Trade talk: Cuban not looking for 'big deal'...OR???

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by quietsavant

ok buddy.

You too.

What the f*ck do you want me to say? The only way we could get JJ is through S&T, and the only reason Atlanta would even consider that is to cut payroll and start over, which they are not looking to do. (Hell, didn't they add payroll in the offseason?)

The only potential trade partners the Mavs have are teams that are in financial trouble and are not thinking about competing anytime soon. Atlanta is just not one of those teams. They've got a legitimate chance to compete in the East. There's no way they're not re-signing him.

[quietsavant]

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

You too.

What the f*ck do you want me to say? The only way we could get JJ is through S&T, and the only reason Atlanta would even consider that is to cut payroll and start over, which they are not looking to do. (Hell, didn't they add payroll in the offseason?)

The only potential trade partners the Mavs have are teams that are in financial trouble and are not thinking about competing anytime soon. Atlanta is just not one of those teams. They've got a legitimate chance to compete in the East. There's no way they're not re-signing him.

ok buddy

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by quietsavant

ok buddy

Translation: "You thoroughly debunked my assertion that Joe Johnson is available. I have no intelligent response, so instead I'm just going to be juvenile and contentious."

Right, thanks for clearing that up.

[quietsavant]

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

Translation: "You thoroughly debunked my assertion that Joe Johnson is available. I have no intelligent response, so instead I'm just going to be juvenile and contentious."

Right, thanks for clearing that up.

ok buddy. Ignore list +1

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by quietsavant

ok buddy. Ignore list +1

I rest my case...

Anywho, for anyone still on who actually wants to talk about basketball, of all the names that have been floated around here, the Iggy/Dalembert deal is BY FAR the most attractive. Anyone we get at shooting guard has got to be a presence on the defensive end.

[xavier]

well then we can all look forward to a first round knock out by some damn .500 team. Im starting to get use to year after year of early playoff exits

[SMC0007]

Personally I would take Kevin Martin over Iggy but with Damps injury Iggy/Dalembert might be the better option. This only if we don't have to give up Roddy.

[jayC]

from Gina Miller's blog :
And on that subject of a trade, Cuban offered this: "If there's an opportunity there to get better, if a team wants to get off money and we can add a player that makes us better, we're gonna do it. We're not gonna sit pat just to sit pat. A week ago I probably would have told you nothing (was going to happen) but I think now things are picking up some."

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by jayC

from Gina Miller's blog :
And on that subject of a trade, Cuban offered this: "If there's an opportunity there to get better, if a team wants to get off money and we can add a player that makes us better, we're gonna do it. We're not gonna sit pat just to sit pat. A week ago I probably would have told you nothing (was going to happen) but I think now things are picking up some."

Interesting... I doubt Cuban would've said anything like this unless he was very confident a deal was going to be made.

[quietsavant]

Originally Posted by SMC0007

Personally I would take Kevin Martin over Iggy but with Damps injury Iggy/Dalembert might be the better option. This only if we don't have to give up Roddy.

Dally is a shotblocking haus. I can see him helping us with the pau gasols of the world, not sure he hangs with bynum.

[AO41]

I am really hoping for an IGGY/Dalambert trade...I think we would be set with this trade.

...and hopefully we dont have to touch any of the current starting 5, I think if it goes down like that we would be able to go at it with any team.

[quietsavant]

Best time to move Howard might be later
If Mavs can't get deal now that makes total sense, they should hold out until offseason
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Reeves By Jim Reeves
ESPNDallas.com
Archive

Maybe someday Dallas-Fort Worth basketball fans will look back fondly on the Josh Howard era. Just don't hold your breath.

For the moment, it's far easier to look ahead and imagine that in saying goodbye, Howard may finally do something to help the Mavs win.

Nor does it take a telescope, a psychic or even a particularly astute sports writer to see that farewell looming ever closer.

Josh Howard is averaging 11.8 points in 26.2 minutes per game, both his lowest marks since his rookie season.

