NBA Chat With Alex Kennedy 8/10/12

Join HOOPSWORLD’s Alex Kennedy for his weekly NBA chat this Friday at 1 p.m. ET. Submit your questions early because this chat fills up fast!

  1. Deven

    Who won this Dwight trade Alex?

    • Alex Kennedy

      What’s up everyone? Thanks for stopping by and submitting your questions. These last 24 hours have been very interesting, giving us plenty to talk about. Let’s get started.

      I understand why each team agreed to the deal.

      I think the Lakers are the big winners because they were able to land Dwight Howard without having to give up too much. They managed to keep Pau Gasol and they didn’t have to take back too many bad contracts. Turning Andrew Bynum, Josh McRoberts, Christian Eyenga and a draft pick into Dwight Howard is pretty impressive.

      The Sixers did well for themselves too. They turned Andre Iguodala, Moe Harkless, Nikola Vucevic and a pick into Andrew Bynum. If Bynum signs a long-term deal, Philly just acquired the second-best center in the league for Iguodala and prospects.

      The Nuggets also improved their roster for a playoff push, turning Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington and a first-round pick into Andre Igoudala. They’re a better team after making this deal.

      The Magic are going to get worse in the short-term, but this trade gives them a lot of flexibility going forward. They wanted draft picks and prospects in exchange for Dwight Howard and that’s what they got in this deal. They may be a terrible team for a few years, but they’re alright with that. They’ll get a few lottery picks and they’ll have all of the first-round picks they acquired in this deal to wheel and deal on draft night. Also, they’ll have enough cap room to hand out two maximum contracts in 2014, when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant Dirk Nowitzki, Amar’e Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, Pau Gasol, Paul Pierce, Danny Granger, Luol Deng, Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph and Andrew Bogut can become free agents. This move looks bad for Orlando today, but it may look better in a few years.

  2. Deven

    Are you glad Philly finally moved Iggy? I know I am. He’s been in trade rumors for years and years.

    • Alex Kennedy

      Yes, I’ve been writing about Andre Iguodala trade rumors for years. He was mentioned in trade scenario after trade scenario because Philly always had him on the block. In the past few years, there have been several Iguodala deals that almost went down, but they all fell apart in the late stages. I’m sure Iguodala is happy about the change of scenery because he’ll be on a very talented Denver team and he won’t have to hear his name at the deadline, at least for a year.

  3. Deven

    Will Bynum extend will Philly this summer or next summer?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Andrew Bynum won’t sign an extension, but he may sign a long-term deal with the Philadelphia 76ers this summer. It doesn’t make any sense for superstars to sign extensions because they leave money and years on the table. It makes more sense for Bynum to wait and sign a five-year deal next offseason. When that time comes, Bynum may want to re-sign with Philadelphia. He has been wanting to be the alpha male for awhile so he may want to stay in Philly and have his own team. Also, Philadelphia isn’t far from where Bynum grew up. He was born and raised in New Jersey and attended high school in Pennsylvania during his freshman and sophomore years. The Sixers feel like they have a shot to keep him if this year goes well and they may be right.

  4. Deven

    Now that the Dwightmare’s over, who’s the next superstar most likely to be dealt? Chris Paul perhaps?

    • Alex Kennedy

      We’re going to hear Chris Paul trade rumors, but he’s already in a large market and he seems committed to the Clippers.

      Don’t be surprised if Josh Smith trade rumors start surfacing this season. Smith has demanded a trade in the past, but the Hawks decided to hold onto him. Now, with Smith in the final year of his contract, Atlanta may move him prior to the trade deadline if they think he’s going to walk next summer.

  5. Deven

    This may sound crazy, but here goes: Any chance the Lakers break the Bulls 72 win record next year?

    • Alex Kennedy

      There it is! That didn’t take long. Let’s see if Dwight Howard is healthy and how they look before making any predictions like that. It’s always possible, but I’m not ready to go there just yet.

