Free Agent Watch: CP3 & D12

[Underdog]

Mark Cuban has two-year plan

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DALLAS -- Mark Cuban's goal is to make the Dallas Mavericks a championship team again within a two-year window.

After Dallas missed the playoffs for the first time in 12 years, the owner vowed the Mavs would have a "quick rebuild." The pending pitch to free agents this summer -- including Chris Paul and Dwight Howard -- is that the franchise can take a significant step forward next season and then have the salary-cap space available again in 2014 to make more major upgrades.

We want to be a championship team. We've never said we have to be a championship team this year," Cuban said Saturday on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM during his first interview since the Mavs' season ended. "We want to be a better team, a top-seed team. If we get the top free agent, that doesn't leave us a whole lot of flexibility to add a lot of players, but we have a good nucleus around them. We know we'll have a good team, but we won't know if we have a great team.

"If you look at this like a two-year plan, then we think we're on a track to have a great team by the end of next year."

The Mavs are trying to return to the heights they experienced with their championship in 2011. Cuban opted against offering long-term deals to Tyson Chandler and other key pieces of that team because he feared having an aging, declining squad with extremely limited options to improve under the new, more restrictive collective bargaining agreement.

It's a path Cuban said he would choose again "in a heartbeat" despite the Mavs' struggles the past two seasons. The pressure is on Cuban and president of basketball Donnie Nelson this summer to take advantage of the financial flexibility created by their controversial decisions.

The Mavs attempted to sign point guard Deron Williams last season, although Cuban opted to film episodes of "Shark Tank" instead of participating in the face-to-face recruiting process, and later said he thought the franchise was better off without Williams. Cuban and longtime face of the franchise Dirk Nowitzki, who has declared his intention to re-sign next summer at a significantly reduced salary to ensure that the team will have ample cap space again, have both committed to spearhead the Mavs' recruiting efforts this summer.

"It's not like last year. We're going to go after [the major free agents]," Cuban said. "But it's not like we're not having all the intense conversations to figure out all of our alternatives.

"There's so many different ways and permutations that I don't think we can say if we don't get free agent A, B and C that this summer is a failure. ... There's a lot of different options and we have to explore all of them. I'm not about winning the summer. I'm about trying to do what I think is best for the franchise."

NBA tampering rules prevent Cuban from discussing specific free agents, but it's no secret that Plan A and B are Howard and Paul, not necessarily in that order.

Cuban acknowledged that certain teams losing in the first round of the playoffs "opened up at least a few doors for us to at least have conversations, where if some of those teams were still playing, I don't think those doors would have been open."

Paul's Los Angeles Clippers were eliminated in six games by the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round, while Howard's Los Angeles Lakers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs.

"We haven't closed any doors, and as far as we know, there haven't been any doors that have been closed to us," Cuban said. "We're just going to run them all out there and see what happens."

The Mavs need to do some more tinkering with the roster to be positioned to offer Paul or Howard a maximum contract, but Cuban classified the financial aspect of preparing for free agency as "actually not that much work."

One possibility to create cap room, Cuban acknowledged, would be for veteran forward Shawn Marion to exercise the early termination option for the last season of his contract and agree to return to Dallas on a long-term deal at a lower salary. Cuban said the Mavs also could end up trading the 13th overall pick or drafting a player "to stash overseas somewhere" to prevent the $1.66 million hold from counting against the team's salary cap.

The Mavs would still have to convince Paul or Howard to leave their respective Los Angeles teams -- who can offer a fifth year and 7.5 percent annual raises, as opposed to a four-year deal with 4.5 percent annual raises -- and pick the Mavs over other suitors such as the Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks.

"The way I work in all my businesses, if you prepare and you put yourself in a position to win, you're not going to win them all but you're going to get some," Cuban said. "I can make an argument why we should absolutely go after the big fish and I can make an argument on why we shouldn't. There are a lot of really, really good players that, in combination, that I think can make us a top-3 or 4-seed in the West."

That would be a significant step in Cuban's two-year plan to rebuild a championship contender.

There goes the idea of getting Dwight AND Paul (not that we could get both unless they agreed to a significant paycut).

This plan makes the most sense though, considering that Dirk doesn't come off the books until next season.

