Lakers

[TripletDaddy]

video of a mavs player decking a blazer in the face?

I wish Artest had decked him.

[Jacob]

Since we are talking trades now (NOW you are talking to me, baby...THAT I like! Keep it coming!) a bit of clarification.....what leverage does ORL have that would require the Lakers to trade 2 of their big pieces for Dwight? That seems to be the prevailing sentiment from several folks here.

The entire trade is predicated on Dwight walking away and leaving ORL with nothing. Bynum and Dwight have fairly similar salaries. I think it will be Dwight and junk for Bynum and junk.

I agree that an all-star PG isn't needed.

Olando's leverage is that they have Dwight and they don't have to trade him to LA. More leverage against LA is that LA has no chance of signing Dwight as a free agent because of how much salary they have committed. The only leverage LA has is that they have 4 All-Star caliber players. But they have zero young talent or bargain salaries to offer.

[TripletDaddy]

Olando's leverage is that they have Dwight and they don't have to trade him to LA. More leverage against LA is that LA has no chance of signing Dwight as a free agent because of how much salary they have committed. The only leverage LA has is that they have 4 All-Star caliber players. But they have zero young talent or bargain salaries to offer.

So you are predicting that the Lakers get rid of Pow/Gasol/Odom and Bynum?

I don't see that happening. I think it will be a straight up deal with a junk piece on each end to get the salaries in range.

ORL has already been through this once, and it was with the Lakers. They aren't going to lose another All Star Center for absolutely nothing.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Since we are talking trades now (NOW you are talking to me, baby...THAT I like! Keep it coming!) a bit of clarification.....what leverage does ORL have that would require the Lakers to trade 2 of their big pieces for Dwight? That seems to be the prevailing sentiment from several folks here.

The entire trade is predicated on Dwight walking away and leaving ORL with nothing. Bynum and Dwight have fairly similar salaries. I think it will be Dwight and junk for Bynum and junk.

I agree that an all-star PG isn't needed.

Orlando would probably just rather take their chances than just do a straight up trade for a guy that can't stay on the court. And their are teams that can offer a superior trade than just Bynum but I don't think anyone can offer something along the lines of Bynum + Odom/Gasol. If Portland had assurances that Howard would stick around, Portland has Aldridge and number of players that they could pair up with him to attract Orlando. If Chicago wanted to package Luol Deng and Joachim Noah, I'm sure Orlando would listen to that and I could definitely see Howard resigning with Chicago.

Orlando still has plenty of leverage and LA will have to pony up two guys. Besides, LA has five great to serviceable players on its roster right now -- Kobe, Bynum, Gasol, Odom and Artest (who's quickly becoming not so serviceable). There's a huge drop off after that. They need some depth at PG and behind Kobe in a bad way and they won't be able to do that with Howard, Gasol, Odom and Artest on the payroll. No one wants Artest, so Gasol or Odom will have to go. I think LA needs to keep Gasol and Odom's the guy that should be packaged with Bynum.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

Since we are talking trades now (NOW you are talking to me, baby...THAT I like! Keep it coming!) a bit of clarification.....what leverage does ORL have that would require the Lakers to trade 2 of their big pieces for Dwight? That seems to be the prevailing sentiment from several folks here.

The entire trade is predicated on Dwight walking away and leaving ORL with nothing. Bynum and Dwight have fairly similar salaries. I think it will be Dwight and junk for Bynum and junk.

I agree that an all-star PG isn't needed.

The other offers that will come from other teams. If Howard starts getting shopped, Bynum + junk isn't going to be the best offer the Magic get. Your favorite PG in the league fetched Favors, Devin Harris, and two lottery picks and we know Howard's price is going to be higher than that, especially since even if he opts out Orlando still maintains the S&T rights to get him the most cash (assuming the same CBA rules in place...Orlando might not be in much danger at all of losing him with the new CBA).

[Jacob]

So you are predicting that the Lakers get rid of Pow/Gasol/Odom and Bynum?

I don't see that happening. I think it will be a straight up deal with a junk piece on each end to get the salaries in range.

ORL has already been through this once, and it was with the Lakers. They aren't going to lose another All Star Center for absolutely nothing.

Not at all. But if they want Dwight, it would take 2 of the 4 main guys. LA doesn't have anything else to offer.

There is no reason that I've heard to think that Dwight's going to LA is inevitable. It's a Laker fan wet dream. "Well...but Shaq did it" isn't convincing. We know that LA can't offer Dwight a big contract as a free agent.

Also, as someone else already said, there's not doubt but that LA would have to take on Arenas' contract. And LA doesn't have the salaries to make that work, unless its a second of the main 4.

He's a question. Why wouldn't Miami trade Wade for Dwight? Wouldn't Orlando take Wade over Bynum?

