So where are Deron Williams and Dwight Howard going? I know its confusing and there are so many conflicting reports so I gathered up all the information I could plus my personal thoughts and put this together.
In the case of Deron Williams ESPN sources say he has officially narrowed his choices down to two teams, the Brooklyn Nets and the Dallas Mavericks. This isn’t a surprise as many people already assumed those were the front-runners. The move to Brooklyn means big opportunities for Williams market-wise. He will not only be the face of the franchise, he can also get a five-year contract worth nearly $100 million. That’s a lot to turn down. The Dallas Mavericks are still in the running because aside from being his hometown, they also have the ability to contend for a championship something that Williams has reiterated is important to him. The Nets have some time and a ton of work to do before they can become championship contenders. The Mavericks offer however will be less than the Nets. They can only offer him a four-year deal worth close to $75 million. So it all comes down to what’s more important to Williams and one other thing, Dwight Howard.
The decision of one in a way decides the fate of the other, as teams are desperate to pair the two together. Dwight Howard set the basketball world into frenzy last season when it became public that he wanted a trade. He capped it off only to waive his opt-out clause and begin this process all over as he’s requested a trade yet again. Of course this isn’t stopping the new Magic general manager Rob Hennigan from doing everything in his power to keep the superstar center. Things between Howard and the Magic front office is beyond bleak and their only hope is sign another superstar so great that Howard will put all that behind him. The Magic hope is dwindling by the second as Howard is reportedly pushing for a trade to the Brooklyn Nets so he can play with Deron Williams. This sounds like great news for the Nets but how can they make this happen? The Nets don’t really have pieces of value. They have Brook Lopez who missed majority of the season due to injury and his salary is only $4.1 million. Gerald Wallace opted out of the final year of his contract and thanks to him and Billy King; the Nets don’t have a pick in the first round of this year’s draft. In order to make this happen the Nets will not only have to give up Brook Lopez and future first-round picks, they will also probably have to take on the contract of Hedo Turkoglu. The Magic could still turn this offer down as they did during Howard’s last saga. If Howard decides he won’t sign a contract extension anywhere else then that can provide more leverage but now we have a curveball.
In comes the Houston Rockets who were already rumored to be one of the teams vying for Deron Williams. Now they’re making bold moves to acquire Dwight Howard. The Rockets are gathering up draft picks in order to prepare a deal with the Orlando Magic for Howard. This morning they traded Chase Budinger and the rights to Lior Eliyahu to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the No. 18 pick in the draft. The Rockets now hold the No. 14, 16 and 18 picks in the first round. The plan is to get a pair of top-10 picks and then go after Howard. It’s already been reported that there’s “no chance” of Howard signing an extension if he goes to Houston so why take the risk? They believe there’s a chance they can get Howard to stay and with his fickle nature it’s not impossible but it’s a huge gamble. The bottom line is they’re prepared to go after him and have the pieces to do it. Along with draft picks they also have talented young guard Kyle Lowry who has a modest contract and explosive Kevin Martin who has an expiring contract. The Rockets could use their draft picks to keep building on their pretty decent roster but they seem intent on going after Howard. If they do land him that of course will have a huge impact on the decision of Deron Williams. If Rockets make some smart moves and things work in their favor they could possibly be able to afford both Howard and Williams. Things are getting interesting.
What will happen? I can’t say for sure but the clock is ticking. The draft is this Thursday, June 28th and free agency begins July 1st. Gear up for a crazy offseason.
Shaina (@Shay_Marie)