Dwight Howard Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kupchak Told Dwight Howard He Won’t Be Traded

February 15th, 2013 at 4:30pm CST by Luke Adams

4:30pm: Despite the Lakers' assurances to Howard, league sources still believe the team could field calls on D12, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.

1:09pm: Earlier this month, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak publicly stated that the team has no intention of trading Dwight Howard. It appears the Lakers' private stance is the same as its public stance — today, Howard told reporters, including Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), that Kupchak has definitively informed him he won't be moved at the deadline.

The Lakers' intentions aren't surprising, considering reports have indicated that the team remains "very confident" Howard will re-sign in free agency this summer. However, amidst the Lakers' frustrating first half, there had been some speculation that Howard wasn't a fit with the team's roster, and that either he or Pau Gasol needed to be moved. With Gasol likely out of action until April, recent trade speculation had focused on Howard.

Assuming the Lakers keep Howard, they'll be able to offer him a maximum contract in July worth about $30MM more in guaranteed money than any other team will be able to offer, as I explained last summer.

With Howard expected to remain in Los Angeles through the deadline, Kupchak and the front office may explore minor moves, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see the current roster remain relatively intact as the club prepares to make a second-half playoff push.

Broussard On Eric Gordon, Rockets, Pacers, Smith

February 14th, 2013 at 12:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Already today, we've passed along a few trade rumors from Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game and Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Now, it's Chris Broussard's turn, as the ESPN reporter has published a lengthy Insider-only piece on the latest rumblings from around the league. Here's what Broussard has for us:

The Hornets have made some calls to gauge Eric Gordon's trade value, but Broussard hears that there's less than a 10% chance he's moved within the next week. The Mavericks, Rockets, and the Warriors are among the clubs believed to have inquired on Gordon.
The Rockets still figure to make a run at Dwight Howard this summer, but Andrew Bynum and perhaps a trade for Gordon are the team's Plan Bs. Since Houston is saving its cap space for the summer, the club isn't expected to be too active at the trade deadline.
Indiana will likely keep Danny Granger through the deadline, but is willing to move Tyler Hansbrough, D.J. Augustin, or Gerald Green. The Pacers dangled Hansbrough and Augustin when talking to the Magic about J.J. Redick, but Orlando didn't have interest.
Three different general managers told Broussard on Wednesday that Danny Ferry and the Hawks have decided not to re-sign Josh Smith this summer and are trying hard to trade him this week. Rival executives don't expect Ferry to settle for the Nets' offer of Kris Humphries and MarShon Brooks, however.
The Hawks have also discussed moving Kyle Korver and Anthony Morrow.
Teams have been calling the Suns, one of the league's most active clubs, about Marcin Gortat, Markieff Morris, and Jared Dudley. A deal with the Knicks involving Dudley and Iman Shumpert is "not happening," according to Broussard's sources.
As has been the case for many reporters over the last few weeks, Broussard has received mixed reports on whether the Jazz are more likely to trade Paul Millsap or Al Jefferson. The Trail Blazers are one team that likes Millsap, says Broussard.
A few executives that have spoken to Broussard have mentioned the possibility of the Clippers trying to trade DeAndre Jordan and Caron Butler to create the necessary cap space to make a play for Dwight Howard this summer. That one sounds awfully far-fetched to me though, considering the team would have to make additional moves to clear enough room, and would have to acquire only expiring contracts in return. Even then, there's no guarantee they could land Howard as a free agent.

Odds & Ends: Garnett, Rose, Knicks, Blazers

February 13th, 2013 at 11:36pm CST by Alex Lee

Kevin Garnett made some cryptic comments after the Celtics win on Wednesday night, stating that this weekend's festivities will be his last All-Star game, tweets Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. Garnett signed a three-year extension with Boston in the offseason, so this statement obviously prompted confusion and resulting questions from media (via Chris Forsberg on ESPN.com):

"Y'all don't know what I know," Garnett said. "So, let's put it like this: I'm more than grateful for going, but I'm not going to act like I've got more All-Star Games in me, so I'm actually going to enjoy this one with some friends and family."

Garnett could obviously be implying that he will decline future All-Star invites, but given his tendency for hinting at walking away from the game, this is something worth following. Here are some other things going on around the league:

With his knee still bothering him, Derrick Rose told reporters that he "won't mind missing this year" if he isn't ready, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. This was the first time Rose spoke to the media since the start of the regular season, making this a surprising revelation. Rose was originally thought to be aiming for a post All-Star break return, but that sure seems like a long shot at this point. Based on Rose's words, it is clear that he intends to come back on his terms and will only do so when he is entirely healthy.
If the Knicks are truly inquiring on Luke Ridnour, sharpshooter Steve Novak may be the only piece they can move to get it done, writes Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops. Novak, recently relegated to more of a reserve role, makes $4.05MM — a number that matches up nicely against Ridnour's $4MM for this year and $4.3MM for next. Sheridan writes that Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni aren't real options to play meaningful minutes at the point. Sheridan considers Will Bynum of the Pistons to be the best fit for the Knicks.
Even if no high profile players are dealt by next week's deadline, look no further than last year to see how much a mid-level trade can make an impact on a franchise. The Blazers trade of Gerald Wallace to the Nets — while it didn't alter the landscape of the league a bit last year — resulted in the acquisition of Damian Lillard via the NBA Draft, and the subsequent expediting of the Blazers rebuilding process, says Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge.
Asked about the Lakers personnel, Hall of Fame basketball writer Mark Heisler, now of Sheridan Hoops, says via video that the Lakers won't be moving Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol or Kobe Bryant this year. Looking to the future, Hesiler says the team's No. 1 priority is to lock up Howard because, quite simply, he is "the only young player they have who's any good."