  6. paprikA

    What happens to ebanks,earl clark ,duhon and steve blake. They are all duplicates… One more trade for the lakers?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Some of those players will either sit at the end of the bench or be bought out. The Lakers had to take back those contracts in order to land Dwight Howard. I’d say it’s worth it.

  7. keo

    YAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY the dwight drama is finnaly over!!!!

    but im from boston and i hate to see dwight go to LA …. my question is do you see dwight wanting to sign an extension when he is on a team with the aging nash, kobe, jamison,gasol, artest?

    i dont see him signing long term

    • Alex Kennedy

      I’ve been told that Dwight Howard will sign a long-term deal with the Lakers next summer. In 2014, Dwight Howard and Steve Nash will be the only players under contract so the Lakers will have plenty of money to throw at free agents. L.A. just landed the best center in the game and they’ll be able to surround him with talent going forward. This sets them up to be great once the Kobe-Pau era is over.

  8. Emanuel

    Now that the Lakers finally got Dwight, who else do you see them signing in free agency?

    • Alex Kennedy

      First, they’ll re-sign Devin Ebanks. Then, they’ll try to sign Jodie Meeks or Leandro Barbosa.

  9. Allan

    hi, Alex:

    1. Does anyone in the league (including Heats and OKC) have a chance against the Lakers barring injury or implosion?

    2. Is 82-0 regular season , 16-0 post season out of reach for LAL?

    • Alex Kennedy

      1. The Heat and Thunder are still pretty good. Let’s not forget that.

      2. I hope you’re joking.

  10. RAFAEL

    is it time for miami to get a center for a possible heat laker final or is lebron guarding howard

    • Alex Kennedy

      That’s easier said than done. Miami has been trying to find a center for awhile, but they don’t have much flexibility. At this point, they only have the veteran’s minimum to offer and they don’t have many trade chips. Miami may have to throw Joel Anthony out there against Dwight Howard and cross their fingers.

  11. Anton Escolin

    Who is better on paper LA or OKC?

    • Alex Kennedy

      On paper, I’d go with the Lakers. Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard is an amazing starting five, and L.A. may have one of the best sixth men in the league in Antawn Jamison. If these pieces can mesh and live up to their potential, the Lakers are extremely hard to beat.

  12. Anton Escolin

    Hi! If Orlando tanks this year who will they get in the draft?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Magic fans, pay close attention to Nerlens Noel from Kentucky and Shabazz Muhammad from UCLA.

  13. Nicky L

    I remember reading somewhere that Bynum had a list of teams he was willing to re-sign with. Are the sixers one of those teams?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Adrian Wojnarowski listed Dallas, Cleveland and Houston as teams that Andrew Bynum was open to re-signing with. However, Bynum’s camp has disputed that list.

  14. Anton Escolin

    What are the possibilities the Houston rockets will get a star?

    • Alex Kennedy

      The Rockets already got Omer Asik! Don’t be greedy.

  15. brittney harkson

    Are the Lakers getting Chris Duhon as well as Dwight?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Yes, I’m told that the Lakers will also acquire Chris Duhon and Earl Clark in the four-team deal. Also, I believe they’re sending Christian Eyenga and Josh McRoberts to Orlando.

  16. robert chavez

    Do u think that the Lakers could land cp3 next year?

  17. Mr. Bob Dobalina

    With the Rockets being left out in the rain on the Dwight deal, are they now one of the 3 worst teams in the league?

    It’s easy to do a top 3 list for next season and likely the 3 seasons after that(Miami, LA, OKC), how about a bottom 3 list?

    My list goes like this- Orlando, Orlando, Houston.

    • Alex Kennedy

      Off the top of my head, I’d go with Charlotte, Orlando and Houston. Those are three teams currently in rebuilding mode.

  18. Chris

    Would you agree that all teams won in the Howard trade? I keep hearing that the magic lost but everyone should of known they weren’t going to get equal value. But young players and three 1st round picks is pretty good

    • Alex Kennedy

      Yes, as I said before, I understand why each team agreed to the deal. This trade could look much better for Orlando in a few years if they draft well and spend their money wisely.

