More Reactions To The 4-Way Howard Blockbuster
On a day when Team USA's semifinal game against Argentina was expected to dominate the headlines, the Olympics have taken a back seat to an epic four-way trade that will see three 2012 All-Stars changing hands. In a deal that's expected to be officially agreed upon later today, the Lakers will acquire Dwight Howard, the Sixers will land Andrew Bynum, and the Nuggets will get Andre Iguodala, while the Magic acquire a package of players and picks. We already examined some of the reactions to the agreement last night, but the links continue to pour in, so let's round up a few more….
- According to Wojnarowski, the Rockets' offer for Howard included recent first-rounders, future lottery and unprotected first-round picks, and the opportunity to move bad contracts and gain cap space (Twitter links). I've maintained for a while that Houston's looked like Orlando's most logical trade partner, and none of the details about the Rockets' offer make me think otherwise.
- In response to John Hollinger's tweet linked below, Brian Schmitz stresses, via Twitter, that the Howard deal ran through Hennigan first, before progressing to Martins and the DeVos family.
Earlier updates:
- ESPN.com's John Hollinger tweets that it was likely Magic CEO Alex Martins, rather than GM Rob Hennigan, that ran the Howard deal.
- In an Insider piece for ESPN.com, Hollinger says he likes the four-way trade for three teams, but really can't understand it from the Magic's perspective.
- Sam Amick of SI.com argues that it's unfair to criticize the Magic for the deal yet, since there's a major "wait-and-see" aspect to their haul.
- With everyone wondering whether the Magic could have acquired more from the Nets a month ago, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets Brooklyn's final offer for Howard: Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries (on a one-year, $9.6MM guarantee), MarShon Brooks, and four unprotected first-round picks for Howard, Jason Richardson, Chris Duhon, and Earl Clark.
- Bynum had been open to re-signing with the Lakers, but was also very receptive to signing with a team where he could earn more touches, according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. Acquiring Bynum and his Bird Rights makes the Sixers the overwhelming favorites to retain him long-term, as I suggested earlier this week.
- The Howard trade is the latest bitter pill for the Mavericks' front office to swallow, writes Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com.
- National NBA fans may consider the Dwightmare to be over, but Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel says Howard's departure could haunt Magic fans for years.
Fallout From Dwight Howard/Andrew Bynum Trade
The news of the night is the news of the year in the NBA: An agreement has been reached on a trade that sends Dwight Howard to the Lakers. Andrew Bynum is also involved, as he heads to the Sixers. Of course, both players are eligible to become unrestricted free agents next summer, so the rumor mill is unlikely to stop for either of them anytime soon. Nonetheless, it still represents a blockbuster and a major turning point for several teams in 2012/13 and beyond. Here's what writers around the league are saying:
- If the Lakers can't re-sign Howard next summer, the Mavs "will be there waiting for him," a source tells Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Howard has expressed fondness for the Mavs in the past. In the same report, Kobe Bryant is described as being "ecstatic" about the deal.
- Brian Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com says Howard represents an upgrade over Bynum because of his defense, his athleticism, and his ability to fit better with Steve Nash.
- A few league executives believe there has to be something more in the deal for the Magic, tweets Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com wonders why the Magic waited so long to make a deal when the offers never improved (Sulia link). Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel isn't sure any notable free agents would be interested in signing with the depleted Magic next summer (Sulia link).
- Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News says the Sixers now have the dominant big man team president Rod Thorn and coach Doug Collins have coveted. Cooney took to Twitter to say the trade is a coup for the Sixers, who get at least one season from Bynum and cap space if he leaves.
- Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post says the Nuggets will lose some offense, but Andre Iguodala will allow them to make major strides on defense, where they've struggled in recent seasons.
- Tim Bontemps and Fred Kerber of the New York Post look at the deal from the perspective of the Nets, who were once considered frontrunners for Howard. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News says, via Twitter, that the deal demonstrates that the Magic were never too high on Brook Lopez.
- The Cavs were asked to give up a lot more for Bynum when they were a part of trade talks, says Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (Sulia link).
