Howard Willing To Commit Long-Term To Lakers
10:10pm: Howard's agent Dan Fegan refuted reports that his client would sign an extension with the Lakers if he is traded to them, writes Ric Bucher of ESPN.com. "Dwight's position has remained unchanged since the end of this past season," said Fegan. "He fully intends to explore free agency at the end of next season, regardless of what team trades for him, including Brooklyn."
Fegan's comment doesn't neccessarily contradict this morning's report as it stated that Howard would "commit long-term" rather than immediately ink an extension. An extension could only give Howard a three-year deal while waiting until free agency could give the big man a five-year pact.
7:56am: After indicating for months that the Brooklyn Nets were the only team he had long-term interest in, Dwight Howard has signaled that he'd be willing to re-up with the Lakers if he were traded to Los Angeles, according to Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com. ESPN.com's Chris Broussard and Ramona Shelburne confirm Rudolph's report, noting that, while the Lakers haven't yet been informed of any change in Howard's thinking, the team has "always figured" he'd come around on a long-term extension if he were dealt to the Lakers.
While the Lakers remain "dogged" in their pursuit of Howard, it appears to be the Magic that are holding up any deal, according to ESPN.com. Orlando is willing to trade D12, of course, but doesn't want to rush into making a trade it isn't 100% sure about. The Magic have discussed the possibility of acquiring Andrew Bynum themselves or re-routing Bynum to a third team such as Houston or Cleveland in exchange for draft picks and cap relief — if Bynum comes to Orlando, Broussard says the young center would want to test the free agent market next summer, which may give the Magic doubts about acquiring him.
In the past, reports have suggested that Howard was reluctant to join the Lakers in part because he didn't want to follow in Shaquille O'Neal's footsteps and in part because he was worried he might take a back seat on a team led by Kobe Bryant. However, according to Rudolph, Howard has moved past those concerns, and is confident he'd play an "integral role" with a team ready to compete for a title.
If Howard were to be dealt to the Lakers, he almost certainly wouldn't sign a new contract immediately. He could maximize his earnings by waiting until the end of the season and then signing a five-year, max-salary deal, like Deron Williams did with the Nets earlier this month. An in-season extension would only lock up him for a maximum of three more years.
Magic, Lakers, Cavs Making Progress In D12 Talks
6:45pm: The Cavaliers are eager partners in the trade talks but won’t proceed until the Lakers grant them permission to talk to Bynum and his agent about the center’s willingness to sign a contract extension, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Meanwhile, the Lakers want the deal agreed to in principle before letting Cleveland talk to Bynum and his representatives.
2:07pm: David Lee, the agent for Bynum, told Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal that he hasn't been approached by Cavs GM Chris Grant at all about a possible trade, adding, "I would imagine any team involved in this trade would be smart enough to talk to us" (Sulia link).
Asked if Bynum would be open to a long-term deal with the Cavs, Lee declined comment, but said he was baffled by a recent report that named Cleveland as a potential destination for his client in free agency: "I was taken aback by the list considering there is nobody in anybody’s camp he could’ve been talking to. I have no idea where that came about" (Sulia links).
11:03am: The Magic, Lakers, and Cavaliers have the "framework" in place for a trade that would send Dwight Howard to Los Angeles and Andrew Bynum to Cleveland, according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter). While Amico hears that the three teams are moving closer to a deal, a Lakers official denies that anything is imminent (Twitter link). Amico clarifies that there is talk throughout the league that a trade is getting closer, but none of those rumblings seem to be coming from the Magic, Lakers, or Cavs camps (Twitter link).
Overnight reports suggested that Howard has become open to the idea of signing a long-term deal if he's traded to the Lakers, which removes one significant roadblock from the discussions. However, the Magic still don't appear to be in any rush to pull the trigger quite yet. I'd be a little surprised if they finalized a deal before the Rockets get resolution on Omer Asik and are able to make their final offer to Orlando.
The talks involving the Magic, Lakers, and Cavs would reportedly include the Lakers taking on Howard and a bad contract or two, the Cavs acquiring Bynum and perhaps another bad contract, and the Magic getting Anderson Varejao, draft picks, and cap relief.
Odds & Ends: Delfino, Jamison, Knicks, Lopez
The Celtics have expressed some interest in Bucks swingman Carlos Delfino with O.J. Mayo off the market and Courtney Lee likely being too pricey, a source tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (via Twitter). Delfino, a restricted free agent, averaged 9.0 PPG and 3.9 RPG in 28.5 minutes per game last year for Milwaukee. Here’s more from around the Association..
- Antawn Jamison had a two-year $8MM offer to play for his hometown Bobcats, but agent Makhtar N’Diaye’s reminder about the forward’s will to win pushed him to choose the Lakers instead. The veteran reportedly signed for the veteran’s minimum.
- The Knicks will be forced to fill out their roster with minimum contracts and Jared Zwerling of ESPN.com has a list of players that could fit the bill. Among them are Delfino, Ronnie Brewer, Maurice Evans, Jodie Meeks, Mickael Pietrus, Sonny Weems, and Marco Belinelli.
- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich indicated to reporters, including Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio News-Express (via Twitter), that contract talks with Tim Duncan were rather simple. “He was just as big a pain in the neck as he was went he almost went to Orlando,” said the coach, referring to the big man’s brief flirtation with the Magic during the summer of 2000.
