Magic GM Defends Dwight Howard Trade
We've already posted some of the reactions to the Dwight Howard trade from earlier today as well as last night once deal looked like it was official. The overwhelming consensus is that the trade is a coup for the Lakers, very helpful to the Nuggets and 76ers, and an absolute disaster for the Magic. So far, it looks like our readers agree, as only a small percentage of you think that the Magic got the best end of the deal.
Orlando general manager Rob Hennigan, presumably under fire from all angles today, spoke with the press today and offered his defense of the move, as told by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. Hennigan worked with two very successful organizations in the Spurs and Thunder, which was part of the reason he was brought in to run the show in Orlando. Most of the quotes are expected, but here are some interesting tidbits:
"Our goals remained consistent throughout. We wanted to put ourselves in a position to create some long-term sustainability over time, and doing that with a mixture of young players, young veterans, draft players and some other assets to use to build going forward."
To the second-guessers and the laundry lists of rumored offers that seem like better packages for Howard than the one the Magic came away with, Hennigan said:
"At the end of the day you look at what's available in theory and what's available in reality. Sometimes those two things aren't always the same. We felt with all of the options we did explore, this was the best one for us."
One of those packages was the one offereed by the Rockets, in which Houston was rumored to be willing to deal draft picks and/or young players as well as eat some of Orlando's bad contracts. According to John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com (via Twitter), Hennigan essentially admitted that the offer sheets to Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik "limited some of the avenues" to a completed deal that would have sent Howard to Houston.
Again from Denton, Hennigan offered a rather ominous quote when asked why the Magic weren't angling to receive Andrew Bynum in the deal:
"One thing we always do is our research. We're very comfortable with the research we've done."
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.
Magic Close To Four-Team Howard Blockbuster
9:12pm: Stein says there are still unreported names in the deal, but the Magic are getting Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic, Maurice Harkless and a future first-round pick from each of the other three teams in the deal. The Sixers will get Andrew Bynum and Jason Richardson. The Nuggets will get Andre Iguodala, and the Lakers will land Dwight Howard. Pau Gasol is not in the deal, Stein hears (All Twitter links).
8:59pm: A conference call has been scheduled for Friday morning with the league office to process the deal, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link).
7:34pm: Berger says the most likely scenario involves the Magic getting neither Andrew Bynum nor Pau Gasol, adding credence to earlier reports that Gasol won't be a part of the deal (Twitter link).
7:29pm: Various Twitter reports indicate differing levels of confidence that the deal will get done. Chris Broussard of ESPN.com says the deal will happen "barring any last minute snag." ESPN.com colleague Ric Bucher believes the Magic and Lakers are pushing hard to complete the trade, but adds there are still many question marks. Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel says the talks are serious, but cautions there are a lot of moving parts. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports "guarded optimism" about the deal.
7:11pm: The deal has "huge legs," a source tells Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com, and the teams have made progress toward its completion today, Lynam tweets.
6:55pm: A source close to Gasol says he's not in the trade, Ric Bucher of ESPN.com tweets.
6:39pm: Chris Broussard of ESPN.com hears the deal is "very close" and could take place as early as Friday morning. Broussard says that Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles also hears Gasol may not be a part of the trade. Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com tweets that there is greater confidence a Howard deal will get done than in the past. The Sixers are willing to take on Bynum even without assurances he'll re-sign next summer, according to the ESPN report.
6:23pm: Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld, in an updated version of an earlier story, says one of the variants of the deal doesn't include Gasol, and it's unclear whether it includes Al Harrington. Devin Ebanks, on a sign-and-trade, and Josh McRoberts may also be a part of the deal.
5:52pm: A source close to the talks tells HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy that reports so far have the teams right, but the deal would likely include different players if it gets done, as the Magic, Lakers, Nuggets and Sixers discuss multiple scenarios. No deal is imminent or near completion, the source says (Twitter links).
5:41pm: Sixers center Nikola Vucevic would also go to the Magic as part of the deal, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
Delfino To Sign With NBA Team After Olympics
Carlos Delfino is focused on helping Argentina beat the USA tomorrow in the Olympic semifinals, but tells Marc Stein of ESPN.com he'll sign with an NBA team after the Olympics. Stein adds that the Rockets are "actively chasing" Delfino, and says the Celtics would like him but can't afford him, as we heard earlier this week (Twitter links).
The Cavs have also been linked to Delfino recently, but their interest may have cooled after signing C.J. Miles. Delfino has reportedly been seeking multiple years on a deal, and the notion that the Celtics can't afford him suggests he'll sign for more than the minimum salary, and likely more than the $1.957MM biannual exception as well.
Delfino averaged 9.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game last season with the Bucks, with an 11.7 PER. He's said he was playing through an injury for part of the season, and expressed disappointment that the Bucks haven't pursued him with more vigor after he was willing to play hurt for them. The 6'6" swingman is putting up 15.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 1.5 APG in six Olympic games this summer.
Najera Drawing Interest, Considering Retirement?
THURSDAY, 8:15am: Peter Vecsey of the New York Post (Twitter link) hears that Najera is planning on retiring to become an assistant coach in the D-League, so it's unclear at the moment exactly what the 36-year-old's future holds.
WEDNESDAY, 7:02pm: The Rockets, Timberwolves, and Nets are among the teams interested in free agent forward Eduardo Najera, sources tell Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Najera is now fully recovered from a fractured forehead frontal bone and is back to playing.