It's difficult, if not impossible, to imagine a Mavs future beyond this season with Josh still in it. If he's not dealt by the Feb. 18 trade deadline, he'll almost certainly be packaged, perhaps with Erick Dampier, in an offseason deal that allows the Mavs to go after one of the premier free agents such as Chris Bosh or -- be still my beating heart -- even LeBron James.

Before your eyebrows scrape the ceiling, remember this: Never underestimate Mark Cuban's passion to win.

The question before the house is whether Cuban can rein in his frustration and his inclination to spend his biggest chip now in an effort to make his team better -- knowing it won't be enough to overtake the Lakers but might take the Mavs deeper into the playoffs -- or hold onto it in hopes of an even bigger, better payoff this summer.

If it's an NBA title that Cuban wants, he needs to hold his cards close and play for the jackpot this summer. Dirk doesn't just need any old sidekick; he needs another superstar partner.

Oh, did I mistakenly say "era" in relation to His Joshness? That's being overly generous, of course. What was supposed to be an era, a time when Howard would pair up with Dirk to lead the Mavs to multiple NBA titles, has instead faded away into lost hopes and distant dreams.

The knee-jerk reflex is to bash the Mavs for holding onto Howard too long and not getting rid of him long before now, or for giving him that four-year, $42 million extension in October 2006 in the first place. A couple of facts keep getting in the way of my indignation, though.

First, he averaged just under 19 points a game for the next three seasons after the contract extension. Yes, you can legitimately ask how many of those points were scored in the fourth quarter, but 19 a game is still 19 a game. Second, the Mavs were astute enough to structure the deal with an option year and are in position to take advantage of his expiring contract at the perfect time, when a number of superstar players are about to become free agents.

Or as one NBA source said, "It's having your cake and eating it, too."

The Mavs can offer a team a 29-year-old former All-Star who might return to form with a change of scenery, and if that doesn't work out, then there's the potential financial savings with the expiring contract.

Josh Howard
Josh Howard
#5 SF
Dallas Mavericks

2010 STATS

* GM27
* PPG11.8
* RPG3.6
* APG1.4
* FG%.384
* FT%.788

Just watch out for the sugar rush.

"Our focus is not taking a step back this year," general manager Donnie Nelson said.

So the Mavs will weigh their options carefully as the deadline approaches.

We've all heard the names that are out there. Some are legit, some aren't. Forget about Kevin Martin at Sacramento and Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala. They are both good, young players, but they are on rebuilding teams who aren't likely to trade either of them.

Washington's Caron Butler makes some sense, and the Mavs have interest there. Butler, who'll turn 30 in March, and Howard are -- were -- comparable players, both in age and size, and that's important to the Mavs.

If they trade Howard, they need an athletic, rangy, 6-foot-7 type back. If they trade Dampier, they'd better get a center in return. They're not going far into the playoffs with just Drew Gooden playing center.

But that brings me back to my original argument. If Butler isn't going to push this team over the top, doesn't it make more sense to hold onto Howard and Dampier in hopes of hitting the ball out of the park with one big swing this summer?

Does anyone really think this Mavs team, which Cuban claims is just "bored," is going much of anywhere this postseason?

You could make the argument, in fact, that holding onto Howard in hopes that, now that he's finally healthy, he may once again become the second option in the Mavs' eternal quest to find someone besides Dirk they can count on. Note that I said you could make that argument, because I won't.

What the Mavs have learned, painfully, is that Josh Howard is a very complicated individual. And not in a good way.

Howard is like a finely tuned Ferrari. When everything's perfectly tuned, he'll hum along just fine. The flip side is that any little thing can put him off his game. Injury, perceived insult, hurt feelings, too many seeds in his Mary Jane, you name it, it doesn't take much to put him in a snit.



Fact is, he's been in almost a permanent snit since he found himself under scrutiny and facing criticism for his off-hand remarks about his pot-smoking habits on radio in April of 2008, followed by his disappointing dissing of the national anthem, caught on cell phone video, the following September. Insiders privately refer to those incidents as Josh's "summer of discontent."

Unfortunately for the Mavs, it's turned out to be something of an endless summer.

