Dwight Howard to OKC?

[G.Walker]

Starting to hear rumblings of the possibility Dwight Howard might end up with the Thunder...

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2012/0...adline-dwight/

Notable quote: "Better hope Dwight loves the rodeo, because there’s nothing else to do in OKC."

http://www.nba.com/2012/news/feature...lls/index.html

Notable quote: "With Durant, Howard and Harden on the floor, you don't need an All-Star point guard."

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...2915871&page=1

Notable quote:

Celtics have joined the negotiations:

My source thinks they're coming close to a deal..

"Thunder Get:
Dwight Howard

Magic Get:
Rajon Rondo
Nazr Mohammed

Celtics Get:
Kendrick Perkins
James Harden"

[SoonerBoy18]

James Harden better not go anywhere... Nazr Mohammed.. Fine. Perkins.. ....

[swilki]

No way the Thunder are getting rid of Harden. Ain't gonna happen.

[OSUMom]

Crazy Talk! The Beard better not go anywhere. And I personally like Perkins.

[Pete]

Kobe Bryant said he thought Perkins was the best one-on-one defender in the league.

It's no coincidence the Thunder have been much better since acquiring him.

[MDot]

It's fun to imagine a team with Dwight Howard AND James Harden but I don't want to lose Harden to get Howard when we already have a developing monster in Ibaka and an already proven post defender in Perk. This is one of those things where it's cool and exciting to hear 'Oklahoma City Thunder' as a possible destination for someone like D12 but I personally think there's no chance of that happening.

[BrettM2]

I'll eat my hat if this happens. Rondo/Mohammed isn't enough for Orlando to pull the trigger.

[Snowman]

This seems more like the musings of a fantasy team looking for high offensive numbers than a real option. If we have Durant, Westbrook and Howard then the budget starts getting very tight everywhere else going forward.

[OKCisOK4me]

G. Walker, you make my stomach hurt.

Howard is getting old, we need to keep the young, talented, cohesive unit as long as we can, the way it is. All the players we have are very solid. I love Coach Brooks, but a championship coach could bring home a championship trophy with the very players we have now. Maybe Brooks makes himself a championship coach this year... we'll see, but I'm gonna push this dream boat back out in the water...

[Just the facts]

The Thunder aren't trading anyone. They have one of the best records in the league, and the other two teams with a similar record play in the East, where the Thunder have only lost 2 games, and both on the road.

[Easy180]

Only trade they might make is for a backup PG

[dankrutka]

If we could make that trade you have to do it. Dwight Howard is not old. He is the best center (by far) of his generation... Having said that, this is not happening unless Dwight would commit to OKC long term. In short, there is no chance this happens.

[betts]

Not going to happen, from a financial standpoint alone. We can probably pay Harden and Ibaka together what we would have to pay Dwight, and there are questions as to whether we can afford both James and Serge. We shouldn't give anyone up to get Dwight for this season alone, and he's going to want mega bucks for his new contract. Who knows about chemistry? Winners like to win, so that might not be a problem, but you could knock me over with a feather if it happened. Hinrich or Sessions are more likely. And, knowing Presit, if we make a move at all, it will be for someone we've not even considered.

[G.Walker]

Are you guys freakin' kidding me? Time to wake up Oklahoma City, this is the NBA, we can't keep every player we have forever, trades will happen, teams build for the future and grow. As much as I like them, I would give up Harden and Perkins for D12. Durant, Westbrook, and Howard starting for the Thunder, that's a dynasty waiting to happen. And remember we still have a luxury by having a first round 2012 draft pick!

We already have the best SF, and arguably the best PG locked up for the next 5 years. And if we could lock in the best C for the next 5, the Thunder will be virtually unstoppable for the next 5 years!

