ggp

I am referring to colusion between Howard's camp and the Nets. Orlando will likely trade Howard to Houston for a ton of picks and cap space. That makes sense for Orlando. Houston feels confident that Howard can be convinced to stay in Houston. After all, they have oil money and everything is better in Texas. The sad thing for Houston will be when Howard becomes a free agent next season and the Nets take him away (after trading Lopez for cap space). I am hoping that I am wrong, but I smell a rat (to borrow an old saying). I think that Dwigt Howard and the Nets' owner have an agreement in place.

I think that Howard will eventually end up in Brooklyn. I think that Lopez will be traded after January and that may create enough cap space to sign Howard. I could be wrong, but I think that is what is in the plans. Howard and the Nets's owner have obviously come to an accord (via third parties). From appearances, their has been colusion, but I am sure that the tracks have been well covered. In the end, Dwight Howard will probably not be a Hawk.

l CAI Zaragoza quiere a Henk Norel como pívot para sustituir a Hettsheimeir. El jugador brasileño ha manejado buenas ofertas de Europa, pero ahora se centra en la NBA. Le quieren Dallas Mavericks y Atlanta Hawks, según informaciones de la prensa zaragozana confirmadas por esta web. This is my translation. It is not a literal translation because I am trying to mimic the delivery that we are accustomed to receive here in the USA. CAI Zaragoza wants Center Henk Norel to substitute for the loss of Hettsheimeir. The Braziian player has recieved good offers from Europe, but is now concentrating on offers from the NBA. The Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks have shown interest, according to the local Zaragozan press and confirmatory reports from this web. The rest of the report concentrates on Zaragoza's candidate to replace Hettsheimer.

Orlando naturally resists a trade with Atlanta. Doing so would put yet another divisional foe way ahead of them. Having said that, Horford is the best thing for what is ailing the Magic. They must feel that to their bones. My belief is that the Hawks have low balled the Magic. I really don't believe that Ferry will give up the shop for one player. The accumulation of seemingly redundant players may have something to do with a future trade. I just don't think that the true trade target is Howard. I suspect that Ferry made a trade offer thinking that he should try to steal Howard. Why not?

Do we have any credible source that can verify your claim? Have the Hawks truly offered Horford, Teague, Pachulia and draft picks? Holy crap! That deal beats all others by a mile!

I don't agree. The three first rounders will be in the twenties. They will not pick up any foundation players there. If it is first rounders they want, Ferry will probably be happy to give them two. The cap relief will come from taking one of their "bad" contracts. And finally, we will be sending a promising PG and a native son that can fill their need for a good Center. A Center, I might add, with an excellent team attitude. There is no other team that can come close to what the Hawks can offer the Magic.

I have heard rumors about special deals that have been struck with DH's reps. Apparently, his contract with Adidas triples, if he signs with Brooklyn. Why not get some ATL movers and shakers and put together some attractive offers on the table? How about a nice deal with Coke? Howard is a good-looking guy with a great career staring him in the face. You know Coke can put him to good use. What about Home Depot or Kia? Here is out-of-the-box thought. What about Tyler Perry sitting down with Howard and mapping out a second career in front of a camera?Let's not kid ourselves here. Howard is looking at the money. Once we come to understand that, we can compete with Brooklyn and beat them at their own game.

Does Andy Spoelstra?

You have a dark view of the NBA. Unfortunately, I happen to have the same opinion of this league.

Although I have no insider information, it is obvious that Ferry wants DH and already has a deal with Orlando. The only person blocking that from happening is Dwight Howard. IF the Brooklyn deal falls through, maybe (just maybe) Dwight Howard will open his eyes and see that Atlanta is a GREAT opportunity for him.That Russian guy must have done a fantastic job of convincing Howard that he HAS to become a Net. I wonder if that can be considered tampering.

The NBA has never been about parity. Truer words have never been written.

Are you kidding? Dwight is now in NYC. We will be hearing about evey bowel movement he has. ESPN will set up a studio in his kitchen.

Hate him that much?

First of all, these are just rumors, nothing more. If these rumors are true, then it is possible that Ferry has a trade in hand that will land the Hawks a taller SF, at the expense of some of our "shorter" wing players. Let the offseason play out before getting too excited or worried.

I am hoping that you are right. Dan Ferry is young enough to care about his career (in the long term) and experienced enough to know how to carry out his plans. I am sure that a smart guy like Ferry learned valuable lessons in Cleveland and San Antonio. He has made the necessary bold moves to clear cap space. As recently as four weeks ago, the thought of moving Marvin and JJ seemed far-fetched. In clearing space, he has given the organization the potential to build a championship caliber team. If Ferry can make a deal with Orlando and convince DH and JS to stay, he will have done what no other Hawk GM has been able to do in many years......make the Hawks relevent. If Ferry can not pull off the grand scheme, he will need to have plans B and C ready to go in an instant. After July 11, there will be a flurry of moves made across the NBA. Ferry can not afford to get bogged down with the DH deal. If the deal is not already done, he would be wise to walk away and look elsewhere.....quickly. As I mentioned before, this team has the potential to build a contender. The real question is whether Ferry has his next three moves charted.

Of course, I hope that you are right. I have not followed the NBA closely for nearly a decade. I suppose that I tired of seeing the same teams dominate over a bunch of trashy teams. But, as I peak into the NBA from time to time, I am seeing a trend to a more even playing field. So, I am back. I know that Josh and Dwight played together in the AAU, and that most people assume that JS and DH are close friends. Is this definitely true? Because if it is, Atlanta must be considered the favorite destination for DH. Secondly, how will the departure of JJ affect JS? Could JS actually feel less compelled to jack up jumpers? Will JS concentrate in his post up game? Finally, what is DH's health status? Will his back be a problem that will affect him throughout his career?