There's an end in sight, however. For all his talent, all his ability and all their faith in him, the Mavs have learned that, more often than not, Howard simply isn't there when they need him most.

So they will carefully dissect all offers -- yes, the phones are ringing -- and study their hole cards carefully. If the right offer comes in -- a player who can help them get deeper into the playoffs this year with the kind of talent that might be useful in a future trade -- they won't hesitate.

But they must also keep their eye on the bigger prize. Their Kevin Garnett, their Pau Gasol, might be just around the corner this summer if they can stay patient and flexible.

They've waited this long. Now is not the time to trade their prized cow for a handful of beans.

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nba...jim&id=4882135

[badfish22]

an offseason deal that allows the Mavs to go after one of the premier free agents such as Chris Bosh or -- be still my beating heart -- even LeBron James.

I started banging my head against my desk here.

I just pray Cuban isn't as stupid as this guy. But I'm starting to worry...

[quietsavant]

Originally Posted by badfish22

I started banging my head against my desk here.

I just pray Cuban isn't as stupid as this guy. But I'm starting to worry...

haha. i chuckled. Have faith friend. Though I find it hard to, myself

[dude1394]

Timid, timid, timid... Waiting for a lottery ticket is not financial planning.

[Thespiralgoeson]

So according to this guy, we've got a shot at Lebron, but not Iguodala or Martin? Methinks this man is lacking some of the bare essentials.

[bobatundi]

so here's the thing.

the so-called "DUST chip" is 100% in our control. we can trade Damp to another team in the offseason, and that team can immediately waive him and save a ton of cash.

Josh, on the other hand. Well, we have an option for $12+ million. I hate to think anyone on earth is stupid enough to exercise that. meaning we'd be banking on him in a S&T...which would require him to sign on. So, say we come up with a deal that requires Damp plus an $8MM deal for Josh. Does Josh just say, screw you guys? Does he agree to the money, but only if years 2 & 3 are guaranteed? This ain't stand-up-guy-and-already-retired Keith Van Horn we're talking about here. This is you-can't-control-what-the-ball-do Josh Howard. If you can obtain ANYTHING of value for him right now, you just HAVE to do it. Otherwise, the lottery ticket analogy mentioned above is right on target...except a lottery ticket has a pre-determined chance of being a winner, whereas J-Ho has proven himself to be a complete and total loser.

[Thomas86]

Ok if there not gonna trade Howard then put him on the Inactive list before the cancer starts spreading even more I mean damm, I can tell Kidd is fed up with Howard but he's not gonna call Howard out like he did Vince Carter because the Mavs probably told Kidd not to.

[dalger]

Originally Posted by bobatundi

so here's the thing.

the so-called "DUST chip" is 100% in our control. we can trade Damp to another team in the offseason, and that team can immediately waive him and save a ton of cash.

Josh, on the other hand. Well, we have an option for $12+ million. I hate to think anyone on earth is stupid enough to exercise that. meaning we'd be banking on him in a S&T...which would require him to sign on. So, say we come up with a deal that requires Damp plus an $8MM deal for Josh. Does Josh just say, screw you guys? Does he agree to the money, but only if years 2 & 3 are guaranteed? This ain't stand-up-guy-and-already-retired Keith Van Horn we're talking about here. This is you-can't-control-what-the-ball-do Josh Howard. If you can obtain ANYTHING of value for him right now, you just HAVE to do it.

A couple of months ago, the idea of trading the combo of Damp/Josh made sense. Damp instantly saves any team upwards of $13 million while Josh can be the reasonably priced addition to make up for the loss of the player the Mavs were to get, either with his expiring contract valued at $11.8 million or as part of a S&T.

The problem is that Josh has declined significantly and isn't even close to being worth $11.8 million. No team would ever take him for that kind of money, and we clearly wouldn't want him either under those circumstances.

It would have to be a S&T deal to move Damp and Josh together for the big superstar. Can we be sure that Josh would agree to the terms we and the other team would have in mind? What if there was another team in the mix that wanted free agent Josh Howard for comparable money? What if Josh decided to just wait a little longer with signing a new contract and thus slowed down our negotiations for Sammy Superstar?

