Dwight Howard Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pat Williams On Howard, Bynum, Nets

December 4th, 2012 at 3:48pm CST by Zachary Links

The Magic scored a tremendously satisfying win on Sunday when they downed Dwight Howard and the Lakers. Powered on the offensive end by Arron Afflalo and Glen Davis, the Magic employed the "Hack-A-Howard" strategy and forced the big man to try and win the game from the charity stripe. Yesterday, Magic senior vice president Pat Williams spoke with 95.7 The Game to about the post-Howard era in Orlando and Steven Cuce of Sports Radio Interviews has the goods..

How’s this year going without Dwight Howard? How’s the transition going?

Well, it cleared up very nicely [Sunday] night in Los Angeles. Oh boy, Orlando Magic fans were dancing in the street last night. That was a beautiful win for us. We’ve been struggling up to that point. The Dwight thing has calmed down. It was tumultuous for 12 months, really, and just difficult. What are you going to do when your great player and top guy says, ‘I don’t want to be here anymore?’ Move me on. It’s extremely difficult and we had to deal with it the best we could. We tried to convince Dwight to stay here and this could be his long-term home and he was … far better off being here, but he didn’t buy it. And New York or L.A. seemed to have the lure for him. We made the best deal we could and it was a big one — a four-team trade and one of the biggest in NBA history. We ended up with six players and five future draft choices. It was a massive trade, but I think it settled here and the fans’ position was if Dwight didn’t want to be here, so be it and we move on and let’s start fresh. So that’s really what we’ve done, and I think we’ve got a nice, young ball club. I think we are going to be OK.”

What made Dwight Howard change his mind last summer after he said in March he wanted to stay with the team?

“Dwight is a pleaser at heart. Deep down he really is a good guy. He had a lot invested here in eight years out of Central Florida and I think the pressure got to him. It was building and building and building. It was trade, trade and trade. As we got to the trade deadline, I think Dwight was just panic-stricken. Where was this all going to lead? The simplest way was just going to be sign this extension. I don’t think his agent had anything to do with it. I don’t think anyone would have advised him that because it was just a few months from free agency, and I just think the pressure was so great that the safest way to break it was just to sign the one-year extension and take the pressure off, and he made a little press conference and a little speech saying, ‘I love Orlando.’ Then, the next thing you know, this back injury takes place and then he disappears and we never saw him or hear from him again until the middle of the summer. We did meet with him and went out to see him and tried to convince him to stay. … It made no headway. It was not on his agenda and it turned out Brooklyn was his first choice. That all didn’t work, and finally the L.A. trade. Now he’s still a free agent after this year, so who knows what’s going to happen or where he is headed next?”

Why didn’t the deal for Dwight Howard with the Brooklyn Nets work out for Brook Lopez?

“I guess there were a lot of ins and outs with that. I just want to say that one of the fears with him was the tendency, as he got hurt, that he’s got a history with feet and ankle problems. He’s out again now. I think that was a big part of it, and then of course people say then, ‘Why not Andrew Bynum? Why didn’t you get Andrew Bynum?’ Well, I don’t think we’d be real happy with Andrew Bynum right now. If he were sitting here it would be a mess. We made the best deal we could with these other pieces that came from around the league, and I think it was the best deal we could have made based on potential of injury and what was best for our team.”

Odds & Ends: Dwight, Shved, Hornets, Boykins

December 3rd, 2012 at 11:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Dwight Howard opened up this weekend about his parting with the Magic, in advance of Orlando's meeting with the Lakers last night, and he talked about his willingness to change teams if that's what the pursuit of a championship requires. John Denton of Magic.com interprets that comment to mean D12 might be willing to leave the Lakers as a free agent next summer, but it seems more logical that Howard was referring to his departure from the Magic. Either way, there's plenty of room for pessimism about this year's Laker team, which takes an 8-9 record on the road for seven of its next eight games. Here's more from around the Association:

Injuries to other Timberwolves have thrust rookie Alexey Shved into a prominent role, and the Russian guard is surprised at how quickly NBA success has come, writes Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Wolves coach Rick Adelman believes Shved will eventually become a mainstay in the backcourt alongside Ricky Rubio, as Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune documents.
HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler, who noted earlier that the Hornets are not shopping Ryan Anderson, says the team isn't looking for an immediate solution to its troubles this season, preferring an approach predicated on draft picks and cap space (Twitter link).
Earl Boykins, linked to the Mavericks last week before they signed Derek Fisher, has been working out in Denver and is in great shape as he awaits interest from teams, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
DaJuan Summers, who last played in the NBA with the Hornets in 2011/12 and was a training camp invitee of the Bobcats, has signed to play with the Maine Red Claws of the D-League, tweets Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com, who notes the Red Claws let go of Brian Cusworth.