Pacific Rumors: Dwight, Magic, Hill, Kings

February 10th, 2013 at 10:50am CST by Chuck Myron

Dwight Howard's father made news yesterday, weighing in on his son's upcoming free agency and the way he gets along with Mike D'Antoni and Kobe Bryant, among other topics. The younger Howard declined to address Dwight Sr.'s remarks, and Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game is not surprised. Bucher says the relationship between Howard and son is a rocky one, and that Dwight Sr. has given several inaccurate off-the-record stories about his son to reporters over the years (Sulia link). It hasn't been easy to separate fact and fiction with the seemingly mercurial Howard over the past two years of his NBA career, but we're sure to hear plenty more about him between now and the day he inks his next contract this summer.

In the meantime, there's more about D12 and other Pacific Division figures right here:

Howard never wanted to go to L.A., according to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal, who hears the Magic were threatening to trade him to the Lakers if he didn't decline the early-termination option on his contract at last year's trade deadline.
Though Grant Hill is not ruling out a return to the Clippers, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel is convinced this is the final season for the 40-year-old, based on Hill's comments to him this week.
If Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson can work with Mark Mastrov and Ron Burkle to mount a credible bid for the Kings, the league will be facing an unprecedented showdown between two cities seeking the franchise, observes Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee.
Fellow Bee scribe Mark Glover examines some of the 20 local investors who've committed $1MM apiece to become minority owners if the Kings stay in Sacramento.

Latest On Dwight Howard

February 9th, 2013 at 2:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

This week, Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak proclaimed that the team will not trade Dwight Howard before the deadline, and while that means D12 may remain in purple and gold through the end of the season, it doesn't preclude a change of scenery before 2013 is through. Howard will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and though the Lakers are "very confident" he'll re-sign, plenty of other teams figure to be in pursuit, notably the Rockets, Hawks and Mavs. Here's more of what we're hearing:

Howard said he and his father talk every day — just not about basketball — and remains hesitant to address Dwight Sr.'s public comments, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News documents. Howard's father called for his son to sit down with Bryant and coach Mike D'Antoni to hash out their problems, but Bryant and D'Antoni don't think there's anything to discuss.

Earlier updates:

The transition from being the unquestioned team leader in Orlando to Kobe Bryant's sidekick with the Lakers has worn on Howard, his father believes, but Dwight Sr. told Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he thinks his son will still re-sign with L.A.
Dwight Sr. rules out the Nets as a potential destination for his son, who are unlikely to have the cap space to sign him anyway, but seemed to leave the door open for the Hawks, who play in the family's hometown. "Dwight hasn’t said anything about Atlanta, either. But he likes home. I think he would love to end his career here, even though he hasn’t said that publicly," Dwight Sr. said.
Despite last year's "Dwightmare," Howard's father isn't sure that his son truly wanted to leave the Magic, believing he received poor advice from his representatives.
The younger Howard had little response to his father's remarks, telling reporters, including Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register, "I'm not getting into it" (Twitter link).
Rashard Lewis, one of Howard's former teammates with the Magic, offered his prediction for the big man's summer as well, letting Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida know his "gut feeling" is that Howard will re-sign with the Lakers (Sulia link). "He most definitely likes the city, likes the organization," Lewis said. "It’s one of the first-class organizations. The Lakers have a history of winning championships, and that’s what he wants to do is win championships. So we’ll see what happens at the end of the season, but my gut feeling is I think he’ll stay there."

Western Notes: Nuggets, Miller, Lakers, D12, Mavs

February 8th, 2013 at 12:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets were firing on all cylinders in last night's victory over the Bulls, putting up 128 points against one of the league's best defenses en route to their eighth straight win. But even with the team on a roll, not everything is perfect in Denver, as Paul Klee of the Colorado Springs Gazette writes (hat tip to Matt Moore of CBSSports.com). Here are the highlights from Klee's piece along with a few more notes from around the Western Conference:

Andre Miller would like to see more playing time in Denver, as he tells Klee. While he says he'd "really be complaining" if the Nuggets were losing, Miller still doesn't seem satisfied with the current arrangement. "I don't know how much longer they want me here. I definitely would like to contribute more," Miller said, when asked if he wanted to finish his career in Denver. "I’m not just going to sit back and settle in and be a backup and let my career just fade away. I’m competitive in that way."
Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post isn't convinced that offseason acquisition Andre Iguodala has been a worthwhile investment for the Nuggets.
The future of the Lakers could depend on whether Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard are committed to getting on the same page, says Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
Hakeem Olajuwon, who is close with Howard and has worked with him in the past, still believes D12 will re-sign with the Lakers this summer, according to Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida.
With the trade deadline approaching, the Mavericks must make another tough call and decide whether they're going to be buyers or sellers, writes Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPNDallas.com.