There are so many variables to consider, oh, and the chances of getting one of the premier players are not exactly huge anyway. All of this makes me think that we should indeed try to move Josh now, if possible and reasonable. After all, the DUST chip would still be in place.

[kg_veteran]

I wish that sportswriters would actually THINK about what they say.

The day that Chris Bosh (or LeBron James!) is signed and traded for Dampier and Josh Howard is the day that politicians decide that spending our money is a bad idea.

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by kg_veteran

I wish that sportswriters would actually THINK about what they say.

The day that Chris Bosh (or LeBron James!) is signed and traded for Dampier and Josh Howard is the day that politicians decide that spending our money is a bad idea.

I completely disagree.

I think Chris Bosh is almost certainly going to be signed and traded, and for not much more than salary relief and some draft picks.

And if Lebron does change teams (which is obviously unlikely in its own right), I think it's very likely a sign and trade.

With the impending changes to the CBA, I just don't see many high profile free agents foregoing that last year and those higher raises.

Now that obviously leads to the question of what the Raptors or Cavs would expect back in a sign and trade. And I honestly don't know that it would be much more than not taking on salary, getting a younger player or two (Roddy) and draft picks (we can send our 2011 and 2013 picks as soon as the draft is over).

I'm obviously not suggesting any of this is likely, at least in these case of those two superstars. But the idea of superstars being sign and traded for far less value is not ridiculous at all, imo.

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by bobatundi

so here's the thing.

the so-called "DUST chip" is 100% in our control. we can trade Damp to another team in the offseason, and that team can immediately waive him and save a ton of cash.

Josh, on the other hand. Well, we have an option for $12+ million. I hate to think anyone on earth is stupid enough to exercise that. meaning we'd be banking on him in a S&T...which would require him to sign on. So, say we come up with a deal that requires Damp plus an $8MM deal for Josh. Does Josh just say, screw you guys? Does he agree to the money, but only if years 2 & 3 are guaranteed? This ain't stand-up-guy-and-already-retired Keith Van Horn we're talking about here. This is you-can't-control-what-the-ball-do Josh Howard. If you can obtain ANYTHING of value for him right now, you just HAVE to do it. Otherwise, the lottery ticket analogy mentioned above is right on target...except a lottery ticket has a pre-determined chance of being a winner, whereas J-Ho has proven himself to be a complete and total loser.

And Damp's contract next season is large enough to bring back a max contract by itself (maybe a tiny little throw in is needed, a mil or two).

There's really no need to hang onto Josh for you possible big splash this summer. Josh has to be traded before the deadline. Period.

[jthig32]

You know what really sucks right now? The Humphries trade. Being able to pair Williams' expiring contract with Josh and Gooden would create a lot more flexibility.

Not to mention that Humphries might could help this thing a little bit right now.

They're barely saving any money over the life of Najera's contract. It was all short term savings this season. And it looks like a terrible decision at this point.

[Dirkenstien]

I think bottom line is you need to give yourself the best chance to compete right now. This means making a trade to give yourself a chance to win this season. Nothing is guaranteed in this league so take advantage of the situation while you still can.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by Dirkenstien

I think bottom line is you need to give yourself the best chance to compete right now. This means making a trade to give yourself a chance to win this season. Nothing is guaranteed in this league so take advantage of the situation while you still can.

Especially when Dirk has the option of joining the free agency class of '10 this summer...

(not saying he will, but he certainly can.)

[sike]

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

Interesting... I doubt Cuban would've said anything like this unless he was very confident a deal was going to be made.

Man I hope this is right...

but isn't Cuban's M.O. always misdirection?

[sike]

my 2 cents...if they don't move Howard for something that fills the hole Howard is leaving by not being the player they need him to be, this season is over and wasted. This team is going no where without a solid #2 scoring option. JT is a good (albeit streaky) 3rd but with him as the 2nd....its one and done and this season is another waste of Dirk's prime

They must trade Howard's contract now and get a legit #2 in here. In my opinion Martin, Iggy, or Butler fit that bill...stop wasting Dirk's prime. Unless our only hope is for Dirk to win a ring once he has become a "Robin", Ala Clyde Drexler.