Odds & Ends: Bobcats, Kapono, Griffin, Mavs
The Bobcats have been linked to a number of power forwards this summer, including Carl Landry, Antawn Jamison, and Louis Amundson. However, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer says (via Twitter) that the idea Charlotte is "desperate" to add another power forward is off base. Here are a few more Thursday afternoon odds and ends from around the Association:
- Jason Kapono turned down an offer to play for Orleans in France, according to Gabriel Pantel-Jouve of Catch and Shoot (French link).
- According to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, the Bulls turned down the Magic when Orlando asked permission to interview Chicago assistant Adrian Griffin for its lead assistant position. The Bulls appear to only be allowing Griffin to interview for head coach openings, says Haynes.
- Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com wonders how the Mavericks stack up against their Western Conference foes, following the team's offseason moves.
- Having signed a three-year deal with the Suns, Michael Beasley is looking forward to getting a fresh start in Phoenix, as he tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
- Lang Greene of HoopsWorld identifies a few teams whose summer acquistions may have them ready to make the leap from the lottery to the playoffs in 2012/13.
Bucks Sign Joel Przybilla To One-Year Deal
AUGUST 9TH, 12:40pm: The Bucks have officially signed Przybilla, the team announced today (Twitter link).
AUGUST 6TH, 10:15pm: The contract is a one-year, $1.35 million deal, tweets CSNNW.com's Chris Haynes.
9:03pm: Joel Przybilla has reached a verbal agreement to sign with the Bucks, tweets JournalTimes.com's Gery Woelfel.
AUGUST 3RD, 6:14pm: Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com says the Mavericks, with 15 players already on the roster, seem like "a distant third" behind the Bucks and Trail Blazers in the competition for Przybilla. He adds that the Mavs have expressed interest in Przybilla ever since the free agent period began July 1st, and that the team was among those interested in signing him at midseason in 2011/12.
1:32pm: Unrestricted free agent Joel Przybilla is expected to make a decision at some point this afternoon or evening on where he'll play in 2012/13, a source tells SI.com's Sam Amick. As Amick notes, Przybilla's options appear to be the Trail Blazers, Mavericks, and the Bucks — we heard earlier today that Milwaukee was considered the frontrunner.
While all three clubs have some form of mid-level or room exception available, I would imagine Przybilla won't land more than a minimum-salary contract. When he eventually signed for the 2011/12 season, the 32-year-old earned a prorated portion of the veteran's minimum from the Blazers. In 27 contests for Portland, the big man played 16.6 minutes per game, averaging 2.0 points and 5.1 rebounds.
If Przybilla signs with the Bucks, he and Samuel Dalembert will be the only true centers on the roster. However, the team has a few other guys that could play in the middle, including Ekpe Udoh and Drew Gooden.
Odds & Ends: Bulls, Josh Howard, Deng, Heat
Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com (via Twitter) points out that the Bulls are specifically $758,642 below the luxury tax apron and that the league minimum salary for sophomore players is $762,195. This definitely factors into the situation of Malcolm Thomas, who put on a standout performance as a member of their summer league roster and more importantly is entering his second year in the league. Deeks still doesn't think that Chicago is willing pay the tax, adding that the team isn't in any rush to make moves that would incidentally put them over the apron. Here are more of tonight's links from around the NBA…
- Matt Moore of CBS Sports gives the Bobcats a grade of "C" for their work this offseason.
- Earl K. Sneed of NBA.com talks about the plenty of backcourt options that the Mavericks have for the upcoming season.
- Australia's David Andersen hopes that Wednesday's game against Team USA is enough to make an impression as he hopes for an opportunity to return to the NBA, writes Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. The 6'11 forward/center played in Italy last year and was a member of the Hornets during the 2010-11 season. Andersen says he will continue to play in Europe if he doesn't receive an offer from an NBA team.
- Chris Bernucca of Sheridan Hoops examines the top 20 remaining free agents and groups them by position.
- Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune tweets that the Jazz are expected to re-engage in talks with free agent Josh Howard soon.
- Brian Kamenetzky of ESPN LA clarifies that although the Lakers are interested in Jodie Meeks, the shooting guard isn't quite open to signing for the veteran's minimum. Also, Kamenetzky notes that while the team has placed a priority on adding a backcourt or wing player, they won't use their mini-mid level exception to overpay for a player they feel isn't worth that much. Earlier today, Brian joined his brother Andy to discuss some names in free agency that are worth considering, including Carlos Delfino, Tracy McGrady, and Terrence Williams in addition to Meeks.
