Dwight Howard?

[Jethrol]

Is it just me or does anyone else think he would be an awesome addition to the Thunder? Great low post defender that seems to bring a lot of energy to the court.

I know the trade deadline has passed so something likely won't happen this season but perhaps next? That might be just the addition we need to help us win a championship.

What do you all think?

[betts]

He would be incredible, but I don't think we will be able to afford him. I think we're going to either have to draft a center (or have drafted him in Mullens), pick up a lesser free agent or use a bigger power forward like Ibaka in the center position.

OKC Thunder Fans - Oklahoma City NBA — Oklahoma City NBA - Fans of the Thunder

[MonkeesFan]

I am a Magic fan and Dwight is a Orlando Magic for life, sorry to have your dreams shattered

[OKC4me]

I think any team would love to have him. But, no, I dont want him at the Thunder. We need to keep who we have, and take take of them.

[Richard at Remax]

not a chance he will leave unless a blockbuster trade happens

[windowphobe]

Not gonna happen. Superman is in year two of a five-year, $83.5-million contract (he has an early-termination option in the last year).

I wouldn't doubt the Magic would like to shed some salary, but Howard isn't even their highest-paid player (both Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter make more, and neither of them expires this year either).

[LIL_WAYNE_2012_PREZIDENT]

To get D12 we'd have to give up KD35

[Jethrol]

To get D12 we'd have to give up KD35

Why is that? Salary cap?

Is Mullens going to be all that good? I mean look at Maynor and Harden....they're both rookies and getting a lot of minutes. Mullens was just sent back to Tulsa for the second time since signing with the Thunder. That seems like a very bad sign to me.

[LIL_WAYNE_2012_PREZIDENT]

Why is that? Salary cap?

Is Mullens going to be all that good? I mean look at Maynor and Harden....they're both rookies and getting a lot of minutes. Mullens was just sent back to Tulsa for the second time since signing with the Thunder. That seems like a very bad sign to me.

well its an opinion but i highly doubt orlando is just gonna let him walk away

Im not high at all on Mullens but sometimes big men take longer to develope

[Jethrol]

well its an opinion but i highly doubt orlando is just gonna let him walk away

Oh I never thought they'd just let him walk away. We'd definitely have to pay up for DH. I mean he probably wouldn't leave for just money....it would have to be a good fit for him also.

Im not high at all on Mullens but sometimes big men take longer to develope

Why are you not that high on Mullens?

[LIL_WAYNE_2012_PREZIDENT]

Oh I never thought they'd just let him walk away. We'd definitely have to pay up for DH. I mean he probably wouldn't leave for just money....it would have to be a good fit for him also.

Why are you not that high on Mullens?

I just dont really like his game never have since he was at tOSU dont think he will ever amount to much in the league

[betts]

Why is that? Salary cap?

Is Mullens going to be all that good? I mean look at Maynor and Harden....they're both rookies and getting a lot of minutes. Mullens was just sent back to Tulsa for the second time since signing with the Thunder. That seems like a very bad sign to me.

First of all, yes, salary cap. Secondly, Orlando isn't going to give up their superstar without a fight. They've got his Bird rights and I'm sure, being a one team town like OKC is, he's their KD equivalent. He's who brings in the fans.

Big men are slower to develop than any other player, so being sent to the D-League isn't necessarily a bad sign. Mullens wanted to go back, because he gets playing time there, and experience is important in development.

OKC Thunder Fans - Oklahoma City NBA — Oklahoma City NBA - Fans of the Thunder

[Laramie]

First of all, yes, salary cap. Secondly, Orlando isn't going to give up their superstar without a fight. They've got his Bird rights and I'm sure, being a one team town like OKC is, he's their KD equivalent. He's who brings in the fans.

Big men are slower to develop than any other player, so being sent to the D-League isn't necessarily a bad sign. Mullens wanted to go back, because he gets playing time there, and experience is important in development.

OKC Thunder Fans - Oklahoma City NBA — Oklahoma City NBA - Fans of the Thunder

Awesome Video "My Time" Thunder!

[icecold]

Is it just me or does anyone else think he would be an awesome addition to the Thunder? Great low post defender that seems to bring a lot of energy to the court.

I know the trade deadline has passed so something likely won't happen this season but perhaps next? That might be just the addition we need to help us win a championship.

What do you all think?

To answer your question, yes. Who wouldnt want the best center in the game right now? I would also like to have Lebron and Kobe. None of those are going to happen. You are living in a dream world. Maybe you havent noticied but 2 of of the top 5 players in the league are very very rarely, if ever on the same team.

[Jethrol]

To answer your question, yes. Who wouldnt want the best center in the game right now? I would also like to have Lebron and Kobe. None of those are going to happen. You are living in a dream world. Maybe you havent noticied but 2 of of the top 5 players in the league are very very rarely, if ever on the same team.

I agree...Lebron and Kobe are dreams but you never know what could happen.

Shak/Kobe, Bird/McHale, Jordan/Pippen...Durant/Howard? hmmm

[icecold]

I agree...Lebron and Kobe are dreams but you never know what could happen.

Shak/Kobe, Bird/McHale, Jordan/Pippen...Durant/Howard? hmmm

Exactly my point...Shaq and Kobe would be the only ones you could maybe argue as to being 2 of the top 5 players in the league on the same team.... Pippen um, not top 5...McHale um, not top 5....yes a couple teams each year may have a top ten player and then maybe another top 15 player if that, in todays NBA. And those teams are normally the best team in the league, ala Kobe/Gasol....Garnett/Pierce a couple years ago....Yet, that is still not 2 of the top 5 in the league.

