http://blogs.bulls.com/2012/01/bulls-and-dwight-it-aint-over-until-you-know-when/ There have been a couple of suggestions the Bulls might be able to trade for Dwight Howard. Something like picks + Noah + Gibson + Deng for Howard and Hedo. I don't see the Bulls doing this, do you? I mean, Howard and Rose would be an awesome duo, and add Boozer and you have an impressive big 3. Hedo is no slouch, but on the downside of his career. From a basketball standpoint, the deal is too good to be true for the Bulls. From a financial perspective, it isn't going to happen. Why? Howard, Rose, Hedo, and Boozer combine for $67M in salaries next season, and the LT threshold is ~$70M. Enough said.
I'd love to see it happen but if wishes and buts were candy and nuts every day would be Christmas. In other words a pipe dream that isn't going to happen.
Let's get real. There is only one real suitor and that is LA - and they don't have to give up Bynum and Pau. Bynum on his own is about right. If the Lakers don't commit to a deal at the deadline involving Bynum - Jim Buss may just have Otis Smith by the balls over the summer and only offer Gasol instead ( still a good get ) Dallas have shit . Jersey have shit. Neither IMO are serious players. If Otis Smith wants to deal now and the Lakers try and hold him over to the summer then there is a genuine opportunity for either the Bulls or the Knicks to jump in , deal , and play the retention risk. Even if he is not retained we would have his bird rights ( but so would Smith if he is patient.....and make no mistake , Dwight is all about the money.) So...if it is between Bulls or Knicks mid season ( in who can put attractive packages together and if the Lakers won't deal mid season ) then what's more attractive ? Chandler and Stoudamire ( with an uninsurable contract ) or Asik , Boozer and the Charlotte pick and $10m a year less in payroll ? ( compared to taking back the Knicks package compared to the cost of our package ) I reckon the Bulls have that edge And luxury tax be damned - I bet the farm that the Chairman pays it , at least for this season - as Howard with Noah,Deng, Hamilton , Rose + Gibson, Korver, Brewer and Watson - hands down and pants off - wins the Championship this year. If Dwight wants to leave for LA and we play the waiting game with Jim Buss - we win another 3 or 4 championships with Andrew Bynum in Superboy's place. If Dwight leaves for nothing and we're left in the lurch we are still a bloody good team with Noah and Gibson at the 5 and 4 and we'd have Mirotic coming to bolster the depth as well as being able to get role playing help via the MLE in free agency. It's worth the punt
I'm glad that there hasn't been a lot of Howard talk around here for the simple reason that he has made it explicitly clear on many occasions that he has no interest in coming to Chicago. That ends the discussion.
Bah! You wouldn't rent him to win a championship at the cost of Boozer , Asik and the Charlotte pick if you had the chance ? And still own his bird rights over the summer to cash him in on Andrew Bynum if all this posturing comes to pass ? I can understand him winning a championship here and then wanting to go to LA to pair with Kobe and Pau and to have a chance of winning championships there , even to New York to pair with Carmelo Anthony and a very good support cast But New Jersey with Deron Williams and no cap space and a shit support cast and substantially less money to sign their outright ? Dallas with an aged Dirk and the remains of Lamar Odom, Shawn Marion and Jet Terry? Again , to take substantially less money to sign there outright ? I don't see it. If the posturing is real then it's LA - Jersey and Dallas are just mentioned threats because they have cap space next year So of Jim Buss won't deal mid season - we should go for it with the view that our future is either Howard or Bynum at a cost of Boozer, Asik and the Charlotte pick