Dwight Howard Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Beck On Knicks, Melo, Lin, Felton, Lakers

January 25th, 2013 at 6:18pm CST by Sean Highkin

Howard Beck of the New York Times has posted a new mailbag in which he answers reader questions about the New York Knicks and the rest of the NBA. Here are the highlights:

Beck stands by criticsms he made at the time of the Knicks' trade for Carmelo Anthony but admits it has worked out better than he expected.
Many people in and around the NBA are impressed with the Bulls' success this season despite Derrick Rose's absence, writes Beck.
Beck doesn't see Kenyon Martin as a realistic option for the Knicks in the event that the injury to Rasheed Wallace is season-ending, citing his advanced age and the team's abundance of forwards.
Beck doesn't believe the Lakers will move Dwight Howard before the trading deadline, although he doesn't consider it as much a lock that he will re-sign in Los Angeles this summer given the team's struggles.
The decision to let Jeremy Lin go and sign Raymond Felton has worked out for the Knicks despite facing heavy criticism at the time, writes Beck.

Dwight Howard Links: Friday

January 25th, 2013 at 10:50am CST by Luke Adams

Sources close to the respective situations "adamantly denied" reports of Dwight Howard being involved in a locker-room altercation with Kobe Bryant earlier this month, as well as reports that the Nets have discussed a three-team trade to acquire Howard. But Sam Amick of USA Today wonders if the return of these kinds of Howard-related stories are an indication that something is amiss in Los Angeles (besides the obvious). There aren't many real Howard trade rumors out there today, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of links from around the internet discussing D12's situation. Here are a few of them:

Amick also notes within his piece that there are "very real indications" that Howard may be thinking about free agent options besides the Lakers. As Amick notes, the All-Star center was talking much more openly earlier in the season about a long-term future in Los Angeles than he is these days.
The decision on whether to trade Howard or try to keep him will be one that could affect the Lakers for years, writes Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times.
Eddie Sefko and Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News discussed the possibility of the Mavericks pursuing Howard, with Gosselin opining that "[Mark] Cuban has got to be on the phone talking" about it.
If the Mavericks have the opportunity to land Howard via trade or free agency, they have to take that shot, argues Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPNDallas.com, even though he believes Howard has developed a "loser mentality."
One NBA player to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Twitter link), on Howard: "I wouldn't want to be Dwight Howard's teammate. Like, ever. Too much clowning for a guy with maybe one post move."
In an Insider-only piece, ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton examines seven teams that could make realistic trade offers for Howard.

Lakers Rumors: Trades, Job Security, Howard

January 24th, 2013 at 6:32pm CST by Daniel Seco

Here's the latest news and notes making headlines at the Staples Center…

While Lakers fans may expect the franchise to move either Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol or both before the trade deadline, one GM says it's more liklely that the team retains both players, writes Sam Amico of FOXSportsOhio.com.
After already having three head coaches man the bench for the Lakers this season, don't look for Los Angeles to consider a buy-out or firing of Mike D'Antoni, says Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register (via Twitter).
Struggles have dominated the first half of the Laker's season but the unlikely performance of Earl Clark has been a bright spot for Los Anglees, writes Alex Kennedy of Hoops World.
Arash Markazi and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com consider whether trading Dwight Howard now in hopes of the Lakers winning a championship is worth sacrificing the future of the franchise for the long-term.

Lakers Rumors: Nash, D’Antoni, Howard, Gasol

January 24th, 2013 at 8:21am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers' disastrous first half has been one of the major stories for most of the NBA season, but the situation has somehow seemed to get even worse within the last few days. Yesterday, the Lakers "went at each other a little bit" in a team meeting, and then lost in Memphis to fall to 5-15 on the road and 17-25 overall, closer to the Western Conference basement than the eighth playoff spot. What's next? Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports has the latest on the Lakers….

The biggest issue Lakers vice president Jim Buss had with the possibility of choosing Phil Jackson over Mike D'Antoni as the team's head coach was the idea that offseason signee Steve Nash would be marginalized in Jackson's Triangle offense, says Wojnarowski. "The way this turns out," one league source told Wojnarowski. "You've chosen not only Steve Nash over [Pau] Gasol, but maybe over Gasol and Dwight [Howard]."
The Mavericks and Hawks have called the Lakers to inquire on Howard, and have been told the big man isn't available, and that the stance won't change before the trade deadline.
Sources tell Wojnarowski that the only reason Howard might hesitate about re-signing with the Lakers is the presence of D'Antoni. According to the Yahoo! scribe, the Lakers coach "fundamentally doesn't believe in post play."
When he was coaching the Knicks and a possible pursuit of Howard was discussed, D'Antoni told the Knicks front office that USA Basketball preferred Tyson Chandler to Howard, and that "the Knicks would be wise to adopt that thinking," according to Wojnarowski.
Gasol, who has been marginalized in D'Antoni's system, is upset and privately expects to be traded, says Wojnarowski.
The Lakers are very unlikely to fire D'Antoni, since it would leave them paying $25MM to coaches no longer in Los Angeles (D'Antoni and Mike Brown). But if they did make a change, Wojnarowski suggests that Bernie Bickerstaff may be the Lakers' best option, since he simplified the offense and had the club playing solid defense during his interim stint.

