We know, we know. You’re sick of the never-ending Dwight Howard drama and rumors. We’ve received more than one just-let-us-know-when-he’s-traded message from you guys, so we’ve backed off a little bit. But we still have to bring you the latest. There are rumors of three new emerging potential destinations for Dwight outside of the usual Nets/Lakers/Dallas plays in Golden State, Chicago and New York. So here we go:
CBSSports’ Ken Berger puts forth two scenarios, with the first being Chicago so that adidas could unite Dwight and Derrick Rose. I’m not buying this. In fact, I’d say that while this would be incredible for the Bulls and their on-court future, it probably won’t sit well with Rose, Howard or adidas. Adidas enjoys having Rose own Chicago; they’d rather have Howard in another market. Sneaker deals on the Rose and Howard level are massive, massive undertakings that involve incredibly detailed, far-reaching marketing strategies – these guys don’t want to share. It works in Miami with LeBron and Wade because of the Nike/Jordan distinction, but selling Rose and Howard on it would be much harder. And yes, sneaker issues for NBA players could conceivably outweigh the allure of winning rings. That’s just the way it is.
Berger’s second scenario focuses on the Knicks and Amar’e Stoudemire. From his post:
If the Knicks keep struggling, the focus will spread from the coaching to the roster, and sources advise not to be surprised if the notion of a possible deal sending Amar’e Stoudemire to Orlando for Howard gains traction. If the Magic opt to convert Howard into a superstar of reasonably comparable stature, they could do a lot worse than selling Stoudemire — a central Florida native — to their restless fan base. The biggest issue would be Stoudemire’s uninsurable knees, but there is risk involved in every scenario Orlando will be presented with between now and March 15. From the Knicks’ standpoint, such an arrangement would break up the ill-fitting offensive combo of Stoudemire and Anthony and allow the versatile Chandler to move to the power forward spot, where he’d be a terror as a weak-side shot blocker and in Stoudemire’s spot as the roll man in D’Antoni’s pick-and-roll offense. A deeper question exists in whether Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan would sign off on trading Stoudemire, who was the only star willing to commit to the Knicks and embrace the challenges of New York in July 2010. For the aforementioned reasons, sources say it’s plausible but unlikely that the Knicks and Orlando would be able to get any such talks off the ground. For one thing, it makes too much sense.
As good as Amar’e is, if I’m Orlando, I’d much rather have something that looked like the earlier-rumored Nets’ package of Brook Lopez (even with the current foot injury) and a trove of first-round draft picks. That seems to be a much smarter play than Amar’e and his litany of knee issues.
Finally, we get to Golden State, a team that Yahoo!Sports’ beast Adrian Wojnarowski says is willing to part with their abundance of assets to “rent” Dwight for the rest of the year in the hopes of signing him to a long-term deal after the season. The price for Golden State would be steep – either Steph Curry or Monta Ellis plus a package of other pieces and picks. But considering the Warriors were allegedly close to dealing Ellis for Andre Iguodala last season, you’d think they’d be more than ok trading him for Dwight Howard. Obviously, this scenario also hinges on how Steph Curry recovers from his serious ankle injuries. If the ankle situation is going to diminish Curry long-term or even jeopardize his career, that makes Ellis their best trading chip. Then they can’t afford to move him for a rental ad chance on Howard leaving them during free agency for nothing.
How do you see the Howard situation playing out? Where will he end up?
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