Dr. Gobbler welched out on his bet from year ago in this thread (2 Viewers)

[Gr00vus]

SpearsNBAYahoo Marc J. SpearsNames talked about in CP3 3-way are: CP to Lakers, Gasol to HOU & Kevin Martin & Luis Scola and possible picks to Hornets, source tells Y!

Lakers potentially getting CP3 for just Gasol. WOW!

That would be crazy. I think Skribbles would have a hemorrhage. I'm sure my piddly comments not withstanding, the Lakers would find a way to make that work. I can't believe NO will deal Paul without getting someone to take some Okafur medicine.

 

[tommyGunZ]

You better believe Howard will push for a trade to LA if CP3 is in purple and gold.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

SpearsNBAYahoo Marc J. SpearsNames talked about in CP3 3-way are: CP to Lakers, Gasol to HOU & Kevin Martin & Luis Scola and possible picks to Hornets, source tells Y!

Lakers potentially getting CP3 for just Gasol. WOW!

That would be crazy. I think Skribbles would have a hemorrhage. I'm sure my piddly comments not withstanding, the Lakers would find a way to make that work. I can't believe NO will deal Paul without getting someone to take some Okafur medicine.

Nah. I've come to accept that the NBA is never going to be a balanced league. Rich get richer. Poor keep rebuilding. Good for Kobe to get someone new to carry him to a title.

 

[timschochet]

SpearsNBAYahoo Marc J. Spears

Names talked about in CP3 3-way are: CP to Lakers, Gasol to HOU & Kevin Martin & Luis Scola and possible picks to Hornets, source tells Y!

Lakers potentially getting CP3 for just Gasol. WOW!

That would be crazy. I think Skribbles would have a hemorrhage. I'm sure my piddly comments not withstanding, the Lakers would find a way to make that work. I can't believe NO will deal Paul without getting someone to take some Okafur medicine.

If this trade actually goes through, I think we should combine it with the earlier trade and call the whole thing "Lakers traded Kwame Brown for 2 championship rings and Chris Paul."

 

[StrikeS2k]

You better believe Howard will push for a trade to LA if CP3 is in purple and gold.

That was my thought as well. I think Howard to LA is a done deal if we get CP3 for this.

 

[timschochet]

You better believe Howard will push for a trade to LA if CP3 is in purple and gold.

That was my thought as well. I think Howard to LA is a done deal if we get CP3 for this.

It's not only because we don't know what Orlando wants to do.

 

[Gr00vus]

You better believe Howard will push for a trade to LA if CP3 is in purple and gold.

That was my thought as well. I think Howard to LA is a done deal if we get CP3 for this.

I wouldn't bank on the Magic being overly facilitating. You'd think Bynum + Odom would get it done, but . While it'd be great to get Paul at that price, I'd still be very nervous about depending on his and Bynum's knees without Gasol around. They don't even have an actual backup C on the roster right now.

 

[tommyGunZ]

SpearsNBAYahoo Marc J. SpearsNames talked about in CP3 3-way are: CP to Lakers, Gasol to HOU & Kevin Martin & Luis Scola and possible picks to Hornets, source tells Y!

Lakers potentially getting CP3 for just Gasol. WOW!

That would be crazy. I think Skribbles would have a hemorrhage. I'm sure my piddly comments not withstanding, the Lakers would find a way to make that work. I can't believe NO will deal Paul without getting someone to take some Okafur medicine.

Nah. I've come to accept that the NBA is never going to be a balanced league. Rich get richer. Poor keep rebuilding. Good for Kobe to get someone new to carry him to a title.

And this trade ensures 3-4 more years of whining from you. Win-win!

 

[tommyGunZ]

You better believe Howard will push for a trade to LA if CP3 is in purple and gold.

That was my thought as well. I think Howard to LA is a done deal if we get CP3 for this.

I wouldn't bank on the Magic being overly facilitating. You'd think Bynum + Odom would get it done, but . While it'd be great to get Paul at that price, I'd still be very nervous about depending on his and Bynum's knees without Gasol around. They don't even have an actual backup C on the roster right now.

