Andrew Bynum Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Dwight Howard Rumors: Wednesday

July 11th, 2012 at 1:50pm CST by Luke Adams

In yesterday's round of Dwight Howard rumors, we learned that the Cavaliers had pulled out of the complicated four-team talks that included the Nets and Magic. The Nets are still in the mix for Howard, but are focusing more on one-on-one talks with Orlando now. Meanwhile, the Magic continue to talk with other teams, including the Rockets, Lakers, and Hawks, about a variety of trade scenarios involving the star center. What will today bring? We'll track the latest right here….

According to SI.com's Sam Amick, the Magic could simply let the Nets fall out of the race for Howard and seek another trade partner. Amick adds that the Rockets have been calling around looking for a taker for Luis Scola, in an effort to allow the Magic to clear more cap space in a Howard deal.
Among the Nets' reasons for accelerating the Howard talks: They're concerned that the Trail Blazers will step in and sign Brook Lopez to an offer sheet after missing out on Roy Hibbert, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein. The Rockets represent another threat to the Nets if their offer sheet for Omer Asik is matched, adds ESPN.com's Chad Ford (via Twitter).

Earlier updates:

Dwight Howard Rumors: Tuesday

July 11th, 2012 at 12:09am CST by Luke Adams

The Dwight Howard rumor mill was in full swing on Monday, as we needed multiple posts to round up all of the day's rumblings. I recapped the Monday highlights right here, including the framework of a possible four-team deal, but things continue to evolve quickly. So let's follow along with Tuesday's updates, which we'll add to the top of this page throughout the day….

As Marc Stein suggested (below), the Rockets have remained "strongly engaged" with the Magic on direct talks for Howard and haven't spent much time on three-team scenarios, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Earlier updates:

The Lakers have improved their chances of acquiring Howard by being more open to taking back Jason Richardson's three-year, $18.6MM contract, reports Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter).
The Rockets and Magic are discussing a simpler two-team trade that would send Howard to Houston, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein says the Rockets' position has strengthened due to the fact that no team has offered the Magic a better first-rounder than the one Houston will receive this evening from the Raptors in the verbally-agreed Kyle Lowry trade.
The Lakers, Magic, and Rockets have engaged in "preliminary talks" about a three-team deal that would send Howard to the Lakers and Andrew Bynum to Houston, according to Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld. Pincus cautions that nothing is imminent at all, but says Orlando isn't in love with the idea of tying up their cap with a long-term deal for Bynum or Brook Lopez, and may prefer a collection of young players and draft picks.
The Magic are "projecting confidence" that Howard will be dealt by the end of the week, says Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
The Magic have continued to talk to the Rockets and Lakers about deals for Howard, says Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Wojnarowski adds that some Orlando officials have concerns about committing maximum-salary money to Brook Lopez, given his injury history.
With the Cavs out of the picture, the Magic could receive as many as five total first-round picks if they agree to take on Kris Humphries, says Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
The Cavs are no longer involved in the Nets/Magic talks, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports confirms. If Howard is to be traded to the Nets in the near-term, it will probably have to be a two-team deal, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter links).
The Nets aren't as optimistic about getting a deal done as they were a day or two ago, writes Fred Kerber of the New York Post.
The Bobcats are willing to give Kris Humphries a multiyear guarantee in a potential three-way deal with the Nets and Magic if they can also land MarShon Brooks, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Sulia link). It's not clear what Charlotte would be giving up in that scenario. On the other hand, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com hears that the Bobcats are "not in the mix" at all (Twitter link), while ESPN.com's Ric Bucher says Charlotte wants a first-round pick rather than Brooks (Twitter link). It's safe to say that the Bobcats' involvement is a little hazy at this point.
In talking to several agents and GMs, Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Sulia link) no longer hears the Cavs mentioned as the third team in any Magic/Nets talks. Said one agent: "I'm not 100%, but from everything I've heard today, [the Cavs] are out."
The Magic have re-opened trade talks with teams besides the Nets, says Ric Bucher of ESPN.com. Bucher hears that the Hawks are one team talking to Orlando, but they "aren't the best option."
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld has the latest developments in the Nets/Magic talks, noting that the Bobcats are open to taking Kris Humphries (but only on a one-year contract) and that the Timberwolves have "real interest" in Jason Richardson and MarShon Brooks. Kyler adds that if the deal doesn't at least get within striking distance by the end of the day, the Nets may have to move on.
Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Twitter link) hears the Bobcats could take the place of both the Cavaliers and Clippers in the talks, which presumably means they'd acquire both Kris Humphries and MarShon Brooks, among other pieces. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (Twitter link) confirms that the Bobcats are in the mix.
Kennedy adds that the Cavs are having "second thoughts" about the deal and that the Timberwolves are another candidate to enter the fray (Twitter links).
As new teams become involved in the discussions, most are high on Brooks, but wary of Humphries, tweets Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com. Rudolph adds (via Twitter) that the involved teams are likely to push for completion of the deal today, and Fred Kerber of the New York Post agrees that there should be resolution today. On the other hand, Amico is hearing that it's highly unlikely a deal is agreed upon before Wednesday.