[kg_veteran]

Originally Posted by jthig32

I completely disagree.

I think Chris Bosh is almost certainly going to be signed and traded, and for not much more than salary relief and some draft picks.

* * *

Now that obviously leads to the question of what the Raptors or Cavs would expect back in a sign and trade. And I honestly don't know that it would be much more than not taking on salary, getting a younger player or two (Roddy) and draft picks (we can send our 2011 and 2013 picks as soon as the draft is over).

I'm obviously not suggesting any of this is likely, at least in these case of those two superstars.

Is it almost certain, or is it unlikely? Make up your mind.

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by kg_veteran

Is it almost certain, or is it unlikely? Make up your mind.

Ha. I meant to say it wasn't likely in our specific case. I wouldn't say it's likely that WE acquire Bosh. But I certainly expect him to be acquired by someone via a sign and trade.

[Dirkenstien]

What if we did this:

Damp
Howard
Terry
Carroll

for

Dalembert
Brand
Iggy
Carney

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMa...radeId=yhtetov

Depth Chart:
Dally / Brand / Gooden
Dirk / Brand / Gooden
Marion / Singleton
Iggy / Ross / Carney
Kidd / JJB / Robo

Philly
Philly unloads tons of cash and exchanges Brand's horrible contract for Terry/Carroll's less horrible contracts. I'm pretty sure if someone is willing to take Dalembert and Brand off their hands it will trump all other offers out there and they will jump at it.

Dallas
This completely revamps our front line and, imo, gives us the man power in the front court and back court to compete with LA. Offense, defense, athleticism and shot blocking all in one package. Kidd will bring the best out of these guys. Plus we get the quality two guard we’re looking for in Iggy. We may even look to trade Gooden or JJB’s expirings in a separate deal for something of value (picks, young talent, quality back up 2,3 or 5.)

Off season we get Damp back to further bolster our stout front line and fill out the roster with MLE. Come trade deadline next year Dalembert’s expiring will be HUGE, which will give us options to possibly further improve our talent and depth in the back court.

[Thomas86]

Originally Posted by jthig32

You know what really sucks right now? The Humphries trade. Being able to pair Williams' expiring contract with Josh and Gooden would create a lot more flexibility.

Not to mention that Humphries might could help this thing a little bit right now.

They're barely saving any money over the life of Najera's contract. It was all short term savings this season. And it looks like a terrible decision at this point.

I heard rumors and I repeat rumors that RC and Hump got into it over playing time and that might have been the real reason for the Hump trade, I also think the Najera for Hump trade was a "energy" trade to bring life back at the AAC, Hump was supposed to replace Bass with energy off the bench but that didn't go the way everybody expected and that might have been another reason for the Hump for Najera trade.

[Rick41]

http://www.dallasbasketball.com/fullColumn.php?id=2514

There is a disconnect between the Dallas Mavericks and their prodigal son, Josh Howard.

The disconnect is vast enough that while the organization issues what it hopes are comforting denials of substantive trade talks, DallasBasketball.com has learned that the J-Ho camp believes he will be traded before the Feb. 18 deadline – some Josh confidantes even convinced they’ve pinned down Howard’s future team as either being the Raptors or the Heat.

From the Mavs, more denials: “That comes completely out of left field,’’ says one team source.

From an NBA exec: “A lot of teams want Josh Howard. It’s just a matter of what Dallas wants for him.’’

From Josh: Well, he’s allowing his on-court performance to do his talking for him. And therefore: Silence.

And of course, you know what they say: Just because Josh might be paranoid doesn’t mean other teams aren’t out to get him … “get him’’ in trade, that is.

The problem with these specific rumors resounding from those close to Josh isn’t that his name isn’t being discussed. Teams are exploring his availability … and frankly, those talks are occurring just as Dallas’ frustrations with him are accumulating.