I could see us trying to get Howard this summer, then going after John Wall, Brandon Jennings, Eric Bledsoe or Greivis Vasquez next summer... Or get Paul and go after DeMarcus Cousins, Anderson Varejao, Andrew Bogut, Spencer Hawes or Marcin Gortat next year.

Personally, I like the idea of Howard/Wall best, but I guess we'll see what shakes out... Gotta make a splash this summer before we start talking about next summer

[Bayliss]

So the Mavs now have a two year plan after just wasting two years.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Wait a minute...so we're going have an awesome team by the end of NEXT year? Jeez, why not three or four years? Makes one wonder if we should have just given Chandler a 4 year deal with the forth year being a team option...since that is when all of our cap space will be anyway. Right?

[FINtastic]

Originally Posted by Underdog

To be fair, he didn't ask to be traded.

I think we're remembering things differently:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slu...a_trade_120111

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5401230

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by FINtastic

I think we're remembering things differently:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slu...a_trade_120111

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5401230

I meant that he didn't ask to be traded to the Clippers, so he doesn't really owe them anything.

Bad communication on my part. I was on my phone and in a hurry. I didn't specify.

[FINtastic]

Originally Posted by Underdog

I meant that he didn't ask to be traded to the Clippers, so he doesn't really owe them anything.

Bad communication on my part. I was on my phone and in a hurry, so I didn't specify.

Ah, okay, that makes more sense. I thought Chris Paul's desire to leave the Hornets was so common knowledge that I thought I was taking crazy pills when I first read your post. Had to start googling to make sure I was remembering events correctly.

But in that case, I think you're in agreement with sefant's original point, which was attempting to point out that he didn't show a ton of loyalty to his last franchise. Therefore, there's no reason to assume he has much loyalty to the Clips either since he's way more of a mercenary for this Clips squad than he was for the Hornets.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by FINtastic

Ah, okay, that makes more sense. I thought Chris Paul's desire to leave the Hornets was so common knowledge that I thought I was taking crazy pills when I first read your post. Had to start googling to make sure I was remembering events correctly.

But in that case, I think you're in agreement with sefant's original point, which was attempting to point out that he didn't show a ton of loyalty to his last franchise. Therefore, there's no reason to assume he has much loyalty to the Clips either since he's way more of a mercenary for this Clips squad than he was for the Hornets.

Those links did remind me of Paul's intention of forming a super team to compete with Miami, which at least opens up the possibility (in my imagination) that he and Dwight could take a pay cut to team up in Dallas... Especially if Miami wins it all this year.

A Big Three of Paul/Dwight/Dirk would be formidable. Then they could do a Big Four, like what Miami has going with Ray Allen - but with Dirk playing the Allen role after his contract expires.


(hell yeah, imagination!)

[Underdog]

Highlights from Mark Cuban's appearance Saturday on 103.3 FM's ESPN Dallas Game Day:

Cuban on Mavs' summer and two-year plan

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On whether the first round of the playoffs unfolded well for the Dallas Mavericks from a perspective of pending free agents: “I don’t know if ‘pretty well’ is the right description, but it certainly got more interesting. It opened up at least a few doors for us to have conversations, where some of those teams that were still playing, I don’t think those doors would have been open.”

On whether any potential options -- left unsaid is Chris Paul -- have been eliminated since the end of the season: "No, not at all. Nothing has really changed. Our approach has always been to be opportunistic and explore all of our options, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do. We haven’t closed any doors, and as far as we know, there haven’t been any doors that have been closed to us. We’re just going to run them all out there and see what happens.”

On if he feels smart about letting Tyson Chandler go: “When you’re out of the playoffs, you’re not allowed to feel smart. I’m not going to talk about specific players or teams other than to say that when we had to go on our decision of whether or not to stick to our plan, which was our older guys were coming off contracts and we went for it, had a super-huge payroll, knowing that all of our guys' contracts are ending within two years. Did we want to stick with that or bring them all back? You guys have heard me say many a time that my greatest fear was what happened to Detroit at the end of their run -- that we kept the guys too long. Now, you add to it all the things we discussed about the CBA and it really is difficult. You’re hearing some of those teams when their fans are asking if they can make a sign-and-trade for a free agent, and the answer is no. Can they keep some of their existing players? It’s going to be far more difficult and their options are very much limited. We didn’t want to be in that position as we try to put a great team around Dirk to make another run and prepare for our future.”

On if he'd make that same decision again: “In a heartbeat.”

