Dwight Howard Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Warriors’ Efforts To Clear Cap Not Only Tied To D12

July 5th, 2013 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

While there's been speculation that the Warriors would only attempt to unload big expiring contracts like Andrew Bogut, Richard Jefferson, and Andris Biedrins if Dwight Howard chooses Golden State, that's not necessarily the case, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Berger reports that even if Howard commits to sign elsewhere, the Warriors are still interested in trying to clear cap space, perhaps to pursue another impact free agent such as Andre Iguodala.

According to Berger, the Warriors have offered Bogut, Jefferson, and Biedrins to the Hawks, Jazz, and Cavaliers, three of the only NBA teams with enough cap room to absorb one or more of those contracts without sending out salary in return.

Berger writes that Golden State would have to move two of those three players in order to clear enough space to sign Howard outright, though I believe all three would actually have to be dealt. Even if the Warriors were to move the two larger salaries (Bogut and Jefferson), the team would still have about $45MM left on its books, by my estimation. That would rule out a max offer for Howard, but would likely be enough room to squeeze in a competitive offer for a player like Iguodala.

While Bogut has a little value on his own, Jefferson and Biedrins, who are making $11MM+ and $9MM respectively, have significant negative trade value. I'd imagine that any team taking on either of those players would demand multiple draft picks, including at least one first-rounder.

Odds & Ends: Lakers, Asik, Warriors

July 4th, 2013 at 11:59pm CST by Ryan Raroque

While trying to rationalize a sign-and-trade involving the Lakers sending Dwight Howard to the Warriors from L.A.'s point of view, Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com (Insiders only) writes that Golden State could possibly sweeten their offer by adding another expiring contract to the table while agreeing to take on the rest of Steve Nash's deal in return. If in fact Dwight decides to leave, Pelton thinks that acquiring expiring contracts, future first round picks, and a young talent like Harrison Barnes would be much more preferable than seeing their star free agent walk away for nothing.

Here are more of the rest of tonight's miscellaneous notes:

Although 76ers GM Sam Hinkie chose not to comment much on the team's possible interest in Omer Asik, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Hinkie is very familiar with the Rockets big man, as he was part of Houston's front office when they signed him to a deal last summer.
ESPN's Marc Stein tweets that the most notable aspect of the D12 rumors from the Warriors' perspective is how they'll deal with Andrew Bogut if their pursuit of Howard falls through. Matt Steinmetz of CSN Bay Area (via Twitter) adds David Lee, Barnes, and Klay Thompson to the list of players that will be owed an explanation as well.
A number of the Mavericks' point guard targets – including Monta Ellis, Mo Williams, Jarrett Jack, Chauncey Billups, and Jose Calderon – remain on the free agent market, and Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW writes that the team is working behind the scenes with multiple agents regarding potential acquisitions. In another piece, Sefko details why Howard would fit and make a much needed positive impact in Dallas.
Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times goes through the potential repercussions for the four teams that miss out on signing Howard this summer.
John Canzano of The Oregonian endorses the under-the-radar moves Neil Olshey has completed recently for the Trail Blazers, even if they may not appeal to fans who were expecting a big splash thus far.
Kevin Sherrington of SportsDayDFW says that there’s virtually no chance that Mark Cuban sells the Mavericks even if things don’t continue to go well, citing a tweet from the team owner himself.
Jared Zwerling of ESPN NY recommends keeping an eye out for Reyshawn Terry and Toure Murry as players who could find themselves on an NBA team's radar soon (Twitter links). Terry, whom Zwerling thinks could be another team's 'Chris Copeland,' has reportedly played well overseas and could find himself on an NBA summer league team. Murry is currently on the Knicks' summer team and could be good enough to make a team's regular season roster.
Earlier tonight, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE tweeted that the Mavericks were expected to see if the Celtics are more willing to trade Rajon Rondo now with Brad Stevens as the new head coach. However, with a report that Rondo is keeping an open mind to the hiring, it might not seem likely that Danny Ainge would be receptive to trade overtures just yet.

Warriors Increase Efforts To Pursue Dwight Howard

July 4th, 2013 at 11:09pm CST by Ryan Raroque

11:09pm: On the possibility that the Warriors complete some deals and Dwight still decides to sign elsewhere, one source tells Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group that there's no chance of that happening, as Golden State would presumably only follow through with cap-clearing trades if he were to commit to them. Thompson II also says that even if the Warriors were to agree to some deals, they could still cancel them before the moratorium ends if Howard decides to head elsewhere.