Western Notes: Burks, Carter, Lakers, Kings

February 7th, 2013 at 3:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Let's check out a few afternoon links related to Western Conference clubs….

In his report about Luke Ridnour's availability, Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops mentioned Alec Burks as a player the Timberwolves have discussed with the Jazz. However, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets that Burks has been given some sort of assurance that he won't be moved in a deal for Ridnour.
A league source tells NBA.com's Jeff Caplan it's a "long shot" that the Mavericks will decide to trade Vince Carter in the next two weeks.
Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni expects to meet with GM Mitch Kupchak soon to discuss the team's roster, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
Dwight Howard is growing tired of people questioning his shoulder injury, telling reporters, including Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com, that his career and future would be at stake if he tries to play through it.
Although he said last July when he signed an offer sheet with the Suns that his heart was in Phoenix, Eric Gordon is happy to still be a member of the Hornets, as he tells Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. "Whether I was here or there, I would’ve been fine with it," Gordon said. "It was nothing over the top that I wanted to be here or there."
Tom Ziller of Sactown Royalty is very pleased that commissioner David Stern seems to be suggesting the NBA's Board of Governors will be taking a holistic approach when evaluating Seattle's and Sacramento's bid for the Kings.

Los Angeles Notes: Howard, Tax, Grant Hill

February 7th, 2013 at 9:01am CST by Luke Adams

Even during a year when neither team has lived up to preseason expectations, a matchup between the Lakers and Celtics is worth circling on the calendar. The contest in Boston tonight is particularly intriguing, given the injury woes that have beset both clubs recently. Despite being shorthanded, the Lakers and C's have been two of the league's hottest teams, with the latter riding a five-game winning streak and the former having won six of seven. As we wait to see which team cools off tonight, let's check in on a few items out of Los Angeles….

Kobe Bryant tells Jackie MacMullan of ESPNBoston.com that he feels like Dwight Howard is too preoccupied with how he's perceived by fans and media. "He just wants people to like him," Bryant said. "He doesn't want to let anyone down, and that gets him away from what he should be doing."
In detailing how the CBA's increasing tax penalties will affect NBA teams next season and beyond, Sam Amick of USA Today notes that few teams will be hit harder than the Lakers. If the club signs Howard to a max deal, it will have about $100MM committed to just nine players for next season, which would result in over $70MM in tax payments. As such, it's no surprise that a player like Pau Gasol, who is earning $19MM+ next season, has an uncertain future in L.A.
Despite having a partially guaranteed contract for next year, Grant Hill strongly hinted that he's likely to retire after this season, according to Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.
Earlier this morning, we heard from Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld that the Lakers are in no rush to add a free agent following Gasol's foot injury.

Odds & Ends: NBPA, Joseph, Lakers, Burks

February 6th, 2013 at 10:50pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Wednesday evening:

Agent David Falk tells Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype that the NBPA needs to band together to force a change in union leadership.
Kris Joseph is returning to the D-League, reports Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes that Dwight Howard should look to Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant as an example of how to play through injuries.
Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune writes that Alec Burks is succeeding in playing out of position at point guard to replace Earl Watson for the Jazz.
The Bulls' rash of injuries have forced Tom Thibodeau to improvise his rotations, writes Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com that J.J. Hickson has been a smart pickup for the Blazers.

Rockets May Pursue Bynum In Free Agency

February 6th, 2013 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

As we heard earlier today from ESPN.com's Chris Broussard, the Rockets are expected to be in the mix for Dwight Howard in free agency this summer, representing perhaps the most dangerous threat to the Lakers for the All-Star center. However, according to Broussard (via Twitter), if Houston is unsuccessful in landing Howard, the team is expected to turn its attention to Andrew Bynum.

Despite having James Harden's max deal on their books for 2013/14, along with sizable salaries for Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik, the Rockets still only have about $40MM in commitments on next season's payroll. If the team hopes to make a run at Howard, it may require a bit of maneuvering to fit a maximum offer under the cap, since D12 is eligible for a first-year salary of about $20.51MM next season. But Bynum's maximum salary for '13/14 is about $17.73MM, which would make a max offer for him a little more manageable.

Like Howard, Bynum would be giving up some guaranteed long-term money if he were to sign a maximum-salary contract with a team besides the Sixers. As I outlined last August, Bynum could re-sign with Philadelphia for up to five years and close to $102MM, while a team like the Rockets could only offer four years and $75.7MM.

Of course, before considering the difference between various maximum-salary contracts, Bynum may have to exhibit that he's worthy of one. Broussard suggests the Rockets' interest in Bynum will hinge not only on Howard's availability, but also on how the Sixers' center looks when he finally returns to the court this season. Bynum's chances of earning max offers in July will rely in part on his health and production over the final couple months of 2012/13.