On the sales pitch to convince a max free agent to decline the fifth year and larger raise his current team can offer: “First, you try to look what is important to the play. All players say they want to win rings, and that’s true. All players want to make as much money as they can and that’s true. They all view their careers differently, and I try to focus on what we can do to help them reach their career goals and put them in a position to succeed.

"In terms of that fifth year, that really is overrated from the perspective that if he’s young enough, he’s going to get another contract or two. When you sit down with them and say that there might be the issue of this contract ends before we can opt out of this current CBA. That may sound silly since we just signed a new CBA two years ago, but the ability for the league to opt out after six years means a five-year contract signed now puts you other side of that CBA, which may not be a good thing. You may want to be in a position where you want to sign another long-term deal before the NBA has the option to opt out of this CBA. I’m not suggesting that anything is going to happen with this CBA, but it’s just something to consider. On the second side of that, you’re young enough to get another contract.

"The third point, look at what LeBron [James], Kevin Durant, [Chris] Bosh and all those guys did. They all signed deals with opt-outs after three years, so there’s plenty of precedent. It’s not like all of these guys have to have that fifth year. A lot of them look at the flexibility and the options, and they have enough confidence in their ability to get that next contract. They have enough confidence in their ability to find insurance contracts in case they get hurt.”

On how Dirk Nowitzki's intention to take a "significant" pay cut next summer will be incorporated into free agency sales pitches: “I just let Dirk say it. You know, we spent this weekend together [in Las Vegas]. We’ve spent a lot of time talking about what we're going to do and how we’re going to do it.

"I’m setting up times with [Shawn Marion] to talk to him. I’ll talk to Vince [Carter]. We’re going through and trying to get feedback from all of our guys. With Dirk, it’s obviously more important because of the contractual scenario.

"I’ll let Dirk decide that [amount of his pay cut]. It’ll just depend on how strongly he feels about who we’re bringing. That dude has saved every nickel he’s ever had. He’s not worried about paying for his funeral. Dirk wants to win, and his heart is in the right place. He’s a great guy. We get along great and we can have very open and honest conversation and we don’t hold anything back. When it comes down to that time, we’ll have that conversation and figure it out.”

On discussions with Shawn Marion and the possibility of him exercising his early termination option and re-signing a long-term deal at a lower salary to create cap space: “We’ll have that conversation, but that’s not the important part of the conversation we’ll have with Shawn. Shawn is a warrior. Everyone knows that he gave 100-plus percent every game. When we weren’t able to perform at a certain level, he got mad. He really, really wants to win.

"I respect his opinions and we get along great. I’m more interested in what guys he likes out there, who he’s played against and who he respects and what he thinks we need. On where that goes, we can have other conversations about the other stuff. There’s no point in him opting out if we don’t think we’re going to get what we need.”

On the possibilities for the 13th overall pick in the draft, including trading it: “It depends on what kind of offers we get. Everyone talks about this being a weak draft, so it depends on who falls to No. 13. We’re not going to make the decision way in advance.

"If we like the person at 13, we’ll keep it and we’ll figure something out elsewhere to free up cap space to get there, but that’ll be an option for us. If our guy doesn’t get there, we’ll look at trading it. … If a guy falls, we’ll be happy to take him and figure out who to work the cap. If no one wants to make a trade for whatever reason, we can maybe get a guy to stash overseas somewhere. If we put him overseas and he doesn’t play, he won’t count against our cap. There are so many different options, and we’ll explore them all.”

On whether Nowitzki needs to be the second-best player on the roster next season: “We want to be a championship team. We’ve never said we have to be a championship team this year. We want to be a better team, a top-seed team. If we get the top free agent, that doesn’t leave us a whole lot of flexibility to add a lot of players, but we have a good nucleus around them. We know we’ll have a good team, but we won’t know if we have a great team. If you look at this like a two-year plan, then we think we’re on a track to have a great team by the end of next year. I wouldn’t say necessarily this year that Dirk has to be the second-best player, but hopefully by the end of next year.”

On whether he intentionally sabotaged the Mavs' efforts to sign Deron Williams because he preferred to make a run at free agents available this summer: “Did you see that episode of 'Shark Tank' I filmed that day? It was amazing!”