Starting Five:

Kevin Durant
Russell Westbrook
Dwight Howard
Serge Ibaka
Daequan Cook/Thabo Sefalosha

Seriously? we don't need a back up PG, Eric Maynor will be fine and be back in uniform next year. Reggie Jackson can carry the load this year, but I am thinking ahead. And we can rotate Nazi and Aldrich to give Howard a breather.

[BrettM2]

Starting Five:

Kevin Durant
Russell Westbrook
Dwight Howard
Serge Ibaka
Daequan Cook/Thabo Sefalosha

Seriously? we don't need a back up PG, Eric Maynor will be fine and be back in uniform next year. Reggie Jackson can carry the load this year, but I am thinking ahead. And we can rotate Nazi and Aldrich to give Howard a breather.

Serge will be up for a new contract after next year and will get paid. If we somehow get Howard, he's gone. Maynor is up for a new contract after next year and will most likely be offered a starting job somewhere (he may not be a star, but he's a good player and is better than several starting PGs). Those two are gone with D12 simply because we'll have two max players and one just below max (Westbrook).

Would Howard be an upgrade? Absolutely. Does this have even the slightest chance of happening? I say no. I have no doubt that Presti is much smarter than me, but it seems plainly obvious that would destroy our cap space and force us squarely into the new, much more punitive luxury tax area. OKC will never be a major tax payer simply because the cost of doing so will escalate dramatically starting in 2014. Whatever profits our team would have would quickly be used to pay this tax (and probably much more). Don't expect Bennett et al to suddenly decide that spending $20m/yr in luxury tax is a good idea.

[dankrutka]

Presti is all about long term sustainability. Thats why this won't happen.

Maynor's ACL tear could be a blessing in disguise and drive his price down so we could keep him for cheap.

[BoulderSooner]

Serge will be up for a new contract after next year and will get paid. If we somehow get Howard, he's gone. Maynor is up for a new contract after next year and will most likely be offered a starting job somewhere (he may not be a star, but he's a good player and is better than several starting PGs). Those two are gone with D12 simply because we'll have two max players and one just below max (Westbrook).

Would Howard be an upgrade? Absolutely. Does this have even the slightest chance of happening? I say no. I have no doubt that Presti is much smarter than me, but it seems plainly obvious that would destroy our cap space and force us squarely into the new, much more punitive luxury tax area. OKC will never be a major tax payer simply because the cost of doing so will escalate dramatically starting in 2014. Whatever profits our team would have would quickly be used to pay this tax (and probably much more). Don't expect Bennett et al to suddenly decide that spending $20m/yr in luxury tax is a good idea.

this post x1000

[swilki]

Seriously? we don't need a back up PG, Eric Maynor will be fine and be back in uniform next year. Reggie Jackson can carry the load this year, but I am thinking ahead. And we can rotate Nazi and Aldrich to give Howard a breather.

I whole heartedly disagree. If we are going to make a trade, I think it is going to be for some to play backup PG. Reggie is good, but I think he is going to have a hard time once the play-offs come. He still has a lot to learn.

[SoonerDave]

This team won't win a championship with RJ as the backup point guard.

The OP's trade rumor? Not a chance.

[dankrutka]

I agree that the most likely move is to pick up an backup PG. Reggie might have a good future, but he's pretty shaky and inconsistent right now.

[OKCisOK4me]

When is the trade deadline?

[dankrutka]

March 15th at 3pm. Right in the middle of the first day of the NCAA tourney. Poor planning. Why not do it one day earlier?

[BrettM2]

March 15th at 3pm. Right in the middle of the first day of the NCAA tourney. Poor planning. Why not do it one day earlier?

So Boston can blow up their nucleus and hope the area is too absorbed in Harvard's game to notice?

[OKCisOK4me]

March 15th at 3pm. Right in the middle of the first day of the NCAA tourney. Poor planning. Why not do it one day earlier?

Perfect... Without oSu or ou being in the big dance, I won't have anything to worry about.

[SoonerBoy18]

The statement I really HATE hearing is when someone says "Oklahoma City cant afford (fill in the blank)"