9:41pm: Earlier tonight, Heisler (via Twitter) cited a Lakers source who said that the team would consider a combination of Curry, Barnes, or Thompson to go along with Bogut and a number one draft pick in a sign-and-trade for Howard, although Golden State hasn't offered any three of those young players.

6:52pm: Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times says that the Lakers aren't actively looking for a sign-and-trade and still hope that Howard returns. If he were to be included in a deal, L.A. would want young talent in return and would have to find a third team to take on any expiring contracts. If the Lakers were to complete a trade with the Warriors and take back expiring contracts, they would still be accountable for roughly the same tax bill that they'd face if they were to successfully re-sign Howard, which is why they wouldn't want any expiring deals in return. Pincus adds that the Lakers would rather have Pau Gasol and Jordan Hill constitute their frontcourt than have to pay an additional $50MM in luxury tax in return for dealing Dwight (All Twitter links).

6:12pm: According to Brian Windhorst and Marc Stein of ESPN, sources with knowledge of the Warriors' thinking report that Golden State has begun aggressively shopping their players in an attempt to clear enough salary cap space to land Dwight Howard. Stein tweets that although no move would be easy for the Warriors, the team felt "emboldened" by the impression that they made on the free agent big man during their meeting with him this week, enough to where it is believed that they had gained ground on the Rockets and Mavericks.

As currently constructed, the Warriors chances at landing the star center primarily involved convincing the Lakers to agree to a sign-and-trade, although Windhorst and Stein make note that Los Angeles would prefer to let Dwight walk and preserve cap space for next summer – in addition to not being so open to helping him land on a division rival. With that in mind, Golden State is now trying to shop expiring contracts to teams with cap space in order to create enough room to sign Howard outright. Such expiring deals include those of Andris Biedrins ($9MM), Richard Jefferson ($11M), and Andrew Bogut ($14MM), and sources say that the franchise has tried to unload all three this week.

It is reported that Golden State would be willing to include a future first round pick in order to sweeten a potential deal, but they may also have to consider dealing away some of their promising young players – such as Harrison Barnes or Klay Thompson – in order complete a trade. Stein and Windhorst write that when the Warriors had tried to attempt to offload a large contract last year, prospective trading partners tended to include Barnes or Thompson into the discussion.

Mark Heisler of Sheridan Hoops (via Twitter) cites a source who indicates that if a sign-and-trade were to materialize between the Lakers and Warriors, L.A. would insist that Stephen Curry, Thompson, or Barnes would have to be involved. According to Stein and Windhorst, a source close to the situation says that Dwight is expected to make his decision by tomorrow. All things considered, it'll be quite intriguing to see if and what the Warriors can try to come up with until then.

Dwight Howard Notes: Rockets, Lakers, Mavs

July 4th, 2013 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Plenty of you weighed in on yesterday's poll asking where Dwight Howard would eventually sign, and there was a fairly solid consensus: About half of nearly 3,500 voters believe Howard will end up in Houston, while the Lakers, Mavericks, Warriors, and Hawks (in that order) combined for the other half of the votes. One former Rocket great is in agreement with Hoops Rumors readers, as Hakeem Olajuwon told ThePostGame.com that he believes there's an "85% chance" Howard signs with Houston.

"You never know," Olajuwon added. "But after that meeting we had, I feel very comfortable that we have the best chance to get him."

Here are a few more Thursday links related to the biggest name on the free agent market:

Sources close to Howard tell ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (Twitter link) that Kobe Bryant's reported pitch, in which he proposed teaching the All-Star center how to become a champion, will be a "complete turn-off" for Howard.
As Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News points out, since deals can't officially be signed until July 10th, the team Howard chooses shouldn't rest easy until that contract is finalized, given how indecisive D12 has been in the past.
Yesterday, Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com passed along a Howard-related conspiracy theory (via Twitter), which suggested that all the Houston buzz is a smokescreen and that the big man has been ticketed for Dallas all along. Today, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com explains why it's easy to shoot holes in that theory.