On his confidence level of being able to sign one of the big fish this summer: “Honestly, I don’t know. The way I work in all my businesses, if you prepare and you put yourself in a position to win, you’re not going to win them all but you’re going to get some. I can make an argument why we should absolutely go after the big fish, and I can make an argument on why we shouldn’t. There are a lot of really, really, good players that -- in combination -- I think can make us a top 3 or 4 seed in the West.

“We can go out there and get guys that are really good players that want to come here whose agents have suggested that they’d really love to come to Dallas. We can go put together a good team and see what we’ve got. If it doesn’t work, with Dirk and Marion coming off the books, with the stretch provision and contracts, we still have the opportunity to go after two max free agents [next summer] if we’re willing to take the hit on the stretch. I’m willing to do that."

On being fully committed to trying to sign a big fish in free agency this summer: "It’s not like last year. We’re going to go after them. But it’s not like we’re not having all the intense conversations to figure out all of our alternatives.

“We can play it both ways. We can go and put together a better team by signing multiple guys to multiyear contracts. We won’t sign anybody to a one-year deal. They’ll all be four-year deals because that gives you the most flexibility if you stretch them.

"Just to explain some more, you can sign a guy to a four-year deal and only have $10 million guaranteed. If you cut him and want to stretch him, you take the guaranteed money only and divide it by the number of years, times two, plus one. So you can stretch that contract out over nine years, as long as you do a four-year deal. There’s a finite amount that you’re allowed to total and stretch, but that’s more of a financial issue more than anything else.

"There’s so many different ways and permutations that I don’t think we can say if we don’t get Free Agent A, B and C that this summer is a failure. … There’s a lot of different options, and we have to explore all of them. I’m not about winning the summer; I’m about trying to do what I think is best for the franchise.”

[spreedom]

I like Cubes thinking aggressively with the four-year deals because of the stretch provision... but will every free agent signing really get a four-year deal? I don't think you should be giving role players or deep bench guys more than two guaranteed years.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by spreedom

I like Cubes thinking aggressively with the four-year deals because of the stretch provision... but will every free agent signing really get a four-year deal? I don't think you should be giving role players or deep bench guys more than two guaranteed years.

I think he's mostly referring to key players, cornerstone guys.

[spreedom]

Reading it a second time, I get that impression too. Well said.

[BPo001]

Bill Ingram: A source with knowledge of the situation says Dwight Howard is "wide open" to Dallas. Mavs actually have the space to sign him, Rox don't. Twitter @TheRocketGuy
Read more at http://hoopshype.com/rumors.htm#k4MOd67KLQP8kgMY.99

[yahyes]

I knew Houston would have big problems with cap space. Dwight to Dallas will look to be realistic.

[spreedom]

The Rockets have a TON of options to open up the necessary cap space to sign Dwight. Thomas Robinson and Asik are both still easy to trade, and Lin might be too, considering how much revenue he can bring in through international fanfare. By my calculations, they have about $45M tied up if they don't keep Garcia/Delfino/Brooks, and their other lower-salary guys are almost all very good values... Houston can very easily get $20-25M under the cap while still keeping 3 or their 4 top players.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by BPo001

Bill Ingram: A source with knowledge of the situation says Dwight Howard is "wide open" to Dallas. Mavs actually have the space to sign him, Rox don't. Twitter @TheRocketGuy
Read more at http://hoopshype.com/rumors.htm#k4MOd67KLQP8kgMY.99

The drama continues!

[sefant77]

Rockets could easily dump Asik/Robinson and get a pick out of. Or dumping Royce with Asik together. And then use the pick to dump Lin etc.

Btw im not a big fan of the idea to make a deal with Marion so he opts out and signs a new longer contract just so we are able to offer full max. I would prefer to find other ways and erase the 2014 payroll from any Marion salary...

[sinsin]

why would you want to dump asik?
to me he seems to be one of the better center in the league and he is still young too.
is he hugely overpaid or something? what is he due?

[Underdog]

Here's the skinny on how the Rockets could sign Howard:

How can Houston afford Dwight Howard?

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It’s been widely reported that the Houston Rockets are a team that intrigues Dwight Howard. The Rockets might even rank ahead of the Bird-rights-owning Los Angeles Lakers as the Mavericks’ primary competitors for the perennial All-Star big man.

Here’s one problem for Houston: The Rockets would have to do some significant payroll slashing to be positioned to offer Howard a max contract.