Odds & Ends: Howard, Lakers, Nachbar, Gomes

January 23rd, 2013 at 8:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Here's tonight's look around the Association as the Heat find themselves in a battle with the 15-26 Raptors..

When asked about his impending free agency earlier today, Dwight Howard said "We're not discussing that," tweets Brian K. Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak might start feeling uneasy if the star big man has the same stance a few weeks from now when the trade deadline comes and goes.
Bostjan Nachbar told Beko BBL that he will likely stay with his team in Germany next season, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The forward was a prominent bench player for the Nets in 2006/07 and 2007/08.
Former NBA forward Ryan Gomes has parted ways with Germany's Artland Dragons, according to David Pick of Sportando (on Twitter). Gomes, who played for the Celtics, Wolves, and Clippers, averaged 11 PPG in ten games for the German club.

Lakers Notes: Howard, Trade Rumors, Hill

January 23rd, 2013 at 4:24pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Lakers look to improve upon a 5-14 road record tonight against the Grizzlies in Memphis, we'll check in on a few of today's updates out of Lakerland….

After complaining earlier this week about not getting enough touches, Dwight Howard apologized today, accepting responsibility for his struggles and saying he needs to work harder, according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. "I've just got to go out there and dominate defensively and make it tough for teams," Howard said. "I just have to get back to doing that and not worry about the offense."
Howard, on the return of the trade rumors that followed him everywhere last season: "I understand why they're saying that because they feel like I have an opportunity to just walk away. That is my choice at the end of the season but right now my focus is tonight and us doing something real special in L.A. We have that opportunity and we can't close the door on the opportunity that we have in front of us. We can turn this thing around."
Bresnahan also reports that the Lakers had a sort of "clear-the-air" team meeting before today's shootaround, and that the players "went at each other a little bit." The meeting included Steve Nash saying he was open to any style of play, as long as everyone was comfortable with the system, and Kobe Bryant directly asking Howard if the All-Star center dislikes playing with him.
According to ESPN.com's Chris Broussard, the Clippers would offer Eric Bledsoe and DeAndre Jordan for Howard. However, even if the Lakers were considering moving D12, Broussard admits it's unlikely they'd send him to their L.A. rivals.
Jordan Hill underwent successful surgery on his left hip today and is expected to be sidelined for six months, the team announced in a press release.
Earlier today, we looked at a few of Mitch Kupchak's comments on the team, Mike D'Antoni, and trade options.

Odds & Ends: Redick, Crawford, James, Crowder

January 23rd, 2013 at 12:01am CST by Chuck Myron

Just as we crossed into the final month before the trade deadline, the first deal of the new year went down today, and the action will no doubt pick up going forward. Here are a few more notes from a busy evening.

J.J. Redick, an unrestricted free agent at season's end, wants a raise on his $6.19MM salary, but the Magic want him to take a hometown discount, reports USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt. If the team doesn't believe it can re-sign him when the trade deadline rolls around, Zillgitt won't be surprised to see the Magic trade Redick, since they don't want to lose him without any return.
The Wizards are looking to make moves, and Jordan Crawford is drawing the most interest of any of the players they'd make available, HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler reveals, noting rookie Bradley Beal isn't among the players they're dangling, Kyler adds.
Damion James is heading back to the D-League's Bakersfield Jam, as the Nets have opted not to renew his 10-day contract, which expires tonight, tweets NetsDaily.com.
Jae Crowder's contract with the Mavs is fully guaranteed through next season, but he doesn't want that to be the end of his tenure in Dallas, where he wants to play his entire career, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reveals.
Elliot Williams, who tore his left Achilles tendon in September, isn't ruling out the possibility he could return at some point this season, as he tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. The league, believing he was done for the year, has already granted the Blazers a disabled player exception, but the team will get to keep it even if he makes it back.
Ben Baroff of SheridanHoops.com believes there will be more deals similar to today's Cavs-Grizzlies trade in the years to come, as luxury tax penalties become more severe.
Amid another round of Dwight Howard rumors, Nets brass has assured Brook Lopez he won't be traded, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.

