qualms about manipulating the Magic to get it. Fear of loss of the material variety, or just plain greed?

Howard has burned the fans of Orlando with a full season of his wishy-washy b.s., thrown his team under the bus while also acting as their greatest distraction, run the coach AND GM out of town, had the audacity to follow his ill-conceived opt in with a contrived, self serving and blatantly insincere apology, then followed that up with his latest trade request-- wherein he is screwing the Magic out of a decent return because he refuses to extend for any team which has a reasonable amount of value to offer in trade.

Yet you believe Dwight deserves the benefit of the doubt. Why don't you try this line of reasoning in the Magic forum? There is no need for Dwight apologists here, because our management is smart enough to know if he ended up in Utah, he would just screw the Jazz even harder.

Like what reason? The only reason anyone would opt in to a team is because they want to stay with that team and want to give it another year before they commit long term. There is no other possible reason.

How about an injury?

Dwight could have gotten all his money by doing what Lebron did minus the decision so this isn't about money. Of course all the Magic would have gotten in that situation was a trade exception like the cavs. He was also injured a month after he opted him. Also dwight is apparently harming his reputation more now than if he would have taking the Lebron route minus the decision and the celebration. He can be loved in new jersey and regain any bad feeling towards him by winning. Once agian there is not other logical reason.

He wants to stay but he also doesn't wanna be Kevin garnett and be stuck in mediocracy forever so he played the Nets card and it has failed so far and the magic still are not good. Is he handling the situation correctly? Not at all but that just Dwight. All the top players who didn't have a good team around them held their teams hostage but did they stay? NO!!! Put a good team around him and show him a lot of love then I'm pretty sure he stays just like deron did with the nets.

BTW Panic van gundy should have been fired after that debacle of a coaching job in the nba finals. Not to mention he is horrible in drawing up plays in high pressure moments hence the nickname panic van gundy. He is not a championship worthy coach and over stayed his welcome.

reapaman wrote:BTW Panic van gundy should have been fired after that debacle of a coaching job in the nba finals. Not to mention he is horrible in drawing up plays in high pressure moments hence the nickname panic van gundy. He is not a championship worthy coach and over stayed his welcome.

So beating the Celtics on the road in a game 7 was chopped liver, right? Also beating the team with the leagues best record (oh yeah, and the league MVP) in the playoffs was no big deal? Can you even name one other top 50 NBA player on that team in '09? Mo Williams was better than any player other than Dwight on that Magic team. It was a miracle they even got to the finals! I'm not saying SVG is the best coach ever, but come on, he is very good and had done well given a tough job in Orlando. Blaming the coach is such a cop-out... They were playing Kobe and Pau when Pau was at the top of his game and probably a top 10 player in the league, Lamar Odom being top 25 easily.

reapaman wrote:Dwight could have gotten all his money by doing what Lebron did minus the decision so this isn't about money.

In Dwight's mind, and I'm not inferring here- I can only judge his thought process by his own words- he would have been traded from the Magic had he not opted in. As described at length in my previous post, he felt a trade at that time imperiled his ability to receive the maximum contract length and amount while also playing on a team of his own choosing. Better for him to continue to play the familiar strings of the Magic than attempt to manipulate a new organization.

Your line of reasoning also fails to account for his change of heart of his previous change of heart. All evidence weighs heavily against the likelihood of Dwight having any sense whatsoever of true loyalty to the Magic. If you feel his motivation is anything but self-serving or self-preserving, you are welcome to that opinion. You may be the only person to believe that, and for good reason.