Howard’s max salary next season would be $20,513,178. The salary cap is expected to be set between $58.5 million and $60 million. The Rockets have $48,571,158 worth of contracts on the books, assuming they decline Francisco Garcia’s $6.4 million team option.

It doesn’t take an MBA from MIT -- which Rockets general manager Daryl Morey happens to have -- to figure out that the math doesn’t add up for Houston and Howard.

Morey made sure the Rockets had some built-in wiggle room with seven nonguaranteed deals on the roster, although that list includes six-figure bargains Chandler Parsons, Patrick Beverley and Greg Smith that are inexpensive, integral parts of James Harden’s supporting cast. Houston might have to sacrifice one of their major additions from last summer to make room for Howard.

That could mean trading point guard Jeremy Lin or center Omer Asik to a team with cap space for no immediate return. That is a nice way to say dumping an $8,374,646 million salary, the amount both Lin and Asik are due in the second season of their identical three-year, $25.12 million contracts.

Such a salary dump would put the Rockets close to being able to afford Howard, but they’d still have some work to do.

They could waive sixth man Carlos Delfino ($3 million) and/or reserve point guard Aaron Brooks ($2.5 million), both of whom have June 30 deadlines before their salaries become guaranteed, meaning a decision would have to be made before the Rockets are allowed to meet with Howard. The nonguaranteed salaries of young projects Tim Ohlbrecht ($788,872) and James Anderson ($916,099) could also create the necessary space depending on where the cap falls, although the Rockets would pick up a cap hold of $490,180 in the process if they cut both because their roster would dip under 12 players. A salary-dump deal that would send 2012 No. 5 overall pick Thomas Robinson ($3.53 million) to his third team is another alternative.

A much less attractive option than finding an under-the-cap trade partner to take on the contract of Lin or Asik: Waiving one of them and using the stretch provision.

In that case, the Rockets would still have to pay the $16.75 million remaining on the contract, but they would be allowed to spread the cap hit over five years (twice the length remaining on the contract plus one year). So Houston would create a little more than $5 million in cap space with such a move – and then have to get rid of nonguaranteed salary and/or make salary-dump deals to ship off young talent (Robinson, Terrence Jones, Donatas Motiejunas).

The Mavs would also have to do some maneuvering to give Howard a max contract, but not nearly as much as the Rockets.

The Rockets can free up enough money for Howard, but it would require slicing into the supporting cast of a playoff team -- and perhaps paying a $16.75 million tax in addition to his max deal.

[Underdog]

And here's the first part of MacMahon's piece on Howard:

Plan D12: Are Rockets bigger threat than Lakers?

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A strong argument can be made that glitzy Jerry Buss, who oversaw 10 of the Lakers’ titles, was the greatest owner in NBA history.

It remains to be seen how well Buss’ adult children can fill his shoes after his death in February.

Six Buss siblings share the family’s majority stake in the Lakers, but there are two power brokers. Jim Buss runs the basketball operations; Jeanie Buss is in charge of the business side.

The brother and sister certainly didn’t see eye to eye when the Lakers had to hire a coach following Mike Brown’s firing five games into the season. Jeanie Buss was reportedly stunned that Phil Jackson, the 11-time champion coach who happens to be her fiance, wasn’t hired after he expressed a strong interest in returning to the Lakers’ bench. Jim Buss opted for Mike D’Antoni, a decision that seemed worse with every “We want Phil!” chant at the Staples Center throughout the Lakers’ disappointing season.

The Lakers’ ownership situation, a strength for so many years, now has at least some sense of uncertainty, although it’s a safe bet that they continue spending as big as they see fit, especially with massive TV money coming. Mark Cuban is a sure thing, at least when it comes to being an owner with an intense dedication to basketball and winning.

General manager Mitch Kupchak remains in the role he has filled for more than a decade after being groomed by the legendary Jerry West. He’s one of the few GMs in the league who can match the Mavs’ brain trust when it comes to creativity.

The deal that brought Pau Gasol to L.A. – and essentially made the Lakers’ last two titles possible – resulted in so many grumbles around the league that it probably played a role in the infamous “basketball reasons” veto of the Chris Paul-to-the-Lakers trade.