Southwest Notes: Collison, Crowder, Benson
Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes.com tots up the off-court endorsement earnings for Team USA, noting that everyone on the team except Kevin Love has a deal with Nike. The absences of Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard leave Adidas without a representative, notes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). Before USA Basketball takes on Argentina later this afternoon, let's catch up on the latest news and notes out of the Southwest Division…
- Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com looks at how the Mavs point guards line up behind presumptive starter Darren Collison. Delonte West should serve as a solid backup to Collison as Rodrigue Beaubois continues to learn the position.
- Jae Crowder, the 34th overall pick in this year's draft, isn't guaranteed a roster spot with the Mavs, even though he's already signed to a deal, as Earl K. Sneed writes on Mavs.com. Nonetheless, his impressive summer league stint gives him hope of cracking the rotation at either forward spot.
- The Hornets have cut ties with numerous members of their respective broadcast teams as new owner Tom Benson wants to take the franchise in a new direction, writes John Reid of The Times Picayune. The latest to go include longtime television play-by-play announcer Bob Licht and analyst Gil McGregor.
Odds & Ends: Magic, Green, Raptors, Mavs
The Magic may be subject to criticism in some areas, but the team's current problems can't be blamed on player development, says Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Robbins looks back at the team's draft picks and projects over the last few years and concludes that the club has done a reasonably good job of developing young talent, even if not all the success stories still play in Orlando. Here are a few more Friday afternoon odds and ends from around the NBA:
- Willie Green spoke to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times about joining the Clippers and how the perception of the franchise has recently changed.
- The Bulls top SI.com's Zach Lowe's list of teams whose offseason moves were a little disappointing.
- Raptors coach Dwane Casey downplayed the supposed point guard controversy in Toronto while GM Bryan Colangelo acknowledged that a controversy is inevitable with two starting-caliber players at one position. As Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld writes, neither Casey or Colangelo indicated that there's any rush or need to trade Jose Calderon to clear room for Kyle Lowry.
- With Joel Przybilla's free agent decision reportedly imminent, Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com wonders if the Mavericks are serious about adding another center.
- Salary cap expert Larry Coon answered plenty of questions in a chat at HoopsWorld.com today.
- There's still plenty of time for the Pistons' Khris Middleton and other second-round picks to be signed, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
How The Mavs Can Sign Dwight Howard Next Year
- Dirk Nowitzki ($22,721,381)
- Shawn Marion ($9,363,313)
- Vince Carter ($3,180,000)
- Jared Cunningham ($1,208,400)
- O.J. Mayo ($4,000,000*)
The asterisk next to O.J. Mayo's $4MM salary is an estimate based on the amount of cap space the Mavs had when they reached an agreement with Mayo last week. Mayo's reported asking price was $8MM per season, and the second year of his deal is a player option, so if he plays well this year, there's a strong chance he'll opt out and free even more space for the Mavs. The salary listed for Cunningham, the 24th pick this past June, assumes he signed for 120% of the rookie scale amount, which is standard for first-round picks. Marion has an early termination option for 2013/14, but it's unlikely he'll exercise it.
If all those players are still on the Mavs' books by next summer, they'll have about $40.5MM in commitments for 2013/14. That doesn't count cap holds for the contracts that expire after this season or their first-round pick for next season, which goes to the Rockets if it's not in the top 20. Let's say for the purposes of this post that the Mavs finish with one of the league's 10 best records next season and wind up without a first-rounder next year. The salary cap currently sits at $58.044 million, though it's subject to change for 2013/14, and there's been plenty of speculation it could go as high as $60MM. We'll play it conservatively and bump it up by $1MM, to a hypothetical $59.044. If the Mavs renounce the rights to all their own free agents next summer, that leaves about $18.5MM for Howard and seven other players,$3,431,260 of which would be eaten by holds equaling the rookie minimum salary for each empty roster spot. So, the estimated cap room would be a little more than $15MM. If Mayo opts out, that number jumps to about $18.6MM.