Howard has the leverage since he can just tell whatever team the Magic want to send him to that he won't re-up with them at the end of the year. If LA gets CP3 w/o dealing Bynum, Howard to LA is DONE.

 

[Gr00vus]

You better believe Howard will push for a trade to LA if CP3 is in purple and gold.

That was my thought as well. I think Howard to LA is a done deal if we get CP3 for this.

I wouldn't bank on the Magic being overly facilitating. You'd think Bynum + Odom would get it done, but . While it'd be great to get Paul at that price, I'd still be very nervous about depending on his and Bynum's knees without Gasol around. They don't even have an actual backup C on the roster right now.

Howard has the leverage since he can just tell whatever team the Magic want to send him to that he won't re-up with them at the end of the year. If LA gets CP3 w/o dealing Bynum, Howard to LA is DONE.

So you haven't been buying cappy's posts that the Magic are just going to play out the string with him and hope for the best?

 

[bagger]

You better believe Howard will push for a trade to LA if CP3 is in purple and gold.

That was my thought as well. I think Howard to LA is a done deal if we get CP3 for this.

I wouldn't bank on the Magic being overly facilitating. You'd think Bynum + Odom would get it done, but . While it'd be great to get Paul at that price, I'd still be very nervous about depending on his and Bynum's knees without Gasol around. They don't even have an actual backup C on the roster right now.

Howard has the leverage since he can just tell whatever team the Magic want to send him to that he won't re-up with them at the end of the year. If LA gets CP3 w/o dealing Bynum, Howard to LA is DONE.

now i am excited for bball season.

 

[tommyGunZ]

You better believe Howard will push for a trade to LA if CP3 is in purple and gold.

That was my thought as well. I think Howard to LA is a done deal if we get CP3 for this.

I wouldn't bank on the Magic being overly facilitating. You'd think Bynum + Odom would get it done, but . While it'd be great to get Paul at that price, I'd still be very nervous about depending on his and Bynum's knees without Gasol around. They don't even have an actual backup C on the roster right now.

Howard has the leverage since he can just tell whatever team the Magic want to send him to that he won't re-up with them at the end of the year. If LA gets CP3 w/o dealing Bynum, Howard to LA is DONE.

So you haven't been buying cappy's posts that the Magic are just going to play out the string with him and hope for the best?

After what happened to Cleveland, Orlando would be crazy IMO to take that risk. But Cappy knows his stuff, and Smith isn't scared of risk, so who knows.

 

[JMon348]

We are not getting Chris Paul for Pau Gasol and contracts/picks. The Lakers never make a deal that leaks.

We are staying put, no blockbuster is happening.

The media just wants a story.

 

[EYLive]

I Lakers can't get Paul, what about getting Billups? That's still an upgrade over Fisher.

 

[StrikeS2k]

I Lakers can't get Paul, what about getting Billups? That's still an upgrade over Fisher.

That would be a great signing. I suspect Billups might opt to resign with the Nuggets though. He loved being back in Denver and wanted to end his career there.

 

[EYLive]

I Lakers can't get Paul, what about getting Billups? That's still an upgrade over Fisher.

That would be a great signing. I suspect Billups might opt to resign with the Nuggets though. He loved being back in Denver and wanted to end his career there.

Or maybe Baron Davis. He's fat, lazy, and injury-prone (all related I suppose), but still better than Fisher.

 

[rodg12]

WojYahooNBA Adrian WojnarowskiThe Hornets are near a deal to send Chris Paul to the Lakers for Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom, league source tells Y! Sports.

That changes things.

 

[Yo Mama]

WojYahooNBA Adrian WojnarowskiThe Hornets are near a deal to send Chris Paul to the Lakers for Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom, league source tells Y! Sports.

That changes things.

Yeah, so much for Howard now.

 

[StrikeS2k]

WojYahooNBA Adrian WojnarowskiThe Hornets are near a deal to send Chris Paul to the Lakers for Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom, league source tells Y! Sports.

That changes things.