And, while the Steve Nash deal hasn’t paid dividends for the Lakers so far, it was pretty impressive for Kupchak to create it essentially out of thin air. The Lakers gave up two first-round picks, two second-rounders and the trade exception from the deal that shipped the basketball corpse of Lamar Odom to Dallas. Oh, and Kupchak also orchestrated the four-team deal to acquire Howard.

After July, Kupchak was the frontrunner for Executive of the Year. The Lakers’ mediocre season – maybe the most disappointing in NBA history, given the hype – messed that up, but the man has quite a track record as a GM.

Of course, the Cuban/Donnie Nelson combo has pulled off some pretty big blockbusters, too. Just not under this collective bargaining agreement.

In hindsight, a strong argument can be made that Rockets general manager Daryl Morey did the best job remodeling his team between the last two seasons.

Morey, an MIT-educated stats geek given leeway to do his job by relatively anonymous two-time championship owner Leslie Alexander, did a phenomenal job collecting assets and pouncing when James Harden became available.

Morey doesn’t have the skins on the wall that the Lakers’ and Mavs’ decision-makers do, but there’s no doubt he’s one of the brightest up-and-coming basketball minds.

EDGE: Mavs. There’s no threat of front office tug-of-wars in Dallas, and they’ve proven they can sustain success.

[jasonic]

Originally Posted by sinsin

why would you want to dump asik?
to me he seems to be one of the better center in the league and he is still young too.
is he hugely overpaid or something? what is he due?

I love Asik's game and what he brings in defense, but if Dwight signs with Houston you can't pair them together and i think it's unfair for Omer to start off the bench because he 's clearly a starting center right now.

[41mvp]

It is clearly that we wont sign Howard and CP3, or one of them. Nelson is unfortunately one of the worst guy in NBA business.

I am sure that we will sign Ellis, Bynum(and he won't play all season),and re-sign M.James.We will cry once again if it will be true.I am really sorry for Dirk because he deserves for another championship ring.Look at SAS they have great team unfortunately Dirk has nothing.

[sefant77]

Originally Posted by 41mvp

Nelson is unfortunately one of the worst guy in NBA business.

What an amateur...




But....

[41mvp]

yeah you are ignorant like always. Tell me How many Nelson brought superstars to Dallas(except Dirk).And one more thing we have just one championshim?Am I right?Wow Nelson must be the best.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by 41mvp

yeah you are ignorant like always. Tell me How many Nelson brought superstars to Dallas(except Dirk).And one more thing we have just one championshim?Am I right?Wow Nelson must be the best.

Get outta here with that "just one championship" bullshit - only 8 teams have won a ring since 1984, and we're one of them.

And how many superstars are even in the league? Maybe 10-15 at any given time, with 30 teams competing for their services? Donnie brought in guys with All-Star cred like Jason Kidd, Tyson Chandler, Shawn Marion and even Caron Butler (completely ignoring Steve Nash)... He might not be the best GM in the league, but the results prove that he's definitely one of the best.

[saclare]

Originally Posted by 41mvp

yeah you are ignorant like always. Tell me How many Nelson brought superstars to Dallas(except Dirk).And one more thing we have just one championshim?Am I right?Wow Nelson must be the best.

You could be a Bobcats fan. Or Wizards, Magic, Cavs, Raptors, Pelicans/Hornets, Timberwolves, Kings, Suns...etc. Hell even some of the "better" teams today that made the playoffs I wouldn't rather be a fan of since they haven't, nor will they, win the championship. We will get back to being a consistently good team and back to being contenders soon.

[purplefrog]

The interview with Cuban has alleviated most of my concerns. I am much more optimistic now than anytime over the past year or so. Can't wait for the wheeling and dealing to begin!

[Underdog]

Part 2 of MacMahon's piece on Howard:

Plan D12: Rather play with Kobe, Dirk or Harden?

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Dwight Howard can choose between surefire Hall of Famers who are in their golden years or pair with a young player who has that type of potential.

Does he want to deal with Kobe Bryant’s ego and demanding personality again? Does Kobe’s torn Achilles tendon factor into the decision? Does Howard believe Dirk Nowitzki still has a few elite years left in his legs? Does he consider James Harden a long-term fit as his co-star?

We’re talking about the most infamously indecisive man in the NBA here, so the answers to those questions could change a dozen or so times before free agency opens July 1. Let’s see if we can help Howard by laying out the pros and cons of each potential co-star.