[Jethrol]

Exactly my point...Shaq and Kobe would be the only ones you could maybe argue as to being 2 of the top 5 players in the league on the same team.... Pippen um, not top 5...McHale um, not top 5....yes a couple teams each year may have a top ten player and then maybe another top 15 player if that, in todays NBA. And those teams are normally the best team in the league, ala Kobe/Gasol....Garnett/Pierce a couple years ago....Yet, that is still not 2 of the top 5 in the league.

You never know man....they said OKC would never be a major league city, that we'd always be minor league....but look at us now!

[RedDirt717]

You never know man....they said OKC would never be a major league city, that we'd always be minor league....but look at us now!

Look at it this way,

Imagine for a second you're an Orlando Magic fan...

You have one of the best athletic centers in a decade, maybe longer, that just won the Slam dunk contest 2 years ago....signed until 2013.

What do you want to get for giving that franchise player?

It would take nothing less than Kevin Durant straight up, or maybe even Kevin Durant and someone like Ibaka to help fill the center gap. Orlando might throw in JJ Reddick for kicks.

To put it in perspective, it would probably be easier to get Lebron James in free agency then to get Dwight Howard in a Thunder Jersey.

[icecold]

You never know man....they said OKC would never be a major league city, that we'd always be minor league....but look at us now!

That has nothing to do with how the business of the NBA works. So let me get this straight.... an Oklahoman bought a NBA team and moved it to his home city has something to do with being able to work out a deal to get 2 future hall of famers on the same team during the prime of their careers? Great comparison.

[Laramie]

Unless you're willling to exchange two: Durant, Green and/or Westbrook for Howard he stays in Orlando.

Howard (Orlando), Bryant (Los Angeles),Wade (Miami), Nash (Phoenix), Kidd (Dallas), Parker (San Antonio), Paul (New Orleans)... they are the pick of the franchise and unless you are willing to include your franchise player as part of a trade you can forget about any deals.

[circled9]

Jethrol: I am sure that we would all love to have Howard but thats not the way the system works. That is why the Owners negotiated the salary cap to save them from themselves. Even without the cap, one would have to look at the chemistry. Look at how many George Steinbrenner big money yankee teams could never win a championship. Talent is important but so is chemistry.

I completely agree with you that the Thunder needs a quality big man. I remember when the Lakers won a lot of games but didnt win a championship until they got Wilt Chamberlain.

Give Mullens a chance. He was supposed to be a lottery pick coming out of high school but his freshman year at Ohio State proved how raw he was. That is why we got him with the 25th pick and why he needs some D League experience before getting a shot with the big team. He is certainly a better alternative than Robert Swift. Picking the right big guy has a lot to do with luck. Memphis picked a big guy with the number two pick of the draft and they sent him to the D League. So far Presti has made the right moves and until he screws a couple of them up, I will continue to have faith. I am sure that he knows as well as we do that we need a big guy in the paint. The question is where to find one----especially this year when we probably will not have a lottery pick.

[Jethrol]

Jethrol: I am sure that we would all love to have Howard but thats not the way the system works. That is why the Owners negotiated the salary cap to save them from themselves. Even without the cap, one would have to look at the chemistry. Look at how many George Steinbrenner big money yankee teams could never win a championship. Talent is important but so is chemistry.

I completely agree with you that the Thunder needs a quality big man. I remember when the Lakers won a lot of games but didnt win a championship until they got Wilt Chamberlain.

Give Mullens a chance. He was supposed to be a lottery pick coming out of high school but his freshman year at Ohio State proved how raw he was. That is why we got him with the 25th pick and why he needs some D League experience before getting a shot with the big team. He is certainly a better alternative than Robert Swift. Picking the right big guy has a lot to do with luck. Memphis picked a big guy with the number two pick of the draft and they sent him to the D League. So far Presti has made the right moves and until he screws a couple of them up, I will continue to have faith. I am sure that he knows as well as we do that we need a big guy in the paint. The question is where to find one----especially this year when we probably will not have a lottery pick.

Actually, nothing I say here should be taken as any sort of condemnation or even mild criticism of Sam Presti. IMO he's done an outstanding job....far beyond most people's wildest imaginations of what was possible in this short period of time.

I know it's a long shot and the odds are against this ever happening but so what....it's fun to dream sometimes. Most people in this thread don't want to dream, they don't want to look at how this would affect the team and/or out play....they only want to look at why this won't happen and educating me on the "way things work".

People need to lighten up a bit.

You know...the way things work is simply based on the past. However true innovation comes from people that buck the trend, they are mindful of the past but aren't a slave to it. To be truly innovative, one must stop adhering to the way things work.

[Laramie]

Jethrol:

You are a lot like me; you dream big--go for the Moon and you might get a star.

Dwight Howard is a different animal; CAP space ($58 million) will prevent us and many teams from getting a Dwight Howard without giving up something.

The NBA model was designed to keep teams from getting all the good players. Teams like Dallas who are over the salary CAP pay a luxury tax for the amount they are over.

If for instance my current payroll is $68 million which is $10 million over the CAP ($58 million); then, I have to match that $10 million I'm over as the luxury tax. My amount in salaries now becomes $78 million. It gets expensive when you're a small market team like OKC, Memphis, Orlando, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, Charlotte & New Orleans...

I wouldn't want to break up the trio (basketball's supremes) Durant, Green & Westbrook just to get a player like Dwight Howard.