I hope this doesn't happen.

 

[rodg12]

Someone else has to be coming from NO for that to work. Either Ariza or Okafor, I'm thinking. Would prefer Okafor.

 

[timschochet]

WojYahooNBA Adrian WojnarowskiThe Hornets are near a deal to send Chris Paul to the Lakers for Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom, league source tells Y! Sports.

That changes things.

I hope this doesn't happen.

I think this is a bad deal for the Lakers. They're giving up all hope of getting Howard.It seems to me that Charlotte must have demanded Bynum as part of any deal, and the Lakers balked at sending Gasol and Bynum, offering to send Odom and Bynum instead. That's probably what killed the Houston deal. But if you're going to give up Gasol and Bynum, you do it to get Howard, not to get Paul.

 

[rodg12]

WojYahooNBA Adrian WojnarowskiCorrection: The proposed deal to the Lakers is Chris Paul for Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, source says.

 

[StrikeS2k]

WojYahooNBA Adrian WojnarowskiCorrection: The proposed deal to the Lakers is Chris Paul for Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, source says.

Just read this one somewhere else too. Makes a lot more sense although I wish we didn't have to include both of those guys. Hopefully we get Howard too.

 

[timschochet]

This goes back to what Bill Simmons wrote. He wrote that there's no way the Lakers can get both Howard and Paul, since the Lakers have only one piece that everybody wants: Andrew Bynum. He said no way Charlotte would do any deal with the Lakers that wouldn't involve Bynum, same for Orlando and it seems he was right. Of course, we don't know if Orlando would have done any deal, period.

ETA- if the new source is right, forget this. Who the heck knows?

 

[StrikeS2k]

This goes back to what Bill Simmons wrote. He wrote that there's no way the Lakers can get both Howard and Paul, since the Lakers have only one piece that everybody wants: Andrew Bynum. He said no way Charlotte would do any deal with the Lakers that wouldn't involve Bynum, same for Orlando and it seems he was right. Of course, we don't know if Orlando would have done any deal, period.

Uh, did you read the other new posts before you wrote this?

 

[timschochet]

This goes back to what Bill Simmons wrote. He wrote that there's no way the Lakers can get both Howard and Paul, since the Lakers have only one piece that everybody wants: Andrew Bynum. He said no way Charlotte would do any deal with the Lakers that wouldn't involve Bynum, same for Orlando and it seems he was right. Of course, we don't know if Orlando would have done any deal, period.

Uh, did you read the other new posts before you wrote this?

No. They were posted in the meantime. Dang, this stuff changes fast.

 

[timschochet]

It still probably kills Howard, though, doesn't it? I mean what can the Lakers offer with Bynum that would make that work? Kobe?

 

[StrikeS2k]

It still probably kills Howard, though, doesn't it? I mean what can the Lakers offer with Bynum that would make that work? Kobe?

Why do they have to offer more?

 

[timschochet]

Lakers trade with NO: CP3 for Bynum and Odom.

Link?

 

[rodg12]

Bynum for Howard would still be in play. Something else has to come back from NO. Important to find out what.

 

[JMon348]

I'm confused, excited, scared, nervous, happy, and sad all at the same time. This is what cocaine must be like.

 

[JMon348]

Lakers trade with NO: CP3 for Bynum and Odom.

Link?

We are in a world with no more links for breaking news. TO get the latest news you have to be on twitter following all the right people.

 

[timschochet]

I'm confused, excited, scared, nervous, happy, and sad all at the same time. This is what cocaine must be like.

Nothing to be excited about- yet. Let's see a confirmation. "Close to a deal" could be within the next 10 minutes, or 2 months from now, or never.

 

[StrikeS2k]

I'm confused, excited, scared, nervous, happy, and sad all at the same time. This is what cocaine must be like.

Nothing to be excited about- yet. Let's see a confirmation. "Close to a deal" could be within the next 10 minutes, or 2 months from now, or never.

The reports I've seen have the Hornets telling other executives Paul is off the market because of this deal (Gasol/Odom). Sounds like it's pretty close to done.