Bryant: As heartwarming as Howard’s post-surgery visit to Kobe’s home might have been, this relationship was rocky at best throughout the season. That’s kind of the way Kobe rolls with premier centers.

As was the case with Shaquille O'Neal, part of the issue is the polar-opposite personalities. Bryant has earned a reputation as one of the most ruthless competitors in sports. Howard often acts like a big, goofy kid.

There’s also the alpha male thing. Bryant won his power struggle with Shaq, and he wasn’t about to subjugate his ego upon Howard’s arrival in Los Angeles. Make no mistake: As long as Kobe is wearing purple and gold, the Lakers will be his team.

And then there’s the on-court chemistry, or lack thereof. Bryant will dominate the ball, plain and simple. The offense isn’t going to run through Howard, especially not with Mike D’Antoni on the bench. Whether Howard wants to admit it or not, that negatively affects his energy, reducing the easy buckets he ought to get in the flow of the game and making him a less effective defender.

Kobe’s comeback from the torn Achilles suffered late in the season is a huge wild card. Can Bryant, who turns 35 this summer, ever get back to being a dominant player? Will the injury force him to change his style?

Another thing nobody knows at this point: How much longer will Bryant play?

Nowitzki: Like Bryant, Nowitzki’s contract expires next summer, but he’s committed to playing at least two or three more seasons for the Mavs. The fact that Dirk’s deal only has a year left makes him a more attractive potential teammate, because he’s promised to take a major pay cut to make room for more talent.

As far as personality and style of play, Howard couldn’t ask for a better fit as a co-star than Nowitzki.

Dirk is more than willing to pass the baton of being the Mavs’ centerpiece to another future Hall of Famer. He’d love to be the second-best player on his team for the first time since the developmental stage of his career. Yet Dirk could still serve as the unofficial locker room spokesman, easing the burden on Howard’s sensitive shoulders.

As long as Nowitzki’s legs are able, the Mavs will always look for opportunities to get him open midrange looks and create mismatches for him. But Nowitzki would be ecstatic to spend much of his time serving as a floor-spacing stretch 4 if the Mavs are able to acquire a low-post weapon. Think of how effective Rashard Lewis and Ryan Anderson were in that role during their days playing with Howard in Orlando. How do you think the sweetest-shooting 7-footer in NBA history would fare with a bunch of open 3s?

The concern with Nowitzki, of course, is his age. He’s about to turn 35 and his numbers dipped the last two seasons, in large part due to knee problems.

How much greatness is left in the big German? The Mavs will point to 37-year-old Tim Duncan as proof that, with good medical care and modern technology, the all-time greats can bounce back from nuisance knee problems and be dominant forces.

Harden: At the tender age of 23, Harden made the leap to elite last season, seizing the opportunity that came with his “The Man” responsibilities after being traded to the Rockets.

With Bryant recovering from a serious injury, Harden should indisputably be considered the game’s premier shooting guard at this point, having averaged 25.9 points, 5.8 assists and 4.9 rebounds for a playoff team. And he’s still a few years away from his prime.

Harden has also proven he can sacrifice his ego (but not money) to co-exist with superstars. He thrived as the Thunder’s sixth man before Oklahoma City’s front office made a financial-based decision to deal him just before last season began.

There’s no doubt that Harden would welcome Howard to Houston. In fact, Harden has reportedly been making recruiting pitches to Howard over the phone for weeks now.

What’s not to like about Harden for Howard?

Well, the Mavs might mention that Harden’s pound-the-dribble-and-shoot-a-lot playing style is awfully similar to Bryant. They had the top two usage rates and most field goals attempted among shooting guards who played at least 50 games last season. Could that perhaps plant seeds of doubt in Howard’s fickle mind about pairing with "The Beard"?

EDGE: Rockets

[yahyes]

Originally Posted by 41mvp

yeah you are ignorant like always. Tell me How many Nelson brought superstars to Dallas(except Dirk).And one more thing we have just one championshim?Am I right?Wow Nelson must be the best.

Uh... Nelson might have not brought in "big" free agents. But he's established some nice trades. Bringing in Terry, Kidd, Butler, Haywood, and of course Tyson. So you clearly don't realize this GM has done a fair amount of good work.

[41mvp]

Originally Posted by saclare

You could be a Bobcats fan. Or Wizards, Magic, Cavs, Raptors, Pelicans/Hornets, Timberwolves, Kings, Suns...etc. Hell even some of the "better" teams today that made the playoffs I wouldn't rather be a fan of since they haven't, nor will they, win the championship. We will get back to being a consistently good team and back to being contenders soon.