[TripletDaddy]

The other offers that will come from other teams. If Howard starts getting shopped, Bynum + junk isn't going to be the best offer the Magic get. Your favorite PG in the league fetched Favors, Devin Harris, and two lottery picks and we know Howard's price is going to be higher than that, especially since even if he opts out Orlando still maintains the S&T rights to get him the most cash (assuming the same CBA rules in place...Orlando might not be in much danger at all of losing him with the new CBA).

I think this is what people were saying about MEM right before Pow got traded to LAL.

And KG before he got traded.

[TripletDaddy]

Not at all. But if they want Dwight, it would take 2 of the 4 main guys. LA doesn't have anything else to offer.

There is no reason that I've heard to think that Dwight's going to LA is inevitable. It's a Laker fan wet dream. "Well...but Shaq did it" isn't convincing. We know that LA can't offer Dwight a big contract as a free agent.

Also, as someone else already said, there's not doubt but that LA would have to take on Arenas' contract. And LA doesn't have the salaries to make that work, unless its a second of the main 4.

He's a question. Why wouldn't Miami trade Wade for Dwight? Wouldn't Orlando take Wade over Bynum?

MIA is currently winning. When teams are moving towards a title, they tend to not trade their cornerstone players.

If they get eliminated without the ring, then they just might do that trade.

Wade in ORL might be better than Bynum in ORL. I guess it depends on what the rest of the roster looks like when all the deals are done.

[Jacob]

I think this is what people were saying about MEM right before Pow got traded to LAL.

And KG before he got traded.

1. The Lakers can't offer young prospects and cap relief like they traded for Pau. And Pau wasn't on the level that Dwight is.

2. The Lakers can't offer young talent and a top 7 draft pick and cap relief like the Celtics gave to Minnesota. And Garnett wasn't quite what Dwight is, nor as young.

Plus , Orlando is not Memphis and Minnesota.

[TripletDaddy]

1. The Lakers can't offer young prospects and cap relief like they traded for Pau. And Pau wasn't on the level that Dwight is.

2. The Lakers can't offer young talent and a top 7 draft pick and cap relief like the Celtics gave to Minnesota. And Garnett wasn't quite what Dwight is, nor as young.

Plus , Orlando is not Memphis and Minnesota.

Pow came to LAL and immediately LAL went to the Finals. the next year they won it all.

KG went to BOS and immediately they won it all.

I don't know how Dwight could be much better than that.

[Viking]

So, you are a Fort Worth Cowboys fan, but not a Fort Worth Rangers fan?

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...27595&t=h&z=15

Try again.

Texas Stadium was in Irving. The old rule--before the Metroplex became basically contiguous--was west of DFW is Fort Worth, east is Dallas.

[Jacob]

MIA is currently winning. When teams are moving towards a title, they tend to not trade their cornerstone players.

If they get eliminated without the ring, then they just might do that trade.

Wade in ORL might be better than Bynum in ORL. I guess it depends on what the rest of the roster looks like when all the deals are done.

Teams are always looking to get better and if you can trade a top 5 player (Wade) for a top 2 player (Dwight) then you do it. Especially when you are getting the most dominant post player in the game. Especially when that trade gets you the best 2 players in the league. Every team in the league would trade their best player to get Dwight, except for Miami. But even they would have to consider it (LeBron).

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Not at all. But if they want Dwight, it would take 2 of the 4 main guys. LA doesn't have anything else to offer.

There is no reason that I've heard to think that Dwight's going to LA is inevitable. It's a Laker fan wet dream. "Well...but Shaq did it" isn't convincing. We know that LA can't offer Dwight a big contract as a free agent.

Also, as someone else already said, there's not doubt but that LA would have to take on Arenas' contract. And LA doesn't have the salaries to make that work, unless its a second of the main 4.

He's a question. Why wouldn't Miami trade Wade for Dwight? Wouldn't Orlando take Wade over Bynum?

I don't think Miami has what it takes to pull off a trade unless Riley wants to offer Wade and Bosh together and Miami would take back Howard and Arenas (+ whatever else is needed to make the salaries equal). But what you say does make sense. Bynum has been injury prone and Wade would be much better compensation than Bynum.

FTR, if I were Riley, I would totally trade Bosh and Wade if that's what it takes. Bosh is a wuss, and I think Wade is going to start physically breaking down pretty soon. LeBron and Howard would absolutely terrorize the league IMO. I think Arenas could still be okay with LeBron and Howard on the floor.

[Jacob]

Pow came to LAL and immediately LAL went to the Finals. the next year they won it all.

KG went to BOS and immediately they won it all.

I don't know how Dwight could be much better than that.

If you don't understand that Dwight is better than Pau and the Garnett that was traded to the Celtics, you must not follow the NBA.

[Surfah]

1. The Lakers can't offer young prospects and cap relief like they traded for Pau. And Pau wasn't on the level that Dwight is.

2. The Lakers can't offer young talent and a top 7 draft pick and cap relief like the Celtics gave to Minnesota. And Garnett wasn't quite what Dwight is, nor as young.

Plus , Orlando is not Memphis and Minnesota.

Right, Orlando is the franchise that let Shaq walk.