 

[Gr00vus]

I'm not loving it.

 

[EYLive]

Is Bynum/Artest for Howard/Turk still a possibility then?

 

[timschochet]

It still probably kills Howard, though, doesn't it? I mean what can the Lakers offer with Bynum that would make that work? Kobe?

Why do they have to offer more?

I've always believed that IF the Lakers made a trade for Howard, they would need to trade two of the three bigs. Bynum by himself would not be enough for Howard. If I'm Orlando, no way I do that. I don't care if Dwight demands a trade, I stick with him and try to re-sign him, like Capella wants them to do.

 

[Gr00vus]

They can't seriously be committing to Bynum and Paul's knees like this and expect it to work out well. Also they now have less than zero depth/bench and nothing for bigs outside Bynum.

 

[StrikeS2k]

It still probably kills Howard, though, doesn't it? I mean what can the Lakers offer with Bynum that would make that work? Kobe?

Why do they have to offer more?

I've always believed that IF the Lakers made a trade for Howard, they would need to trade two of the three bigs. Bynum by himself would not be enough for Howard. If I'm Orlando, no way I do that. I don't care if Dwight demands a trade, I stick with him and try to re-sign him, like Capella wants them to do.

Yeah, that worked out well for Orlando with Shaq. The only reason I keep bringing that up is that most teams don't like to get burned the same way twice. I think once they determine that they can't keep him they will try to get what they can for him. And that could end up being Bynum by himself. However, it looks like he might not be as available as CP3 is right now:

Orlando Magic All-Star center Dwight Howard met with Magic GM Otis Smith on Monday night and everyone wants to know what was said in the meeting. Today HOOPSWORLD has learned the gist of what was said.First of all, forget Dwight signing a contract extension this season. The Magic could add Chris Paul, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant and Dwight would still not sign an extension, not because he doesn’t want to be in Orlando, but because under the new collective bargaining agreement it would be a horribly bad business decision.The new CBA allows veteran players to extend their deal to a maximum of four years, meaning at no time can your extension push you past four guaranteed years. Dwight has two more years on his contract with the Magic, with an option coming this summer. As of today, Dwight can only sign a two-year extension with the Magic, as this season and next would count towards the four allowed. Next summer Dwight (and Chris Paul and Deron Williams) could opt out and sign a new contract for five years. BY waiting until July, Dwight can sign for two more years than he can sign for now.So there will be no extension for Dwight.That said, the league’s best center by far still very much wants to be in Orlando, and he is willing to give them every opportunity to keep him. What that means to Dwight is that he wants the Magic to be contenders, and to that end Orlando has a short list of players they would like to add in an effort to return to contention. Atlanta’s Josh Smith, Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala and Golden State’s Monta Ellis are on that list.That’s all well and good, but the Magic have very little room to negotiate trades, as their roster is replete with bad contracts. It remains to be seen whether or not the Magic can make the moves necessary to keep Dwight in town.In other, related news, the Magic have thrown their name into the Shane Battier sweepstakes, and even believe they are the frontrunners. Battier is clearly a prized free agent, with interest coming from the San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers and other teams. He doesn’t seem to fill a specific need in Orlando, any more than the Magic have the cap space to out-bid other teams with cap room to spare.UPDATE: It’s now being reported that Shane Battier will join the Miami HEAT, with an announcement expected soon.

 

[Gr00vus]

Also, shouldn't either Blake or Fisher be getting shipped out in the deal, hopefully Blake?

 

[timschochet]

It still probably kills Howard, though, doesn't it? I mean what can the Lakers offer with Bynum that would make that work? Kobe?

Why do they have to offer more?

I've always believed that IF the Lakers made a trade for Howard, they would need to trade two of the three bigs. Bynum by himself would not be enough for Howard. If I'm Orlando, no way I do that. I don't care if Dwight demands a trade, I stick with him and try to re-sign him, like Capella wants them to do.

