Every morning while I eat breakfast, I read the rumours report on a website called HoopsHype. Sure, it’s really just a gossip rag for the sports fan, but it can be nice hearing about every little transaction going on in the league.
But as late, I’ve been compelled to leave the reading alone for a while. Why? Two words: Dwight Howard. Howard’s name has been in trade talks for so long it started when Chris Paul played for the New Orleans Hornets. It came to a head at the trade deadline, when the fickle D12 had a change of heart and opted-in for another season with Orlando. But almost as soon as he came back in, the talks picked up again. They went away for a bit, but came roaring back as free agency began.
Now his name has been linked with everyone – the Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets…I won’t be surprised if I next hear the Sydney Kings have entered the fray for him.
And everyone’s told him where he should go, and everyone’s told him about all the damage he’s doing to his public perception, but has anyone told him to just end it now? Please.
Pick a team and stay with them, so I need not wade through pages of Dwight Howard goss to find out about the Summer League performers and lower-key deals like Jason Terry to the Celtics and Landry Fields to the Raptors.
Everyone is tuning out of Dwight Howard news because after twelve months of hearing from ‘multiple sources’ that a deal is imminent, we’re sick of waiting. Meanwhile, quality journalists around the globe are bringing us less quality analysis and news about real issues around the NBA because the flavour of the month is Dwight Howard’s future – again.
I’m a Los Angeles Lakers fan, a team that is reportedly is right in hunt to acquire Howard, so if anyone should be neck deep in news reports it should be me. And I was. Back in March, when I heard we were getting him. But now, it’s the middle of July and Dwight Howard is still an employee of the Orlando Magic basketball club
.
I’m avoiding the HoopsHype rumours report, and anything unofficial, for the time being. Wake me up when Dwight Howard’s been dealt, for real.
Reece Jordan
Roar Pro
Just to further update on the story after the Nets shut down talks with Orlando, ESPN are reporting that he shot down Magic GM Rob Hennigan after another plea for him to stay, or at least settle for now (http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8159324/dwight-howard-nixes-orlando-magic-gm-rob-hennigan-new-plea-source-says). I think Dwight saw Carmelo push his way into New York and is convinced he can do the same thing. Now, we have to be careful here because these are all from 'sources', but if the believed story is true, he's losing his grip on reality. Maybe it's the Lakers fan in me, but I think his wisest career move now is changing his tune and pushing for a move to sunny Los Angeles. Orlando reportedly aren't keen on taking on Andrew Bynum as the centrepiece in the deal, but I think if Melo did prove anything, if he sends one message for long enough (WITHOUT CHANGING HIS MIND AT THE TRADE DEADLINE *ahem*), then the team will fold and grant him his wish. Brooklyn don't seem able to get him anymore, so I'd say LA. It's a sad situation, it's hard to think two seasons ago he was all over Sesame Street, TV commercials and even scored a video game cover. The fact Andrew Bynum is even in the same conversation for top centre in the NBA shows just how much damage the off-court infractions have hampered people's view of him on-court. If this was still super Superman Dwight loved by all, I think we'd have a lot less Andrew Bynum supporters.
Scotty Barby
Roar Guru
What's hilarious is that Dwight would be in Brooklyn right now if he weren't so immature. Howard had his one-way ticket to NYC punched at this season's trade deadline, but then he fell victim to public criticism and decided to foolishly opt-in with the Magic for another year in a bid to save his reputation. We all know how that ended up... The damage has been done and he has nobody to blame but himself.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Howard has lost a huge amount of cred over this debacle, he basically held the Magic to ransom and cost Van Gundy and GM Otis Smith there jobs. What a tool. Great player but his antics are as bad if not worse than LBJ and the " decision ". If he wants a ring then the Lakers in the medium term are his best bet. A starting 5 of Howard, Gasol, Hill or World Peace, Nash and Kobe would be formidable and automatically makes them a West favourite along with the Thunder.
mushi
Roar Guru
Plenty have told him to stop he’s just at that point of no return now I think. And he does seem to have picked a team (the Nets) it just it isn’t actually his choice. With the Nets resigning Lopez to a max deal that’s it for Howard to Brooklyn without some very fancy footwork. And it seems like other teams aren’t too keen on building a super team for Brooklyn for the grand prize of a late first round draft pick. Howard screwed this up by trying to win the battle of public perception and get his wish list. Instead he lost out on both. The waiving of his player option is something Is till just do not have any idea how that happened. It is rare you see teams out manoeuvre agents but in this case Fegan got absolutely smoked. They might still pull it out but the damage done will be horrendous. So now it’s over to Houston, Atlanta and potentially Dallas as the Lakers can’t take back the bad contracts bad contracts without someone helping them out and agreeing to facilitate the building of a super team.