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Wojnarowski On Howard, Bynum, Nets

July 8th, 2012 at 10:51pm CST by Chuck Myron

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports took to Twitter earlier today to write about Andrew Bynum's interest in the Mavericks, Cavaliers and Rockets as the Lakers center looks forward to free agency next summer. Wojnarowski has also been on top of the latest developments in the Dwight Howard saga today, and his latest story reveals plenty about arguably the two best centers in the NBA. We've got the highlights here:

The Magic have "a strong distaste" for prolonged trade discussions about Howard, Wojnarowski reports, and the front office is united in its desire to find the best deal for Howard and send him on his way.
Bynum's reluctance to commit to the Magic long-term if he were to be traded to Orlando has made the Nets the frontrunner for Howard, since the Magic don't want to acquire Bynum just to lose him next summer. The Lakers also compromised their ability to make a deal for Howard by sending their 2013 and 2015 first-round picks to the Suns in the Steve Nash deal.
If Bynum is still with the Lakers after Howard is traded, he'll have "strong incentive" to sign an extension to remain in L.A. for the long term, sources told Wojnarowski.

Mavericks, Cavaliers, Rockets May Interest Bynum

July 8th, 2012 at 5:25pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski tweets that the Mavericks and Cavaliers are teams with cap space that could interest Andrew Bynum during his pending free agency in 2013. He also mentions the Rockets as another potential suitor. The Lakers recently exercised Bynum's $16.1MM team option for the 2012-13 season, and the 24-year-old center is currently slated to become a free agent next summer.

Dwight Howard Rumors: Thursday

July 5th, 2012 at 3:13pm CST by Luke Adams

3:13pm: One league executive tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports that, with Nash on board, the Lakers may not need assurances that Howard will sign long-term to acquire him. Wojnarowski adds that, while Kobe Bryant won't actively try to recruit Howard, sources says Kobe would welcome Dwight as a teammate.

Wojnarowski also says the Nets are "working relentlessly" on a trade for Howard, but that the Magic's preferred target remains Andrew Bynum.

Lakers Rumors: Bynum, Gasol, Beasley, Sessions

July 5th, 2012 at 8:32am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers made their first big splash of the 2012/13 season last night, agreeing to a sign-and trade deal to acquire Suns point guard Steve Nash. After news of the agreement broke, there was speculation that it might be just the first shoe to drop for the Lakers. However, Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com hears from a source that L.A. expects to keep its core intact, suggesting you shouldn't hold your breath for a trade involving Andrew Bynum or Pau Gasol (Twitter link). Here are a few more Thursday morning Lakers notes:

Dwight Howard Rumors: Tuesday

July 3rd, 2012 at 4:43pm CST by Luke Adams

4:43pm: The Magic haven't ruled out trading Howard to the Nets, and continue to talk to the Lakers, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.