Howard will make $19,563,360 with the Magic this year, meaning his maximum salary for 2013/14 will be $20,541,528. It's unlikely he'd take a discount, so the Mavs will have to find a trade partner or two willing to take on salary. Sending Marion away would be the most obvious solution, but if that proves impossible, trading both Carter and Mayo and renouncing the rights to their own free agents would give the Mavs about $21.27MM of cap space in our scenario. They'd also have the $2.652MM room exception at their disposal, allowing the team to add Howard and squeeze in the rest of their 2013/14 roster on about $3.4MM.
So while the Mavericks could conceivably get Howard, it seems like a longshot. With so many variables in play, from the Mavs' team salary to possibility that the Magic trade Howard to the Lakers or Nets, with whom he'd likely re-sign, GM Donnie Nelson faces a multitude of obstacles to landing the franchise center. There are other avenues for acquiring Howard next summer, such as a sign-and-trade with the Magic or a parting of ways with Nowitzki, but those seem unlikely.
Even if they do wind up with Howard, a team of D12, a 35-year-old Nowitzki, and low-salaried complementary talent doesn't sound like an automatic contender. If the Mavs miss out on Howard, they could have a shot at Chris Paul, Andrew Bynum, James Harden and a host of other All-Star caliber guys, as our list of 2013/14 free agents shows. All of them would command a lower maximum salary than Howard, given their current salaries and years of experience. So, while the news of Howard's fondness for Dallas may let Mavs fans dream, the likely reality of going without him may provide an easier path back to the Larry O'Brien trophy.
Storytellers Contracts and ShamSports were used in the creation of this post.
Odds & Ends: Blazers, Timberwolves, McGrady
The NBA does not make a profit by sending its stars to play at the Olympics, and a move to re-direct their headline players into a rebranded World Cup of Basketball would certainly change that. While Ken Berger of CBS Sports understands the idea of pulling NBA stars out of the Olympic games in the future, he says that it should be based on the premise that "Dream Teams" have run their course, and not because it is driven by an opportunity for David Stern and NBA owners to try to make money elsewhere. With that aside, here are some of tonight's miscellaneous links…
- Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld mentions that Jeremy Lamb, Royce White, and Terrence Jones cannot be included in a potential Dwight Howard trade until the end of August, specifically 30 days after each of them signed their rookie deals with the Rockets on July 26 (Sulia link).
- In a series of tweets, Jason Quick of The Oregonian reports that Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey has concluded the second round of interviews and will "move on to the next phase" of the process once all four finalists are given due consideration. Although team owner Paul Allen was not involved in the interviews with Terry Stotts, Steve Clifford, Kaleb Canales, and Elston Turner, Quick assumes that Olshey will ultimately present a recommendation for hire to Allen after deliberation. Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com (via Twitter) pointed out that Turner's interview lasted for four-and-a-half hours today.
- When asked if the Timberwolves had more changes to make after the Olympics, GM David Kahn replied, "Maybe it’s a tweak here and there, maybe even something big, to make us even better still" (according to a tweet by Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune). In a separate piece, Marcus R. Fuller of the Pioneer Press documented Kahn's thoughts on the team's new additions this offseason.
- HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy says that although the Bulls and Tracy McGrady have flirted in the past, it doesn't sound like a deal is close (Twitter link).
Sefko On Mavericks, Crowder, Dwight
Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW engaged in a chat with fans about the Mavericks' offseason. Among his more notable thoughts were that the team's interest in Steve Nash was never that serious, Mark Cuban deserves to be applauded for their attempt to land Deron Williams despite falling short, and that he gives the team a grade of "B" for their work this summer. Here are some more of the highlights:
- The additions of Darren Collison, Dahntay Jones, O.J. Mayo, and Elton Brand should give Dirk Nowitzki plenty of reasons to be excited about the upcoming season.
- Sefko has continued to hear good things about Jae Crowder (selected 34th overall in last month's draft) and thinks that Crowder, along with first-round pick Jared Cunningham, should receive long looks in training camp.
- Being able to reserve cap room along with the collection of assets and one-year contracts that Dallas obtained this summer, he believes that the team still feels they have a shot at landing Dwight Howard, whether via trade or during free agency next summer.