2011-2012 NBA Thread: The Chris Paul and Dwight Howard sweepstakes

[Dimmauk]

Rip Hamilton getting waived, bulls and spurs are possible teams for him

[Cail]

phoenix sign grant hill, sebastian telfair, and shannon browne to 1 year deals and cut vince carter

[kisada]

i'd be a little surprised if he went with the spurs. bull would be a good spot assuming he's ready to stop being a retard.

[Rhinox]

Ugh spurs can keep him.

[Gredival]

more here: http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/73...ow-sources-say

Lol how does this deal get good enough for NOLA that it goes through. There's no way the Lakers part with all three Bynum/Gasol/Odom. Anyone else they want to take from the Lakers, they'd be doing be doing us the Lakers a favor in terms of cap space lol.

I'm guessing trade gets pushed through behind the threat of litigation at the end of it, or CP3 walks at the end and there's a bunch of "Well Dragic/Martin/Scola/Odom don't look so bad now does it?" hurled at Stern.

[Saga]

Super random question but was there anything playing from the Cavs press conference on ESPN with someone asking Scott what role Omri Casspi will play in the offense this year? That was me asking the question, someone e-mailed me about it but they didn't tell me what network it was on. If it's ESPN then sweet, if it's local coverage then whatever.

[Cail]

Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden has suffered another setback and may miss the entire 2011-12 season, according to a report on Portland-based KGW.com.

"Following Greg's most recent physical examination and evaluation, we've determined that he has suffered a setback," Trail Blazers President Larry Miller told KGW.com. "We're hopeful, but less confident that he will return to the court this season. We've stood by Greg from the day he was drafted and we continue to do so now."

The Blazers and Oden agreed to a one-year contract Friday, but not the $8.9 million qualifying offer that he had agreed upon earlier. Miller told KGW both sides agreed to negotiate a new deal, independent of the qualifying offer.

"I'm obviously disappointed with the setback, but I'm as determined as ever to return to the court," Oden said in a statement. "I appreciate the support of the Trail Blazers and our fans and that they continue to stand behind me."

poor kid. never gonna get to play

[Gredival]

What happened to Oden now? Does he have some elves that hide in his house and go all Tonya Harding on his knee while he sleeps?

In other news ...

http://espn.go.com/dallas/nba/story/...er-sources-say

[Drex]

mavs let go of chandler, butler, and barea, but at least they got vince carter for 3 years/35mil!

[Gredival]

This really sounds like what I imagine Gilbert was thinking

http://basketbawful.blogspot.com/201...rt-speaks.html

Dear Commissioner,

I've been sitting in my mansion for the past year watching old DVR'd Cleveland Cavalier games, and you know what I learned? I learned that my team was WAY F***ING BETTER with LeBron James on it. So I write you today with an empassioned plea to follow through on your commitment to maintain competitive balance in this league and force Chris Paul stay right where he is. And go ahead, put it to a vote. I'm pretty sure we can summon a majority of teams who don't want to see the Lakers suck the best talent from the rest of the league like a giant yellow and purple black hole.

What? You tell me that I'm forcing the New Orleans Hornets to suffer the same injustice that I did by losing a superstar and getting nothing in return? Pishaw. I want the best player to stay with the small market team. I have confidence that at the end of the shortened season and even shorter playoff run, Chris Paul will see the error in his public statements and in his internal desires and realize he should stay put. And if he doesn't, if he goes to the Knicks or the Lakers for less money with nothing in return, so the hell what? I had to deal with that, and I managed just fine.

But this isn't about me. This is about the integrity of the League. And I submit that the most upstanding thing for the League to do is squash trades that do not fit with our own narrow-minded definition of what is fair and just.

So not to get too personal or anything, but my therapist tells me I have a God complex. I don't really see how I'm like that. I am all about others. I was not even remotely thinking about my own agenda when I sent my first-born son to represent me in my effort to cleanse the world of its sins.

Nope. Wasn't thinking of myself at all. That wasn't a PR move. That was me being a magnanimous, good-hearted, family man. I think God would agree. In fact, I just talked to Him, and He does.

Anyway, back to the issue at hand. F*** the Lakers. They're even setting themselves up to go get Dwight Howard after securing Chris Paul, and if you think that's competitive balance, then maybe I've forgotten the definition of it since we "resolved" this lockout situation. Some idiots might say that's all "good, forward-thinking team management," or "a willingness to give up talent to get talent," but those people didn't get massively hammered in the keister by LeBron's gigantic ramrod. No seriously - again, not about me - I bought stock in Vaseline right after the "Decision," and am quite happy I did.

So to sum up:
1.) F*** the Lakers.
2.) I hope LeBron James dies in a house fire. Drowning would also be acceptable.
3.) If I propose a trade - Chris Paul for Andersen Varajao and Baron Davis, I don't expect any flak. Yeah, yeah, Hurricane Katrina and all that - but if you're about to compare a little wind and water with the thoughtless, tragic departure of an all-time great Superstar, then it sounds to me like I'm not the only one being accused of God complexity. (That's because I just accused you of it - I wanted to explain that because it's clever and I didn't want you to miss it).

Sincerely,
Dan Gilbert

[Rhinox]

The agent for Dwight Howard, Dan Fegan, tells Y! Sports that Orlando has given Howard permission to talk to three teams.

Nets..lakers... Bulls..?

[Moss]

Hawks

[Rhinox]

Blackhawks? Cause it's sures as hell aint that disaster of a team in the atl.

[Moss]

Dwight wants the opportunity to play with the waterbug. J-Smoove+Horford for Dwight

[Cail]

The agent for Dwight Howard, Dan Fegan, tells Y! Sports that Orlando has given Howard permission to talk to three teams.

Nets..lakers... Bulls..?

time to make val+man0 hard...ric bucher said one of the 2 mystery teams could be the mavs...said its probably 2 of these 3: clips, lakers, + mav

[Dimmauk]

This really sounds like what I imagine Gilbert was thinking

http://basketbawful.blogspot.com/201...rt-speaks.html

http://oi39.tinypic.com/35l9qvm.jpg

[Dimmauk]

The agent for Dwight Howard, Dan Fegan, tells Y! Sports that Orlando has given Howard permission to talk to three teams.

Nets..lakers... Bulls..?

Yankees, Patriots, Lakers.

[Killerme]

Not sure if this has been posted, but NBA actually make some positive rule changes. Shooting fouls have to occur while you are actually shooting.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/73...-fouls-2011-12

[Heavencloud]

poor kid. never gonna get to play

Great day to be a Portland fan. Roy retires (really bittersweet), Aldridge gonna miss time for heart stuff, and ANOTHER fucking year with Oden milking the Blazers payroll. At least Batum has been beasting in Eurobasket, hope he can bring some of it home...

[Gredival]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_yl...nt_buzz_120911

Nets may get sanctioned with an inability to trade for Howard or get him as a FA because they approached him outside of regulations? Makes sense why they are going for Nene now.