12:54pm: The Lakers are prepared to offer Bynum and Metta World Peace in exchange for Howard, providing Dwight agrees to sign an extension, tweets Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com. Based on Wojnarowski's report, I'd be a little surprised if Orlando agreed to that deal. Plus, it would hinge on both big men agreeing to sign new contracts.

The Magic would include Jason Richardson in any Howard deal, Rudolph adds in a second tweet.

12:49pm: The Magic are focusing on Lakers center Andrew Bynum as their top target in Howard trade talks, according to Adrian Wojnarowski. However, the Magic would likely want more than just Bynum for Howard, and they'd need assurances that Bynum, who is also entering the final year of his contract, would sign an extension.

Wojnarowski adds that there's another trade scenario that involves a "significant player" that intrigues the Magic, but the team and player are unknown.

8:42am: There's not "great enthusiasm" within the Magic front office that the Nets can put together the most appealing offer for Howard, tweets Wojnarowski. However, the Magic also haven't received an offer from any team that they feel is enough to seriously consider trading Howard now, Wojnarowski adds in a second tweet.

8:03am: For progress to be made on the Magic/Nets talks, a third team would need to agree to take Humphries in the deal, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

7:49am: The Magic and Nets have re-engaged in talks on a possible deal for Dwight Howard, reports ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (all Twitter links). According to Broussard, the two sides are discussing a trade that would send Howard to Brooklyn in exchange for Kris Humphries, Brook Lopez, MarShon Brooks, and three first-round picks (2013, 2015, 2017).

Such a trade would be tricky financially, particularly if the Nets also take on Hedo Turkoglu, as Chris Mannix of SI.com suggests they're willing to (Twitter link). Sign-and-trades for Lopez and Humphries would be subject to Base Year Compensation — if their new salaries are more than 20% larger than their old salaries, then the Nets would use either their previous salary or 50% of their new salary (whichever is greater) for trade purposes, while the Magic would use their full salary. For instance, if Lopez signed for $10MM in year one, it would act as $5MM for the Nets' salary-matching purposes.

Ken Berger of CBS Sports confirms the talks between the Magic and Nets, but says those aren't the only discussions Orlando is having (Twitter links). According to Berger, GM Rob Hennigan is also trying to engage the Hawks, Rockets, Lakers, and possibly Mavericks. Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld hears that Dallas has been aggressive in pursuing Howard, but says the Lakers and Clippers are reluctant to deal without assurances D12 would sign an extension (Twitter links).

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Lakers, Nets, Rockets Talking Howard Trade

July 1st, 2012 at 2:07pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lakers and Magic have had preliminary contact about a possible deal for Dwight Howard, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. The Nets and Rockets have also talked to Magic officials, sources said.

Dwight Howard To Lakers Still Being Discussed

June 28th, 2012 at 6:16pm CST by Luke Adams

6:16pm: The Rockets continue to exhaust all possibilities to acquire Howard, but if Houston is unable to put together a suitable package, the Lakers could move in on D12 in the next few weeks, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Sulia link).

6:01pm: A trade that would send Dwight Howard to the Lakers and Andrew Bynum to the Magic is still being discussed, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (via Twitter).

It's not clear, based on Woelfel's tweet, whether the two sides are engaged in trade discussions, or whether the Lakers and/or Magic are internally discussing the possibility. However, reports have suggested for weeks that Howard is the only player that would make the Lakers seriously consider moving Bynum.

Latest On Deron Williams

June 20th, 2012 at 12:52pm CST by Luke Adams

This summer's free agent class has something in common with the draft class — it's not obvious who the second-best available player will be, but everyone knows which guy will be the top choice. In the draft, that's Anthony Davis, while in free agency, it's Deron Williams. We know Davis is ticketed for New Orleans, but where will Williams land? ESPN.com's Chris Broussard shares a few updates on this year's top free agent in his latest Insider-only piece, so let's dive in….