Dwight Howard Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Hornets, Clippers, Knicks, Magic

February 12th, 2012 at 7:14pm CST by Jesse Blanchard

The New Orleans Hornets are dropping like flies, reports John Reid of the Times Picayune. Chris Kaman is the latest casualty with a mysterious ankle injury. These injuries could hurt trade value for a Hornets team that needs as many assets as possible. Some other news around the NBA:

Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles reports the Los Angeles Clippers are pursuing J.R. Smith. Their sales pitch includes Chauncey Billups vacated starting slot, a chance to showcase his game on a contending team, and his familiarity with Chris Paul–and their shared agent, Leon Rose.
Also pursuing Smith, according to the same report, is Carmelo Anthony. The New York Knicks have slightly more money to offer with the prorated $2.5MM mini-mid-level exception, and Leon Rose likewise represents Anthony.
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel wonders if Jason Richardson can be a reliable go-to guy after a breakout game against the Milwaukee Bucks. If so, it would relieve a lot of the pressure for an immediate roster overhaul for general manager Otis Smith and the Orlando Magic.
Naturally after watching Richardson's performance over the Bucks comes reports from Schmitz that a disgruntled Dwight Howard would like to see the ball more in the fourth quarter.

Trade Candidate: Ryan Anderson

February 12th, 2012 at 3:12pm CST by Michael Pina

Should the Magic choose to keep Dwight Howard for the rest of this season and allow him to test the waters of free agency this summer, a massive domino effect involving several organizations and players will take place. Teams like the Rockets, Nets, Celtics, and Mavericks have all cleared cap space and will scramble for the perennial All-Star's services, but only one will be able to walk away with the number one prize.

If Howard does leave, which is likely, Orlando will be forced to come to terms with a roster that was built to accommodate its superstar's strengths. The stock for the team's three-point shooters and defensively liable swingmen who are enabled by Howard's presence may plummet. The most notable example would be the team's second best player, Ryan Anderson.

As we covered on Friday, the Magic chose not to offer Anderson a contract extension earlier this season—a decision that acknowledges the team's willingness to accept its unknown future—and right now he's playing to show the league his worth once he becomes a restricted free agent in the offseason. With the chances of Anderson accepting the team's qualifying offer of $3.23MM in the offseason nonexistent, the Magic could be wise to sell high and trade their best asset. Anderson is a young, improving sharpshooter having a borderline All-Star season, but his success may be predicated on the play of Howard. If he's going to walk anyway, why not get something for him while you can?

With the type of game to either come off a bench or start for a playoff team, someone like the Nuggets or Pacers would be wise to seek his services in a trade involving multiple draft picks.

Poll: When Will Dwight Howard Leave Orlando?

February 11th, 2012 at 1:57pm CST by Chuck Myron

This week's Jeremy Lin mania aside, Dwight Howard's impending free agency has been the dominant storyline of the NBA season so far. The Nets, Lakers and Mavs are the leading contenders for his services, along with his current team, the Magic. The Magic are considering fulfilling his request to be traded this season so they can get assets back in return, but may be hesistant to do so before the All-Star game, which is on Feb. 26 in Orlando this year. That leaves about a two-week window before the March 15 trade deadline to get a deal done. If that doesn't happen, and the saga continues into the summer, Howard could invoke a player option of more than $19.5MM to stay with the Magic for one more season before committing anywhere for multiple seasons.

So, with so much attention surrounding where Howard will go, the question of when is just as relevant.

Dwight Howard Rumors: Friday

February 10th, 2012 at 3:22pm CST by Luke Adams

With less than five weeks until the trade deadline, the Magic still hope to avoid dealing their star center, preferring to build around him long-term. We heard as much yesterday from team owner Rich DeVos, who put the odds of Dwight Howard remaining with the Magic at about "50/50." Here are today's updates on Howard:

The Lakers are still on Howard's list, but he has some serious reservations about following Shaquille O'Neal's path to L.A., says Ken Berger of CBS Sports. "Dwight is very sensitive to people thinking that he is duplicating Shaq," a source tells Berger.
In ESPN.com's Weekend Dime, Marc Stein explains why most Howard suitors, with the exception of the Lakers, wouldn't mind if the Magic didn't trade D12 this season.
While they were surprised not to be on Howard's list of preferred destinations, the Bulls remain intrigued by the possibility of acquiring him, says Stein. Chicago prefers to play out this season with their current roster, but could be interested in making a play for Howard in the offseason, should he become more interested in Chicago. Since the Bulls won't have cap space to sign him as a free agent, they'd have to make a trade offer before July 1st.
In a piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler and Larry Coon set the record straight on some common misconceptions about Howard's future contract options.

Odds & Ends: Howard, Kobe, Pistons

February 9th, 2012 at 11:23pm CST by Jesse Blanchard

The All-Star reserves were announced tonight, ending the All-Star streaks of forwards Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, and earning first-time nods for LaMarcus Aldridge, Andre Iguodala, Roy Hibbert, Marc Gasol, and Luol Deng.