No, the problem with what Josh/Josh's people believe is that when we tinker with matches in Toronto and Miami, we come up largely empty.

In Toronto? DallasBasketball.com has been told very specifically that the Mavs (and other teams) believe Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo when he says they have every intention of retaining Chris Bosh through next summer, and then attempting to re-sign the free agent at that time. It’s worth noting that all involved are very, very aware of the sign-and-trade possibilities that exist there … but again, that’s well into the future. So forget Dallas native Bosh.

Short of that, we can play with the name and numbers of point guard Jose Calderon, who could be helpful to Dallas as Jason Kidd continues to get worn to the nub. … But no, there isn’t an ideal Howard trade fit here.

In Miami? As with Bosh, let’s not pretend we’re justified in pre-deadline screaming of the name “Dwyane Wade’’ here. Miami is trying to eventually add to Wade, not subtract him. Is Miami giving up on young point guard Mario Chalmers? How about troublesome power forward Michael Beasley? Do they still want to dump Dorell Wright? Um, Quentin Richardson and Josh Howard are salary fits, but …

Again, we’re reaching as we struggle to find ways to total the $8.6 million the Mavs need back to match J-Ho’s salary AND upgrade the roster.

By the time we near Feb.18, maybe the Mavs’ goal here will be revealed to be a way to facilitate a three-way deal that can land them Sacramento’s Kevin Martin or Washington’s Caron Butler or Philly’s Andre Iguodala or the Clippers’ Chris Kaman or somebody of that ilk. Maybe that’s why we get front-office denials regarding specific contact with specific teams. As we spit-ball, that’s as logical as we can get as we try to explain the Howard camp’s Raptors/Heat thoughts.

Heck, maybe some of this is due to a little paranoia from Josh. … and that’s one thing that absolutely fits.

Last Thursday, Cuban participated in a Dallas Morning News story that praised Howard for his sacrifice to the team.

“Josh has worked so hard to be a good teammate and fit in that it's taken a little of the edge off of him,’’ Cuban said. “We've asked him to kind of change who he is a little bit, be -- for lack of a better word -- invisible. People were talking about him off the court. And he's done everything perfectly. He's been the ultimate professional and that sometimes takes an edge off of what happens on the court.’’

More “Father Knows Best’’ handling of J-Ho, to be sure.

But is this also a “Step Away From Your Crack Dealer’’ proclamation from Cuban?

Are the Mavs prepared to let the deadline pass (saving a Howard trade for the summer) and release “We Love Our Boys In Blue’’ proclamation from GM Donnie Nelson?

Now, predicting a trade is a silly proposition. Too many moving parts and all. But trust me: The people who lead this team – Cuban and Donnie and Carlisle and others, all the way into the locker room -- are not happy with the Mavs’ recent performance. And they are not ignorant in regard to some of the efforts that must be made, within reason, to improve the club and take advantage of the opportunity of contention.

That means that for the next two weeks, Dallas will welcome phone calls about Drew Gooden, about Erick Dampier and, yes, about Josh Howard.

J-Ho may be wrong about the specific teams. But he is not wrong otherwise.

Howard has an All-Star berth on his resume and was considered the “MVP’’ of last year’s Round 1 playoff win over the Spurs. However, he’s experiencing career lows almost across the board, and he’s now rarely on the floor for the Mavs in crunch time. He is coming off a loss in Utah in which he played just 11 minutes (a season-low) while missing three of his four shots.

For this team, at this time, all things considered … is Josh Howard as a talent bordering on irrelevant?

Yet some teams may see him as attractive for his talent or potential talent. Others may see him as attractive for his $10.9-million expiring contract.

And where does Josh see himself?

He was among the Mavs who made quick exits from Tuesday’s practice at the AAC, so I didn’t get to ask him. But it is not difficult to see that in some ways, Josh has checked out, that his level of “sensitivity’’ (maybe the most common word used to describe Josh by those who know him) is high, that on top of suffering from sore ankles and a bum wrist he’s now battling a nasty case of paranoia.