- Nets center Brook Lopez plans to use this summer’s Dwight Howard trade talk as motivation in 2012/13, writes Roderick Boone of Newsday.
Pacific Notes: Lakers, Hill, Rush, Warriors
Here’s a look at the latest out of the Pacific Division..
- The Lakers have stayed in contact with the Cavaliers in hopes of orchestrating a three-way deal with the Magic involving Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum, but little progress has been made and no deal is remotely close, according to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Right now, the Cavs don’t seem willing to part with any of their young players including Dion Waiters, Tristan Thompson, Tyler Zeller, and Kyrie Irving.
- Jordan Hill‘s agent Kevin Bradbury says the T’Wolves are “right there” with Lakers but there probably won’t be a deal reached tonight because he’s flying home from Vegas, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
- The lack of news on the Warriors re-signing Brandon Rush doesn’t mean that they won’t re-sign him, writes Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group. GM Bob Myers is likely waiting for an over-the-cap club to extend him an offer sheet for the mid-level so that they can match.
- Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter) knows that Antawn Jamison is 36 and shot 40% last season but believes that he’ll help the Lakers’ reserves immensely. The forward agreed to terms with the club earlier today.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Wednesday
A morning report yesterday suggested that the Lakers were "pushing hard" for Dwight Howard, but nothing seemed to come of it, as follow-up reports indicated that the two teams had been talking for weeks without making a ton of progress. With a few months before the season begins, the Magic don't seem to be in any hurry to move Howard, but the rumors keep trickling in. Here's Wednesday's latest:
- The Cavaliers have inched back ahead of the Rockets as the potential facilitator for a Magic/Lakers deal, according to ESPN.com's Ric Bucher. Bucher says the Cavs are discussing a three-way trade that would see them land Andrew Bynum for a package that includes draft picks and Anderson Varejao. However, nothing is close.
Earlier updates:
- The Lakers have no interest in taking on Hedo Turkoglu in a deal for Howard, but could be open to taking on Jason Richardson's contract, says Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
- There was no face-to-face meeting between Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak and Magic GM Rob Hennigan yesterday to discuss Howard, according to Ramona Shelburne and Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- While the Cavaliers and Rockets have been involved in trade talks as a potential third-team facilitator, the most substantial talks have been directly between the Lakers and Magic.
- Although Howard will still not commit to signing an extension in Los Angeles, the team is willing to continue its pursuit of him without any assurances. It's not clear if the Magic feel the same way about Andrew Bynum, however.
- The Lakers have been "resistant" to the idea of taking on any bad contracts from Orlando, especially since signing Steve Nash to an expensive three-year deal.
- The latest round of Howard discussions "is starting to hamstring business around the league," and there's a belief that the Lakers or one of the other Howard suitors could pull out of talks at some point this week to focus on other moves, like the Nets did.
- If the Lakers back off of Howard, they'd turn their attention to re-signing Jordan Hill and extending Bynum.
Free Agent Rumors: Timberwolves, Rush, Mills
A couple more notable names came off the free agent market this morning, when Kris Humphries landed a two-year deal from the Nets and Grant Hill agreed to sign with the Clippers. While a number of solid rotation players are still available, the market is rapidly thinning for teams in search of starters. As clubs continue to jockey to sign the remaining available players, we'll track many of today's free agent rumors right here:
- Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune lists who the Timberwolves will target with nearly $14MM in cap space if they lose out on Nicolas Batum, specifically highlighting Courtney Lee, Jordan Hill, and Greg Stiemsma.
- Marcus Thompson of the Contra Costa Times says that despite the delay on an official decision regarding Brandon Rush's future, the Warriors are still likely to retain him.
Earlier updates:
Odds & Ends: Gordon, Cavaliers, Vazquez
- Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago discusses why the Bulls' title window will shrink over the next two seasons.
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer describes the progress that Byron Mullens appears to be making with the Bobcats based on his performances at the Las Vegas Summer League.
- 76ers head coach Doug Collins says he feels "very good" about what the team has accomplished during this offseason, writes John Gonzalez of CSNPhilly.com.
Lakers, Rockets Continue Pursuing Dwight Howard
5:45pm: Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal cites a team executive involved in the discussions between the Lakers and Magic who says that both teams have been talking about Dwight for weeks but haven't been making much progress. Lloyd also references an Eastern Conference executive who believes that the Magic are in no hurry to move Howard and are holding out for the Rockets to improve their offer.
Lakers Rumors: Rush, Jamison, O’Neal, Hill
While Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer reported yesterday that Antawn Jamison had decided to sign with the Lakers, GM Mitch Kupchak told Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com that nothing was imminent on that front quite yet. If Jamison finalizes a deal with the Lakers, it may have to be for the veteran's minimum, as Kupchak confirmed to ESPNLA that the team doesn't plan to use its $3.09MM mini mid-level exception to fill out its bench. Here are a few more Lakers notes, mostly from McMenamin:
- In addition to Jermaine O'Neal, Brandon Rush is also working out for the Lakers today, says Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. However, the Warriors are expected to match any "reasonable offer" for their restricted free agent (Twitter links).
Earlier updates:
Kobe Bryant Considering 2014 Retirement
Kobe Bryant is under contract for two more seasons, and when he becomes a free agent in the summer of 2014, he isn't 100% sure he'll keep playing. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Bryant was reminded that during his rookie season he said he'd retire at age 35, and acknowledged that "it's still probably accurate" (link via Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times).