Najera, 36, spent the last two seasons with the Bobcats, where he averaged 2.4 PPG and 1.8 RPG in 12.1 minutes per contest. The veteran also spent a season-and-a-half with the Nets before being traded to the Mavericks for Kris Humphries and Shawne Williams in January 2010. In eleven NBA seasons, Najera has averaged 4.9 PPG and 3.7 RPG with his most productive seasons in Dallas and Denver.
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).
Kyler On Barbosa, Delfino, Howard
HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler has taken to Twitter this afternoon, answering questions from followers and dropping some compelling tidbits along the way. Let's check out the highlights here:
- There's been little talk about free agent guard Leandro Barbosa this summer, and that appears to be because he's been holding out for a multiyear deal. Kyler says he's spoken to teams trying to land the speedy 6'3" Brazilian, and hears Barbosa is not entertaining any one-year offers (Twitter links).
- The Hawks, Pacers and Celtics are among teams that have reportedly considered signing Carlos Delfino at different points this past month, and Kyler adds the Rockets to that list. Like Barbosa, Delfino is seeking multiple years. Kyler believes both players will ultimately have to settle for the offers on the table, likely meaning they'll ink the one-year contracts they've been trying to avoid (All Twitter links).
- Kyler shares his take on why Dwight Howard chose to waive his early termination option at the trade deadline. He believes Howard thought doing so would lead the Magic to ship him to the Nets in the offseason, following the model of what the Hornets did when they traded Chris Paul to the Clippers (Sulia link). Kyler says that while Howard loves living in Orlando, it's the Magic organization that has him so anxious to leave, and adds, via Twitter, that agent Dan Fegan didn't force Howard's hand when he opted in.
Jon Diebler To Play In Turkey
Jon Diebler has signed to play for Pinar Karsiyaka in the Turkish league next season, agent Lance Young confirmed to Bob Baptist of The Columbus Dispatch. Diebler, whose NBA rights were traded to the Rockets last week in the Courtney Lee deal, played last season in Greece after the Blazers selected him 51st overall in 2011.
The 6'6" guard averaged 12.7 points per game and shot 50.2% from three-point range in the final season of a four-year career at Ohio State in 2010/11. A bruised thumb hampered his shooting in summer league play this month, and the Rockets encouraged him to spend another season overseas, Young said.
"(Rockets general manager) Daryl Morey told me they can see him on their roster in the future but this year is not the best time," the agent said.
E’Twaun Moore Clears Waivers, Drawing Interest
FRIDAY, 4:44pm: Moore has cleared waivers and is free to sign with any team besides the Celtics. Agent Mark Bartelstein tells Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (Sulia link) that several clubs are interested, and that he expects Moore to sign a new deal within a week or so. Moore playing overseas isn't likely, given the interest from NBA teams, says Bartelstein.
WEDNESDAY, 2:19pm: The Rockets have officially waived E'Twaun Moore, according to a press release announcing the signing of Omer Asik. Moore was acquired from the Celtics in the sign-and-trade deal for Courtney Lee, but wasn't a player Houston intended to keep. Because his contract for 2012/13 was non-guaranteed, the Rockets won't take a cap hit for releasing him.
Moore, the 55th overall pick in the 2011 draft, will be unable to re-sign with the Celtics until next July, but could draw interest from other clubs. Moore didn't have an overly impressive rookie season, but he received a decent amount of playing time in Boston (8.7 minutes per game in 38 contests), and is only 23 years old. The 6'4" guard spent his college career at Purdue, becoming the third-highest scorer in school history.
If Moore clears waivers, he'll be an unrestricted free agent.
Odds & Ends: Harden, Lin, Brooks, Hawks, Bulls
Earlier this month, Kevin Durant tweeted that teammate James Harden wouldn't be "hitting the market" next summer, suggesting the Thunder would lock Harden up to a long-term extension before then. Today, he backed off that assertion, as Sean Deveney of the Sporting News tweets. "I may be wrong," said Durant. "I don’t sign contracts, I don’t negotiate contracts."
An extension for Harden is certainly one of the Thunder's top priorities this offseason, but the reigning Sixth Man of the Year will be a restricted, rather than unrestricted, free agent next summer, so the team can afford to exercise a little patience for now. Here are a few more Friday notes from around the NBA:
- Carmelo Anthony dismissed the notion that he helped push Jeremy Lin out of New York, telling Frank Isola of the New York Daily News that he was one of Lin's "true supporters."
- According to a Sports Exchange report (link via HoopsWorld), Rockets GM Daryl Morey believed his offer sheets to Lin and Omer Asik would be matched by their respective clubs.
- Kings coach Keith Smart tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld that he was surprised Sacramento was able to sign Aaron Brooks: "Based on what we had heard from his standpoint is that he had a contract on the table with a lot more than we could offer him. And yet knowing the situation where we have a team, we’re trying to develop to get ready to start being in playoff contention and he didn’t hesitate. He thought about it for a while and within a couple hours he called right back and said he wanted to be a King."
- Josh Smith has long been rumored to be on the trade block, but new Hawks GM Danny Ferry sounds open to building around the 26-year-old. "He's excited for next season," Ferry said of Smith. "We've talked about how we're going to play. We've talked about other players. His ideas, my ideas. I'm just trying to establish a relationship" (link via Yahoo! Sports).
- Sam Smith fields a number of questions about the Bulls' offseason and future plans in his latest mailbag for Bulls.com.