Where does Josh Howard see himself?

According to some close to him, Josh Howard seems himself very specifically in another team’s uniform

[bernardos70]

I think Brand is done. And I know he's undersized at center. I'm sorry, but that's a worse contract than Raef LaFrentz's

[LSMF]

I think Josh Howard MUST be traded at all costs, Im not saying he's the only problem on this team but he's failed time and time again to be the robin to Dirk's Batman. He needs to go, sometimes I look at him and just feel really bad. Josh Howard has declined so much, I still remember him in his early years wrecking havoc on defense, scrambling for loose balls and just giving it all. He was a good defender, and athletic and very positive. He always added to his game, and after a while he became a really good player. Remember, when Josh Howard was consistently compared to Scottie Pippen? Now, when I look at him I just see a washed up player. I wonder sometimes if Josh even wants to play the game of basketball professionally anymore?

The dude can't dribble, doesn't hustle, isn't a good defender anymore, can't shoot, can he even dunk anymore? Man, Josh Howard is done. If Josh Howard is still on this team past the trade deadline, I hope Mav fans everywhere protest. I want to see Kidd and Dirk win a championship, keeping Josh Howard is an indication that the MBT has no problem with wasting another precious year of Dirk's prime. Trade Josh Howard!

[Dirkenstien]

Originally Posted by bernardos70

I think Brand is done. And I know he's undersized at center. I'm sorry, but that's a worse contract than Raef LaFrentz's

Brand has actually been playing a lot better recently. He's basically averaging 14 and 7 in 30mpg. He does play some center for Philly and would only play back up C minutes here (better option than Gooden). In their last game against the Cavs he played C down the stretch against Shaq. Did a pretty good job and kept Lebron from scoring on the drive a couple times as well. His low post offense is significantly better than anything we currently have, that alone will take a lot of pressure off of Dirk.

Regarding the contract, Terry's and Carroll's contracts aren't necessarily great, either. So we switch out an older undersized SG and a overpaid SG who doesn't ever see any PT and get a former 20 and 10 two-time All-Star who got hurt but is beginning to play well again.

[badfish22]

There is no way in hell Lebron goes to a team whose three best players will be 32, 34 and 38

[SMC0007]

WARNING: Instant cred loss from anyone who is serious with LeBron to Dallas talk.

[Dirkadirkastan]

Originally Posted by LSMF

I think Josh Howard MUST be traded at all costs, Im not saying he's the only problem on this team but he's failed time and time again to be the robin to Dirk's Batman. He needs to go, sometimes I look at him and just feel really bad. Josh Howard has declined so much, I still remember him in his early years wrecking havoc on defense, scrambling for loose balls and just giving it all. He was a good defender, and athletic and very positive. He always added to his game, and after a while he became a really good player. Remember, when Josh Howard was consistently compared to Scottie Pippen? Now, when I look at him I just see a washed up player. I wonder sometimes if Josh even wants to play the game of basketball professionally anymore?

The dude can't dribble, doesn't hustle, isn't a good defender anymore, can't shoot, can he even dunk anymore? Man, Josh Howard is done. If Josh Howard is still on this team past the trade deadline, I hope Mav fans everywhere protest. I want to see Kidd and Dirk win a championship, keeping Josh Howard is an indication that the MBT has no problem with wasting another precious year of Dirk's prime. Trade Josh Howard!

Trade him now at all costs! J-Ho for Q-Rich! J-Ho for Calderon! Just get rid of him!

[LSMF]

Originally Posted by Dirkadirkastan

Trade him now at all costs! J-Ho for Q-Rich! J-Ho for Calderon! Just get rid of him!

Are you trying to say that Josh Howard shouldn't be traded? I would really like to see your explanation for this...

[Dirkadirkastan]

Originally Posted by LSMF

Are you trying to say that Josh Howard shouldn't be traded? I would really like to see your explanation for this...

It's one thing to say Howard has been disappointing; it's another to say he's so bad that replacing him with anyone in the league would necessarily be an improvement. Are you looking for a solution or just a different set of problems?