Pacific Notes: Gasol, Howard, Curry

December 2nd, 2012 at 8:18pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes around the Pacific Division on Sunday evening:

Eddie Johnson of HoopsHype writes that the Lakers are beginning to accept the reality that Pau Gasol is not a long-term fit for Mike D'Antoni's system. However, Johnson notes that Gasol's age and contract make it difficult to move him.
As pleased as Dwight Howard seems to be as a member of the Lakers, he refuses to talk about whether he'll remain in L.A. when his contract is up next summer, notes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
Marcus Thompson of the San Jose Mercury News writes that a newly healthy Stephen Curry is seeing a spike in his production this season.

Notes On Dwight Howard

December 1st, 2012 at 5:59pm CST by Michael Pina

On the eve of Dwight Howard's first game against his former team, the Orlando Magic, several teammates, coaches, and Howard himself have weighed in on the controversial past and mysterious future of basketball's best center.

ESPNLA.com's Ramona Shelburne has a story with quotes from people on the Lakers side (including head coach Mike D'Antoni, Chris Duhon, and Howard), and the Orlando Sentinel's Brian Schmitz has quotes from the Magic side (including Glen Davis, J.J. Redick, Arron Afflalo, Jameer Nelson, general manager Rob Hennigan, and head coach Jacque Vaughn.

Western Rumors: Dwight, Fisher, Mavs, Marshall

December 1st, 2012 at 3:26pm CST by Chuck Myron

It was a whirlwind first month of the season for the Lakers, but nothing has changed Dwight Howard's affection for L.A., tweets Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. "From 1 to 10, I'd give it a good 12," Howard said. "I love it. It's been a lot of fun. Just everything here." Still, unless Howard signs an extension during the season, which is unlikely, the big man's answer about whether he likes his surroundings only really matters next summer, when he's due to hit free agency. While await that, here's more news out of the Western Conference.

Among other NBA news in his Weekend Dime, Marc Stein of ESPN.com passes along that Derek Fisher will be making a prorated minimum salary with the Mavericks.
The Mavs have serious rebounding problems, and the team's release of Troy Murphy in favor of Fisher this week doesn't help matters, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
Suns GM Lance Blanks insists the team's assignment of Kendall Marshall to the D-League this week is not an indictment of the rookie point guard, notes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. "There’s nothing negative about developing and having a team that supports you," Blanks said. "It’s been really cool to watch his maturation from college to summer league to the pros. We’re just as excited as the day we drafted him."
Gordon Hayward recently lost his starting job, and the timing is poor, since he'll be up for an extension to his rookie-scale contract with the Jazz this summer. Still, he's not making any fuss about his new role, as Susan Bible of HoopsWorld documents.
The Thunder gave Scott Brooks a four-year extension this summer, but Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM.com wonders if he's the right coach for the team, taking him to task in particular for his over-reliance on amnesty candidate Kendrick Perkins.

Western Rumors: Dwight, Morris, Lakers, Blazers

November 19th, 2012 at 11:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

Dwight Howard, who preferred Phil Jackson, might not have been thrilled when the Lakers hired Mike D'Antoni as coach, but D'Antoni has won Howard's affection, according to Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times. Elliott also notes that Howard has overcome his objection to following Shaquille O'Neal's path to L.A. "But then once I got here, I just felt like there was no need to worry about people saying I'm following somebody else, but I could blaze my own trail while I'm here, and that's what I plan on doing," Howard said. We rounded up a few D12 items earlier this evening, and now we have more on Howard's team and their Western Conference rivals.

By signing a one-year deal last season instead of a two-year pact that wasn't fully guaranteed, Darius Morris took a risk that paid off when he signed his qualifying offer this summer, as Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times details. The point guard, pressed into starting duty for the Lakers, said he'd love to stay in L.A., but left the door open for another outcome when he hits restricted free agency next summer.
Mark Heisler of HoopsHype lays out an agenda for the Lakers in the coming years, one that starts with re-signing Howard.
Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge provides a transcript of new Blazers president and CEO Chris McGowan's interview with announcers Mike Barrett and Mike Rice on Blazers Courtside. McGowan reiterated that he's staying out of the team's basketball operations.
Facing the stress of an impending tug-of-war in restricted free agency over the summer, Nicolas Batum gained perspective from a visit to his ancestral home country of Cameroon last spring, as he told Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy runs down players who've been pleasant surprises so far. A third of the list is composed of newcomers to Western Conference teams.

Dwight Howard Notes: Silver, D-Will, Nets, Magic

November 19th, 2012 at 6:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Dwight Howard saga was the dominant storyline of the year 2012, and while he seems content to be a Laker even as free agency looms this summer, a lot of people are taking a look back on more turbulent times as the Nets prepare to play the Lakers tomorrow night. It seemed for much of the year that Howard would end up in Brooklyn, but Deron Williams was convinced otherwise long before most others, as we detail below.

Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel has more on deputy commissioner Adam Silver's comments about the way Howard left the Magic. Silver reiterated that the incentive to keep stars with their original teams is one of the league's aims in CBA negotiations.

Earlier updates:

While others are looking back, Williams is focused squarely on the present, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. "Dwight was never (an option for the Nets)," Williams said. "I don't think (the Magic) were ever going to trade him to us, so it doesn't matter. When he opted in (to his contract for another season in mid-March), it kind of took that option away."
Howard seems content to put the Nets, as well as Williams, in his past as well, as Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com documents, and it seems the friendship between the two former Team USA teammates has soured. "That’s my decision," Howard said, presumably referring to his decision to opt in. "My life. If he’s upset because I made a decision for me, then so be it. If he doesn’t want to be friends because I’m on another team, then so be it. There’s no need to smooth things over."
Deputy commissioner Adam Silver, who will take over for commissioner David Stern in 2014, won't look back fondly on this year's "Dwightmare" for the Magic, reports John Denton of Magic.com (Twitter links). "It's an unfortunate circumstance and I don’t want to sugarcoat it," Silver said, referring to Howard's departure from the Magic. "This is not the way we like to see it happen."

Pacific Notes: Gortat, Lakers, Howard, Fredette

November 19th, 2012 at 1:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite the Lakers' early-season struggles, the standings in the Pacific Division are already starting to look pretty close to what we were expecting coming into the season. The Lakers' win last night pulled them into a tie with the Warriors in second place, with the Clippers leading the way and the Suns and Kings below .500. As the Clips and Warriors prepare for tough road matchups tonight, let's check out what's going on around the division:

Marcin Gortat recently spoke to with Marcin Harasimowicz of Przeglad Sportowy (Polish link) about a number of Suns-related topics, and as Adam Koscielak of Gothic Ginobili notes in his translation, the big man had some interesting things to say. Gortat expressed an unhappiness with the team's style of play and his lack of involvement on offense, adding that the team misses Steve Nash a lot. Gortat also suggested he'd talk to head coach Alvin Gentry about his concerns, though he's not sure "if it will change anything."
Kobe Bryant and new Laker Dwight Howard are feeling more and more comfortable playing together, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Howard, meanwhile, is looking forward to Tuesday's matchup against the Nets, the team he was nearly traded to earlier this year, as Fred Kerber of the New York Post writes.
Appearing on KHTK in Sacramento, Jimmer Fredette discussed the Kings' start, his offseason preparation, and adjusting the NBA lifestyle. As we heard over the weekend, the Kings currently have no plans to move Fredette.

Pacific Notes: D’Antoni, Dwight, Rambis, Barnes

November 18th, 2012 at 11:46am CST by Chuck Myron

Three Pacific Division teams are in action tonight, including the Lakers, who are expected to have Mike D'Antoni on the sideline for the first time. He'll square off against Jeremy Lin and the Rockets, and Howard Beck of The New York Times revisits the brief pairing of the two in New York, one that was beneficial for both, Beck says. We've got more today on D'Antoni, the Lakers, and other news from the Pacific.

Dwight Howard, who told Howard Beck of The New York Times earlier this week he waived his early termination option last year with the Magic because he "wanted really to make everybody happy," wouldn't have pouted if the Magic had dealt him to the Rockets, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. "I would've gone there and played. I didn't have a problem with it. At the same time, there were two places that I'd rather go to and I'm here at one of them," said Howard, referring to the Lakers and presumably the Nets. "I'm happy. If I would've gone to Houston, I would've played as hard as I could with the Rockets."
D'Antoni considered hiring former Phil Jackson aide Kurt Rambis as an assistant coach to address the complaints of Jackson's fans, but Rambis' criticism of D'Antoni on ESPN put the kibosh on that, reports Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link).
Warriors coach Mark Jackson admits he plays "mind games" to help motivate rookie Harrison Barnes, who has begun to pay dividends, observes Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group.

Odds & Ends: Bobcats, Nash, Beal, Lakers

November 17th, 2012 at 10:27pm CST by Michael Pina

Here's a look around the NBA this Saturday evening.

The Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell wonders if the Bobcats can get anything of value for DeSagana Diop's expiring contract.
Steve Nash and Dwight Howard are teammates with the Lakers, but both of them could easily have ended up in New York with separate teams, writes Howard Beck of the New York Times.
NBA.com's Jeff Caplan has a piece on Wizards rookie shooting guard Bradley Beal, who currently leads his struggling team in scoring.
A quick recap of the Bernie Bickerstaff era as head coach of the Lakers, from ESPNLA.com's Dave McMenamin.
With James Harden flourishing as a starter with the Rockets, the Oklahoman's John Rohde wonders who will win the Sixth Man of the Year award this season.