I am proud Dallas Mavericks fan and your comment can't be accept. And the next time please think twice about your silly answers.

I agree with you we will back to best team in NBA if we get superstar here.Unfortunately this case may be very difficult.And you know that.

[41mvp]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Get outta here with that "just one championship" bullshit - only 8 teams have won a ring since 1984, and we're one of them.

And how many superstars are even in the league? Maybe 10-15 at any given time, with 30 teams competing for their services? Donnie brought in guys with All-Star cred like Jason Kidd, Tyson Chandler, Shawn Marion and even Caron Butler (completely ignoring Steve Nash)... He might not be the best GM in the league, but the results prove that he's definitely one of the best.

Sure but this is your opinion ,my is different.He has only few good moves in his history here. Definitely Kidd,Chandler,Caron,Marion are his successes but this is over. And one more thing this guys when arrived here was old except Tyson . He never gave us young and future player ever(except Dirk)

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by 41mvp

Sure but this is your opinion ,my is different.He has only few good moves in his history here. Definitely Kidd,Chandler,Caron,Marion are his successes but this is over. And one more thing this guys when arrived here was old except Tyson . He never gave us young and future player ever(except Dirk)

You're entitled to your opinion, except for when your opinion contradicts the facts...

Championship > Youth

[spreedom]

Originally Posted by Underdog

I think he's mostly referring to key players, cornerstone guys.

According to Gutierrez, Cuban said recently that he's planning on signing the second-tier (or lower first-tier, if there is such a thing) guys to four-year deals too. In all honesty it will probably depend on the player, but I'd guess he's referring to anyone that would be a potential starter or regular 6th/7th man.

[purplefrog]

Originally Posted by spreedom

According to Gutierrez, Cuban said recently that he's planning on signing the second-tier (or lower first-tier, if there is such a thing) guys to four-year deals too. In all honesty it will probably depend on the player, but I'd guess he's referring to anyone that would be a potential starter or regular 6th/7th man.

This is what I was hoping for last year. But after listening to his interview and reading it again in this thread, his plan really does make sense. My biggest concern has been that we would have another repeat of last summer's one year deals. Clearly that is not Cuban's preference or plan going forward.

[Kidd Karma]

Originally Posted by purplefrog

This is what I was hoping for last year. But after listening to his interview and reading it again in this thread, his plan really does make sense. My biggest concern has been that we would have another repeat of last summer's one year deals. Clearly that is not Cuban's preference or plan going forward.

Well he's just opening up more options than just Deron or bust.

[41mvp]

Originally Posted by Underdog

You're entitled to your opinion, except for when your opinion contradicts the facts...

Championship > Youth

indeed,the fact is Kidd ,Marion,Butler, was old when they arrived to Dallas.We should think about young guys,who can play for us for long years. We won championship that is great ,but now we have to think about future.

Youth(GSW,DEN,MIA,IND)>Age(SAS)
This teams are young and talented and this is another fact.

[yahyes]

Originally Posted by 41mvp

indeed,the fact is Kidd ,Marion,Butler, was old when they arrived to Dallas.We should think about young guys,who can play for us for long years. We won championship that is great ,but now we have to think about future.

Youth(GSW,DEN,MIA,IND)>Age(SAS)
This teams are young and talented and this is another fact.

But you need some experience, genius. Especially if you wanna get far into playoffs.

[41mvp]

Originally Posted by yahyes

But you need some experience, genius. Especially if you wanna get far into playoffs.

we have Dirk and Matrix,champ.

[yahyes]

Originally Posted by 41mvp

we have Dirk and Matrix,champ.

We also have Vince Carter, big guy.

[41mvp]

Originally Posted by yahyes

We also have Vince Carter, big guy.

indeed ,dude.But we have not young guys and future in this league.

[Eman]

Marc Stein: And a free-agent rumble: There's a rising belief in exec circles that Bucks prefer to re-sign Monta Ellis over Brandon Jennings this summer Twitter @ESPNSteinLine

Looks like we could have an opportunity to get this RFA, Brandon Jennings, kind of exciting 1B point Guard imo. He's only what, 23? he would have a good time passing to DIrk and Dwight.