Dwight Howard Rumors: Wednesday

July 4th, 2013 at 12:52am CST by Luke Adams

Dwight Howard has been visited by five teams since free agency opened, meeting with the Rockets late Sunday night, the Hawks and Warriors on Monday, and the Mavericks and Lakers on Tuesday. It appears Howard will decide on one of those five options, with no dark horse suitors like the Clippers lurking as possibilities. Happy Walters, one of Howard's reps at Relativity Sports, tweeted earlier this morning, "Great meetings with @DwightHoward. Group Going 2 get some Mountain air to clear the mind and make some decisions."

Here's more on Walters' tweet and Howard's free agency in general:

In the Lakers meetings with Howard, Kobe Bryant essentially challenged his teammate to learn how to become a champion, insisting that Bryant should be the one to teach him in L.A., writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. According to Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News, via Twitter, Mike D'Antoni, Steve Nash, Bryant and Howard all openly talked about last year's issues, leaving nothing unsaid yet still leaving the meeting on a positive note.
Regarding Stein's report that Golden State had forced their way into the conversation, Marcus Thompson of the San Jose Mercury News hears that Mark Jackson was very impressive and that the pitch included Howard being surrounded by Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes (via Sulia string). This would all but rule out a blockbuster sign-and-trade.
Tim Kawakami, also of the Mercury News, provides an extensive breakdown of what is and is not possible when it comes to the Warriors and Howard. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld also gives his take on the potential match.

Earlier updates:

ESPN.com's Marc Stein reports that the Warriors made a real impression on Howard during their Monday meeting, and shouldn't be written off as a potential destination, though they still probably trail the Lakers, Rockets, and Mavs (Twitter links).
Howard hopes to decide by this Friday on which team he'll sign with, according to ESPN.com's Adam Schefter. A source tells Schefter that D12's decision is "totally up in the air."
There are still teams interested in further making their cases to Howard, but he appears to have shut down all takes to decide now, says Wojnarowski (via Twitter). According to various reports, Howard and his camp are heading to Aspen to discuss their options.
Howard and his camp will be heading "off the grid" to either a resort area in Colorado or a remote ranch in Montana to weigh the big man's options over the next few days, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
One source to Berger, on Howard's meetings this week: "The meetings were all very interesting. Each [was] very individualized for the team and city they repped. Super impressed by all."
Berger also speculates on how Howard will announce his decision, predicting that while a LeBron James-esque production won't happen, D12 could make his announcement via a YouTube video.
A decision could come from Howard by Friday, but it's also possible he'll "let it bleed into the weekend," says Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
A source with knowledge of Howard's decision-making process still believes the Rockets are the favorites, according to Wojnarowski. "The Rockets have put themselves in position to pull this off," the source said. "If he wants to win right now – and be set up to keep winning – it's hard to make a case for anyone but Houston."

Poll: Which Team Will Sign Dwight Howard?

July 3rd, 2013 at 3:42pm CST by Luke Adams

As we noted in our round-up of today's Dwight Howard news and rumors, a decision by the All-Star center appears to finally be on the way. Having met with the Rockets, Warriors, Hawks, Mavericks, and Lakers, Howard seems to be done listening to pitches. He and his reps have headed "off the grid" to Aspen, Colorado to weigh the options on the table, with a decision potentially coming by the weekend.

A report earlier today suggested that Howard's choice remains "totally up in the air," even if some options seem more likely than others. So what do you think? Will the sway of an extra guaranteed year convince D12 to return to Los Angeles? Will the appeal of teaming up with James Harden or Dirk Nowitzki mean he flees to Texas? Will he head home to play in Atlanta? Or could the Lakers actually agree to a sign-and-trade that would pair him with Stephen Curry on the Warriors?

Rockets Want Both Josh Smith & Dwight Howard

July 2nd, 2013 at 9:44pm CST by Zachary Links

The Rockets' Monday meeting with free agent Josh Smith in Los Angeles included a discussion about a possible partnership between him and childhood friend Dwight Howard, two sources with knowledge of the situation told Sam Amick of USA Today. Smith has been known on the Rockets' radar, for some time, but he's not just being looked at as a Plan B if Howard goes elsewhere.