Dwight Howard’s Frustration Could Lead To Trade

January 22nd, 2013 at 10:12pm CST by Chuck Myron

Dwight Howard has professed elation about his new home in L.A. for most of the time since he was traded to the Lakers in August, but the shine appears to be wearing off. Howard's growing unhappiness with his role under coach Mike D'Antoni has led sources to indicate to Ramona Shelburne and Marc Stein of ESPN.com that the Lakers might consider trading the big man before the February 21st deadline. The Lakers still believe they can re-sign him, and are continuing to reject Howard offers from other teams, Shelburne and Stein report, confirming what we heard earlier from Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Still, they don't want to be left with nothing should Howard leave as a free agent this summer.

Howard has privately dropped hints about how uncomfortable he feels in D'Antoni's up-tempo system, and that he might leave if there isn't improvement or change. D12 is recovering from back surgery and has shown signs of his old form of late, but his numbers of 17.1 points and 12.3 rebounds per game are off significantly from his last few seasons with the Magic. The three-time defensive player of the year has had little apparent effect on the team's ability to stop opponents from scoring, as the Lakers are giving up 102.6 PPG, the fifth most in the league.

There were conflicting reports today about whether the Nets are considering a trade for Howard, who seemingly made Brooklyn his top choice during last year's back and forth with the Magic. Shelburne and Stein note that the Mavericks and Hawks appear to be teams Howard would consider if he doesn't re-sign with the Lakers. Howard is making a little more than $19.5MM this season, which, like Pau Gasol and his $19MM salary figure, would make it challenging to construct a trade that would satisfy the league's salary-matching requirements.

Still, the Lakers may have motivation to deal him away if their belief that they can re-sign him begins to dissolve. Given their current commitments, the Lakers will be well over the cap regardless of whether they bring Howard back in the summer. So, if he signs with another team, the Lakers wouldn't have any cap room to show for it; they'd simply lose Howard for nothing, aside from the savings they'd collect from not having to pay him and the luxury tax his contract would incur.

There's plenty of financial motivation for Howard to stay with the Lakers as well, since they could give him an extra year on his next contract. Of course, if the Lakers trade Howard away, his new team, and not the Lakers, would be the only one capable of giving him a deal for five years, instead of four.

L.A. Rumors: Howard, Jackson, Gasol, Clippers

January 22nd, 2013 at 8:55pm CST by Chuck Myron

With the Clippers taking on the Thunder tonight with the league's best record at stake, and the Lakers just trying to keep pace for the last playoff spot, it's clear the usual script has been flipped in Tinseltown. Here's the latest on a pair of clubs going in opposite directions:

The Lakers, intent on re-signing Dwight Howard this summer, have been rejecting all trade offers for him, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, who cautions that the team's stance could change before the deadline (Twitter links). There have been conflicting reports today about whether the Nets are considering another trade push for Howard.
Sam Smith of Bulls.com hears the Lakers' initial pursuit of Phil Jackson this season came on the suggestion of Howard's camp.
Mike D'Antoni has been a "disaster" for the Lakers, but Matt Moore of CBSSports.com makes the case that Pau Gasol should shoulder as much, if not more, of the blame for his poor play.
Even though the other L.A. team made flashier moves, it's the Clippers' offseason that's paying dividends so far, observes J.A. Adande of ESPN.com, who examines each of the Clips' moves one by one.
The Clippers announced they've signed a 10-year extension to their Staples Center lease that will keep them in the building until at least 2024.

Nets Mulling Another Run At Dwight Howard?

January 22nd, 2013 at 8:07pm CST by Luke Adams

8:07pm: Tim Bontemps of the New York Post hears the Nets have no interest in going after Howard again, in spite of the earlier report.

10:10am: With the Lakers struggling and Dwight Howard frustrated, the Nets are considering making another run at the All-Star center, according to Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com (Sulia link). Rudolph reports that Nets GM Billy King has been quietly searching for a third team that could include an attractive piece that would help facilitate a trade between the Lakers and Nets.

When the Magic were attempting to find a trade partner for Howard at last year's deadline and again over the summer, the Nets topped D12's wish list. However, Orlando ultimately ended up sending Howard to another one of the clubs on a wish list that also included the Lakers and Mavericks. While Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reported this morning that trading Howard again isn't something the Lakers are currently considering, the Nets feel like L.A. would at least think about it, for the right price, according to Rudolph.

Rudolph indicates that King was preparing an offer that would have included Brook Lopez going to the Timberwolves and Kevin Love heading to the Lakers, with a handful of smaller pieces also included in the deal. The Nets believed the Lakers would be intrigued by Love, but the plan suffered a blow when the Wolves' big man was sidelined for two months with a broken hand.

King will continue to search for a third team that could facilitate a Howard trade, but won't make landing the big man the priority that he did a year ago, according to Rudolph.