The way I see it, Orlando gains more from a trade with the Hawks than with the Lakers. While Bynum is a better Center than Horford, he is also a higher health risk. He is also a greater risk to be lost via free agency. I believe the package of Horford and Pachulia are better, in the long run, than Bynum (from a health and signability standpoint). Keep in mind that the loss of DH12 is a major black eye to the Magic and to Orlando at large. Trading DH12 for the "native son" (Horford) would mitigate the pain. From DH's point of view, the Lakers look more attractive today. However, if he listens to sound advice, he may come to realize that Kobe (now 35 years old) does not plan to play for many more years. Nash is 39 years old and will certainly not be around for long. In three years, the Lakers may be down to a bunch of unknowns and a whining DH12. CP3 is a FA next year but will likely not be signable for the Lakers.

From what I have read on these boards, NOH are looking to dump Okafur's lousy contract. The Hornets will want a good player and financial relief. They will sell the trade to their fans by pointing out that CP3 was not going to stay with the team for the long haul. ATL must be convinced that CP3 will become a fixture with the team. That means that CP3 must agree to buy into the long range plans of the Hawks. And, the Hawks must be convinced that CP3" knees are OK. My guess is that the Hawks will offer Josh Smith, Mike Bibby and Jamal Crawford for CP3 and Emeka Okafur. The Hornets would get a player with great promotional potential (Smith), an expiring contract (as well as an experienced PG), and the best 6th man in the league. The Hawks will get saddled with a bulky Okafur contract, but they will finally have the PG that they have desperately needed for more years than I care to admit. The Okafur contract could present problems keeping Horford, but that sort of problem can be worked out over time. Starting roster: CP3 J Johnson Marvin Williams Al Horford Emeka Okafur Personally, I think that CP3 could make Marvin look more like the guy the Hawks thought they were drafting.

Yes, but Paul does have some leverage. Paul is scheduled to be a free agent in two seasons (I think ). If that is the case, the team that trades for him will want assurances from Paul that he will act in good faith and plan for a longer stint. If Paul tells a possible trade partner, for the NOH, that they will be getting a rental, it could affect NO's ability to make a deal. So, if the Hawks are serious about obtaining CP3, they will have to convince CP3 that ATL is a desirable place for him to play the rest of his career. At this time, it seems that Paul has a short list that does not include the Hawks. Perhaps that is the strongest indication that the Hawks have not made a serious push to acquire CP3. Or, as suggested by Sothron, perhaps CP3 has talked to the Hawks and is waiting for them to attract a starting caliber Center and move Horford to PF.

OK, I want to learn, so bear with me. The question I have is this: Would a trade for Paul truly make the Hawks serious contenders? Of course the knee jerk reaction would be YES. Before the Hawks try to make such a trade, let's look at the realities. In order to trade for Paul, the Hawks must provide the Hornets with the best deal. My guess is that the Hawks would have to take Okafur's horrible contract, as well as provide a player that the Hornets want. In my opinion, the Hawks best offer would be: Bibby, Marvin and Crawford. Bibby is a player with a contract that expires soon and is an experienced PG that can give Collison plenty of support. Marvin is a very good defender and is young enough to have the potential to become a strong scorer. Crawford has been recognized as the best 6th man in the NBA and I think that his contract would be very attractive to the Hornets. OK, so that is what the Hornets would be getting. What is in it for the Hawks? Naturally, the Hawks would be getting the best PG in the NBA. However, he also has a knee that may hamper him for years to come. I don't know much about his knee injury, but the buyer must be wary. The Hawks would also add a Center in Okafur that is strapped to a long term and very expensive contract. If you consider that the Hawks will be responsible for JJ's, Okafur's and eventually Paul's high contracts, how will they be able to afford to keep both Horford and J Smith? From my point of view, the Hawks can not afford to make this trade. To do so, they would have to unload Horford and Smith in order to pay Paul, JJ and Okafur. Does this make sense?

I am a casual fan of the NBA. I prefer the team approach, so all of the star gazing is a turn off for me. Having said that, I'd like to ask what are the advantages to having a salary cap? If it is to improve the competition between franchises, I really don't think that it is working. If it is to help owners keep employee costs down, I don't think that it is working. So, what is it for, and how can it be improved? First of all, I think that the cap number should be based on take home pay for each player. As we have witnessed, the Miami Heat has a major competitive advantage over most other franchises because the state of Florida does not have income taxes. I think that the NBA should look into this and create a cap number for each team, based on its true economic value to each player. In that manner, players like LeBron, Wade, and Bosh will not be able to claim that they are taking less money, when in fact they are bringing home more. If such a rule were in place today, I doubt that all three players would have fit under an adjusted salary cap for the Heat. If there are holes in my suggestion, let me know. I happen to think that a truly more competitive league is more entertaining.

Why not? I'd like your opinion.

I wonder what players like Jordan, Magic, Bird, Jabar and Russell think about attitudes like this. "It's going to be easy." Unfortunately, that is the most desirable state of mind these days.

The smart move is to add a Center via free agency. I don't know who is out there, besides Shaq. Horford needs to play more at PF and the Hawks need a big guy in the middle to lock down the interior.