Combining Howard and Smith with James Harden would give the Rockets a formidable Big Three. In fact, Howard and his reps asked the Rockets in their meeting this week if they could find a way to sign another player to a max deal, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

The Rockets would have to clear some serious hurdles to get a deal done but they could conceivably try and work a sign-and-trade with the Hawks to help make things easier. Center Omer Asik and point guard Jeremy Lin will each earn $8.3MM in each of the next two seasons and could be moved to help free up space. Both players are reportedly being shopped around the league.

Latest On Dwight Howard

July 2nd, 2013 at 7:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lakers just wrapped up their meeting with Dwight Howard, wrapping up the last of the pitches that the big man will hear. We've heard a lot of confidence coming out of the Rockets' camp, but they'll have to vie with the incumbent Lakers, Mavericks, Warriors, and Hawks. Here's the latest on D12..

Howard is leaving California for a few days to mull over his decision, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).
Mavs owner Mark Cuban, Dirk Nowitzki, coach Rick Carlisle, and GM Donnie Nelson were all at the Mavs' pitch meeting, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link). The pow-wow lasted almost three hours.
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak released a brief statement after the club's meeting with Howard. “Jim Buss, Mike D’Antoni, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Tim Harris and I, along with representatives from our partners at Time Warner Cable SportsNet and AEG, met this afternoon for approximately two hours with Dwight Howard and his representatives Dan Fegan and Happy Walters. At the meeting, we told him how important he is to the Lakers team, franchise, fans and community, and why we feel this is the best place for him to continue his career. We are hopeful that Dwight decides to remain a Laker,” said Kupchak.

Rockets Will Offer Smith Deal If D12 Pursuit Fails

July 2nd, 2013 at 7:47am CST by Luke Adams

During their meeting with Josh Smith yesterday, the Rockets told the free agent forward that they would make him a contract offer if their pursuit of Dwight Howard fell short, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Spears adds that Smith understood the team's position and wasn't offended by being a Plan B.

With just enough cap space to make Howard a maximum-salary offer, the Rockets will have plenty of room to pursue other free agents if they're unable to sign D12. Smith's maximum salary won't be as high as Howard's, and Smith is unlikely to receive max offers anyway, so Houston could potentially sign Smith and still have cap space to use on another player, should the team miss out on Howard.

There are also rumblings that the Rockets could explore acquiring Smith via a sign-and-trade even if they're able to sign Howard. Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin would be probable trade chips in that scenario, though Spears notes that Smith has yet to meet with the Hawks, so a sign-and-trade hasn't been discussed yet.

In addition to meeting with the Rockets, Smith also had a "productive" meeting with the Pistons, who are said to be preparing a "substantial offer" for the longtime Hawk.

Los Angeles Rumors: Bledsoe, Redick, Vujacic

July 2nd, 2013 at 7:33am CST by Luke Adams

Dwight Howard has met with the Rockets, Warriors, and Hawks so far this week, and the Lakers, along with the Mavs, will finally get their shot to make a pitch to the All-Star free agent today. As Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets, Golden State's and Atlanta's presentations yesterday went well, with Howard considering both team's head coaches (Mark Jackson and Mike Budenholzer) to be impressive.

As the Lakers prepare to meet with the biggest free agent left on the market, let's round up a few more updates out of Los Angeles….

It's sounding "more and more" as if the Clippers may just hang on to Eric Bledsoe, says Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. As Shelburne notes, it's hard to imagine Bledsoe re-signing with the Clippers long-term, either this offseason or next summer as a restricted free agent, but Doc Rivers seems in no hurry to part with the point guard, even after exploring possible deals (all Twitter links).
According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, the Clippers have received trade inquiries on Bledsoe from the Raptors, Magic, Pistons, Bucks, and Mavericks.
The Clippers are searching for a way to sign-and-trade for J.J. Redick, who dined with Rivers on Monday night, tweets Wojnarowski. However, sources call the possibility a long shot.
Sasha Vujacic intends to return to the NBA for the 2013/14 season, and the Lakers would be his top choice, reports Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter).
Kobe Bryant offered his latest hints that he'll be sticking around past next summer, insisting to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com that he'll be able to play at a high level for "at least another three years," and pointing to his injury and the Spurs' run to the Finals as motivation (Twitter links).
The Lakers have expressed interest in re-signing Earl Clark, who is drawing attention from "two or three teams" besides L.A., writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.