Woj: Are Chris Paul, Dwight Howard in race to L.A.?

[palamino]

I'll believe it when I see it.

When Dell Demps was hired as the New Orleans Hornets general manager, his plane landed at the city’s airport in the summer of 2010, and he stepped into the terminal with his bags, folders and the thrill of running his own franchise. He walked into the gate area, peered toward a television and squinted his eyes to read the bottom scroll on the screen. Chris Paul(notes) wants a trade, it read.

“Welcome to New Orleans,” Demps would tell himself.

For everything he’s done to try to make Paul want to stay with the Hornets, Demps has always understood it was the most improbable resolution. The Hornets had no owner, no second star and no leverage to push back the momentum of other superstar players fleeing small markets for the bright lights, big city. The owners have made it more costly in the new collective bargaining talks for stars to leave, but the NBA can’t stop the magnetic pull to the metropolises, and never will.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=A ... ers_120511

[Trader_Joe]

Cool.
Go for Paul, LA.
We'll settle for Dwight.


BTW...

NYDNInterNets Stefan Bondy
Asked if Howard would sign extension if traded to Nets, Deron said, “I’m sure he would.”

[JustDwight]

Cool.
Go for Paul, LA.
We'll settle for Dwight.


BTW...

NYDNInterNets Stefan Bondy
Asked if Howard would sign extension if traded to Nets, Deron said, “I’m sure he would.”

Nothing was said there though. Just speculating like we all could do

[dockingsched]

u missed the most relevant parts:

...In a lot of ways, the Hornets and Orlando Magic are in a race to make a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers for Paul and Howard. They’re running so many scenarios across the big boards in their offices, but make no mistake: Los Angeles is the port that can entice Paul and Howard to sign extensions, with the one player – young center Andrew Bynum – as a centerpiece that can justify the trade.

The Lakers and Hornets talked several days ago, league sources told Yahoo! Sports, but it was one of those circuitous conversations that left the sides unclear what it would take to get a deal done, and the talk ended with no formal offers. The Lakers and Hornets expect to speak again this week, sources said. The prospect of Pau Gasol as the primary player going to the Hornets won’t be acceptable, sources said. The Lakers will ultimately be willing to let New Orleans pick its player in the deal – Bynum or Gasol – but New Orleans is determined to get quality, and quantity, in a deal...

...In the end, the Magic and Hornets will be searching for teams that can satisfy Paul’s and Howard’s desire for a championship contender, and that list is painfully short when you consider those with the players and assets to fulfill the return on the trade. It won’t be New York, but 3,000 miles away, in Los Angeles, where the Lakers are forever searching for a twentysomething star to be the next in line, where the race to trade Chris Paul and Dwight Howard for a package centered around Andrew Bynum has all but officially started.

[JustDwight]

Does it mean that L.A. will land their wanted men, nope. Every GM is playing the same exact game right now.

[USA]

I found this the most intriguing. Careful what you wish for.

Bynum has privately been heard to say this offseason that he wants his own team.

[ShabazzMuhammad]

Woj: Chris Paul, Howard in race to LA

[DarkXaero]

Cool.
Go for Paul, LA.
We'll settle for Dwight.


BTW...

NYDNInterNets Stefan Bondy
Asked if Howard would sign extension if traded to Nets, Deron said, “I’m sure he would.”

Nothing was said there though. Just speculating like we all could do

Deron said he has been talking to Dwight quite a bit. I'm sure Deron has an idea of Dwight's plans.

[Jetset]

Does it mean that L.A. will land their wanted men, nope. Every GM is playing the same exact game right now.

It certainly doesn't. But what it does mean is that the Lakers are more of a threat to acquire one of them then you all have previously thought.

[palamino]

I'd be shocked if either happens, but I'd prefer Howard. I don't see trading size for Paul as a good option and Paul's knee injury would make me nervous.

[Tim_Hardawayy]

I'll say this about Miami, at least we haven't been doing this for 3 decades now. I'd say the Lakers should be ranked above even the Yankees if we're talking about from 1980 onwards.

[JustDwight]

Deron said he has been talking to Dwight quite a bit. I'm sure Deron has an idea of Dwight's plans.

Deron actually said he doesn't know what Dwight's plans are in that interview. Now you're just making stuff up.

[AshyLarrysDiaper]

I'd be shocked if either happens, but I'd prefer Howard. I don't see trading size for Paul as a good option and Paul's knee injury would make me nervous.

You wouldn't trade Bynum and pieces for Paul??

[Trader_Joe]

Deron said he has been talking to Dwight quite a bit. I'm sure Deron has an idea of Dwight's plans.

Deron actually said he doesn't know what Dwight's plans are in that interview. Now you're just making stuff up.

Yup, they just talk about the weather and Dancing with the Stars.

[LApwnd]

I'll say this about Miami, at least we haven't been doing this for 3 decades now. I'd say the Lakers should be ranked above even the Yankees if we're talking about from 1980 onwards.

[palamino]

I'd be shocked if either happens, but I'd prefer Howard. I don't see trading size for Paul as a good option and Paul's knee injury would make me nervous.

You wouldn't trade Bynum and pieces for Paul??

I would, but what other pieces are there? Odom? Pau can play center if that were the trade as well, but I have doubts as to whether that'd be ideal. I'd just prefer size for size and Howard feels like a more reliable bet given Paul's injury history.

[JustDwight]

Deron said he has been talking to Dwight quite a bit. I'm sure Deron has an idea of Dwight's plans.

Deron actually said he doesn't know what Dwight's plans are in that interview. Now you're just making stuff up.

Yup, they just talk about the weather and Dancing with the Stars.

So, Deron is a liar now?

[AshyLarrysDiaper]

I'd be shocked if either happens, but I'd prefer Howard. I don't see trading size for Paul as a good option and Paul's knee injury would make me nervous.

You wouldn't trade Bynum and pieces for Paul??

I would, but what other pieces are there? Odom? Pau can play center if that were the trade as well, but I have doubts as to whether that'd be ideal. I'd just prefer size for size and Howard feels like a more reliable bet given Paul's injury history.

Say Howard's off the table and NOH offers Paul + Okafor for Bynum, Odom, Brown and 2 firsts. Would you be down?

[Dr Positivity]

The Lakers are basically guaranteed to get one of Howard or Paul. I think the Nets Lopez offer outbids the Bynum one for Howard, and then the Hornets do the Bynum deal

It's amazing how the dominoes that change NBA history can be made years beforehand

Bynum was drafted in 2005 when almost every other team in that position would've taken a win now player, let alone one that would obviously take 3-4 years before doing anything. The Lakers passed on dealing him for Kidd, JO, etc. always knowing the value of having a spare trade asset

Now 6 years later that move is going to single handidly get them one of the handful of MVP caliber players in the league. Crazy. Against all odds, when it seems like they were finally going to have to eat Knicks like dirt for a decade, the Lakers somehow set themselves up for ANOTHER superstar era

This has happened in the past too. The Lakers were able to team up Magic and Kareem because they had a spare #1 pick in their pocket, the Celtics got the exact same situation in 81 and traded it for McHale/Parish, the Bulls had an extra lotto pick and used it to bully their ways towards a Pippen Grant haul in 88. The teams that stack up assets like a great draft pick or Bynum WHILE contending, always have a pot of gold waiting for them at the end of the rainbow

[Tim_Hardawayy]

So, Deron is a liar now?

Come on, does he have to spell it out for you?

He's saying they likely discussed things, but obviously its illegal for them to actually admit it (tampering and all that).