Yeah, that worked out well for Orlando with Shaq. The only reason I keep bringing that up is that most teams don't like to get burned the same way twice. I think once they determine that they can't keep him they will try to get what they can for him. And that could end up being Bynum by himself. However, it looks like he might not be as available as CP3 is right now:

Orlando Magic All-Star center Dwight Howard met with Magic GM Otis Smith on Monday night and everyone wants to know what was said in the meeting. Today HOOPSWORLD has learned the gist of what was said.First of all, forget Dwight signing a contract extension this season. The Magic could add Chris Paul, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant and Dwight would still not sign an extension, not because he doesn't want to be in Orlando, but because under the new collective bargaining agreement it would be a horribly bad business decision.The new CBA allows veteran players to extend their deal to a maximum of four years, meaning at no time can your extension push you past four guaranteed years. Dwight has two more years on his contract with the Magic, with an option coming this summer. As of today, Dwight can only sign a two-year extension with the Magic, as this season and next would count towards the four allowed. Next summer Dwight (and Chris Paul and Deron Williams) could opt out and sign a new contract for five years. BY waiting until July, Dwight can sign for two more years than he can sign for now.So there will be no extension for Dwight.That said, the league's best center by far still very much wants to be in Orlando, and he is willing to give them every opportunity to keep him. What that means to Dwight is that he wants the Magic to be contenders, and to that end Orlando has a short list of players they would like to add in an effort to return to contention. Atlanta's Josh Smith, Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala and Golden State's Monta Ellis are on that list.That's all well and good, but the Magic have very little room to negotiate trades, as their roster is replete with bad contracts. It remains to be seen whether or not the Magic can make the moves necessary to keep Dwight in town.In other, related news, the Magic have thrown their name into the Shane Battier sweepstakes, and even believe they are the frontrunners. Battier is clearly a prized free agent, with interest coming from the San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers and other teams. He doesn't seem to fill a specific need in Orlando, any more than the Magic have the cap space to out-bid other teams with cap room to spare.UPDATE: It's now being reported that Shane Battier will join the Miami HEAT, with an announcement expected soon.

If this is true then Dwight Howard is staying in Orlando, at least for now.

 

[timschochet]

OK, NOW it's confirmed on ESPN. Chris Paul to the Lakers, Pau Gasol to Houston, Lamar Odom to the Hornets.

 

[timschochet]

Chris Broussard of ESPN says the Lakers still are looking to acquire Howard in some kind of deal for Bynum. I don't know how they pull this off, but...

 

[Gr00vus]

Chris Broussard of ESPN says the Lakers still are looking to acquire Howard in some kind of deal for Bynum. I don't know how they pull this off, but...

Chris Paul calls Howard and tells him to turn up the heat on Otis.

 

[timschochet]

So the Lakers get a great point guard for the first time since Magic Johnson. (I'm not counting the one year of Gary Payton, since he was already way past his prime as a Laker.)

 

[timschochet]

I'm going to miss Pau and Lamar. Very different guys, but they both seemed like class individuals, and fun to root for.

 

[EYLive]

Chris Broussard of ESPN says the Lakers still are looking to acquire Howard in some kind of deal for Bynum. I don't know how they pull this off, but...

Chris Paul calls Howard and tells him to turn up the heat on Otis.

What about Character and Ebanks, would Orlando want some young athletes?

 

[Gr00vus]

Chris Broussard of ESPN says the Lakers still are looking to acquire Howard in some kind of deal for Bynum. I don't know how they pull this off, but...

Chris Paul calls Howard and tells him to turn up the heat on Otis.

What about Character and Ebanks, would Orlando want some young athletes?

I'm sure they would. What's that got to do with Character and Ebanks? They need guys who beat people up at IHOP?

 

[timschochet]

Assuming there's no Howard deal, what is the current Lakers lineup?

1. Paul

2. Kobe

3. World Peace

4. ?

5. Bynum

That's a great backcourt, but...

And what kind of a bench do we have left?

 

[Gr00vus]

I guess this is really happening, the Kaminetzky clowns are saying it's a done deal. They're also saying they think there's more to come, whatever that means.

I feel faint.