Over at the New York Times, Peter Kerasotis writes the Magic feel that during the lockout too many people got into Dwight Howard's ear, convincing him to leave. Now that they are able to communicate with Howard, they would like to do some convincing of their own.
Matt Moore over at CBS Eye on Sports believes Kobe Bryant sent a message with his recent comments to the media, either improve the roster or suffer the wrath of his 30-shot nights.
There is no timetable for Cavaliers rookie point guard Kyrie Irving's return from a concussion reports Ohio.com's Nate Ulrich. This should give Ramon Sessions some time to improve his trade value.
Meanwhile in Detroit, MLive.com's David Mayo reports that the Pistons backcourt is almost healthy and the team is undecided about the long-term solution to their crowded backcourt.

Dwight Howard Rumors: Thursday

February 9th, 2012 at 8:43am CST by Luke Adams

Discussing the upcoming All-Star Game in Orlando, commissioner David Stern said yesterday that he doesn't expect the Dwight Howard drama to overshadow the game itself. Stern added that he was fine with players deciding where they want to play, since the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement provides plenty of incentives for a player to remain with his current team. Here are the rest of today's Howard updates:

85-year-old Magic owner Rich DeVos, who spoke about the Howard trade rumors before last night's game, also addressed them after Orlando's win, as Tim Povtak of FOX Sports Florida writes. DeVos hopes he can convince Howard to stay in Orlando, putting the odds at 50-50: "Dwight is in a good place now. When you’re young, sometimes you don’t always realize it."
DeVos has indicated he'll spend whatever it takes to build around Howard if D12 decides to stay: "Everyone wants to win a championship. I want a ring for our players. But you can’t change anything until he says he’s going to stay. Then you can do a lot of things."

Magic Owner Addresses Howard Rumors

February 8th, 2012 at 6:19pm CST by Michael Pina

Earlier tonight, Magic owner Rich DeVos sat down for a rare interview with Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Naturally, Dwight Howard and his pending free agency were among the few topics discussed, with DeVos asserting his dedication to keeping the All-Star center in a Magic uniform for the foreseeable future. The 85-year-old owner has told Howard that leaving Orlando would be leaving behind a fan base that truly cares about him.

"You have to move in life, but the loyalty you develop in a community is always remembered. But if you leave, you don't pick it up in the next town," he said. "It's not an add-on, you know, because you lose what you had. Maybe you gain some new [loyalty], but maybe you don't. Maybe the net gain isn't as good you think."

When asked if he would veto any deal to the Los Angeles Lakers due to the bitter parallels Howard shares with Shaquille O'Neal, DeVos said he had no emotion on the decision and that he doesn't talk about where his best player will go because he doesn't want him to leave.

The 26-year-old Howard is averaging 20.9 PPG and a league-leading 15.1 RPG in 25 games so far this season.

Dwight Howard Rumors: Tuesday

February 7th, 2012 at 8:27am CST by Luke Adams

Over the weekend, a report surfaced suggesting a conversation with Kobe Bryant had soured Dwight Howard on the possibility of a trade to the Lakers. In a message to Peter Vecsey of the New York Post, Bryant insisted there was no truth to the story. Regardless of whether or not such a conversation happened, it appears Howard prefers New Jersey to Los Angeles. Here are Tuesday's updates on Howard, with the latest up top:

Following the preseason trade request from Howard's camp, Magic CEO Alex Martins no longer deals with Howard's agent Dan Fegan, tweets Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. Only GM Otis Smith speaks with Fegan now.
While Howard's list of preferred destinations still only includes the Lakers, Nets, and Mavs, Schmitz tweets that the Clippers would be "fools" not to trade Blake Griffin if Howard said he would sign a long-term deal with the Clips.

Kyler On Nash, Howard, D’Antoni

February 6th, 2012 at 10:34am CST by Luke Adams

In an NBA AM piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler shares a few updates on some trade candidates and a coach on the hot seat. Let's check out the highlights….

Suns sources indicate they're open to a two-year extension for Steve Nash at the end of the season. Nash could earn more money by staying in Phoenix than he could by signing elsewhere, so that could be a reason he and his agent haven't expressed any desire for a trade.
The Lakers have always been behind the Nets and Mavericks on Dwight Howard's list of preferred destinations, according to Kyler. Howard views the Nets as Plan A, with the Lakers, Mavericks, and Magic as backup plans, Kyler hears.
The Magic, who could offer Howard significantly more money than any other team this summer if they keep him, still believe they can retain their star center. Until Howard makes it unquestionably clear that he'll leave in free agency, the Magic won't feel obligated to move him.
Although the Knicks probably need to replace Mike D'Antoni, there's no clear candidate to step in for him, says Kyler. An outside replacement is unlikely during the season, and none of the in-house candidates would represent a clear upgrade.

Dwight Howard Rumors: Sunday

February 5th, 2012 at 9:23pm CST by Sean Highkin

Saturday, it was reported that a phone conversation between Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard has soured the Magic center on the prospect of playing for the Lakers. Today has been relatively quiet in the area of Howard-related rumors.

HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy appeared on NetsAreScorching TV and stated that he strongly believes Howard will end up on the Nets, citing the center's close relationship with Deron Williams and the allure of a new arena in Brooklyn as selling points.