  19. matt

    Is Orlando becoming the training ground for future Lakers centers?
    As a Lakers fan, I am excited, but as a basketball fam I am puzzled. Why didn’t Magic get more for the best center in the league?

    • Alex Kennedy

      The Magic didn’t want to be a borderline playoff team. Rather than bringing in veterans who would keep the team competitive and land the eighth seed in the East, Orlando is going to throw their young guys out there and let them develop. They’re probably going to be a bad team for a few years, but they’re fine with that. They’ll get a couple lottery picks in a row and then have cap space in 2014. Remember, Rob Hennigan comes from the Oklahoma City Thunder organization, where they sucked their way to Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. He wants to do something similar in Orlando. In the short-term, it’s frustrating for Magic fans. However, it may pay off in a few years if they make the right moves. The Magic will have their lottery picks to use in addition to all of the picks they acquired in this trade. Throw in the cap room and the young players they landed like Afflalo, Harkless, Vucevic and Eyenga and Orlando may have a brighter future than people think.

      One thing to keep in mind about the offer from the Houston Rockets: It wasn’t as attractive as reports have indicated. The Rockets weren’t willing to give up all of the picks and prospects in addition to taking back Orlando’s bad contracts. It was one or the other. If Houston was giving away their prospects, they weren’t taking back bad contracts. If they were taking back bad contracts, they weren’t giving away their prospects. Without a long-term commitment from Dwight Howard, the Rockets weren’t willing to potentially ruin their future by giving away all of their prospects and taking back ugly deals. Houston wasn’t going to put themselves in a position where if Howard left after the season, they’d be stuck with bad contracts and have zero young players to build around. In recent months, reports have made it sound like Houston’s offer was the perfect deal for Orlando, but the Rockets were never going to give up everything and take back all of Orlando’s garbage.

  20. Randy

    With Howard and Bynum gone, what does Houston do now? How bad are they gonna be?

    • Alex Kennedy

      That’s an excellent question. It’s going to be a very interesting year in Houston. They traded away most of the significant pieces and stockpiled trade assets. Now, they have no trade partner.

  21. Beto romero

    Better all around team, Lakers or Clippers?

    • Alex Kennedy

      The Clippers improved, but it’s not even close. The Lakers are much better.

  22. Jonah

    Masai Ujiri turned Melo into the entire Knicks team, drafted a steal in Faried, and dumped Harrington and Afllalos contracts and got Igoudala in return. Is he the best GM in the league?

    • Alex Kennedy

      He’s one of the best general managers in the NBA. He has an excellent basketball mind. He’s also one of the nicest guys in the league so I’m glad that he has been successful.

  23. Marco Duarte

    Alex,
    Obviously my questions are related to D12.
    Do you think Magic made a good trade? Sincerely, I don’t see a flattering future to this franchise. What’s your opinion?
    Tks!

    • Alex Kennedy

      I understand what the Magic are trying to do. Today, this looks like a terrible deal. But as I’ve detailed, this could be a good move for Orlando if they make the right moves going forward. Now, it’s on Rob Hennigan to draft and sign the right players.

  24. Jonah

    Howard is undisputedly the best center in the league, but how much of an improvement is he over Andrew Bynum? Does his injury worry you?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Dwight Howard’s injury worries me much less than Andrew Bynum’s history of injuries. And I’d say the gap between Howard and Bynum is pretty big.

  25. magic fan

    will harkless be an allstar

    • Alex Kennedy

      He has a lot of potential. I spent a lot of time with Moe during the pre-draft process. He is very raw, but he has a ton of upside. He has drawn comparisons to Kevin Durant and Rudy Gay because of his length and athleticism. That’s obviously best-case scenario, but it shows you how much potential the kid has. He struggled with his jumper in college, but he spent the offseason changing the mechanics of his shot and really improving it. He climbed draft boards during the pre-draft process because he showed teams just how much he improved offensively and he measured out really well. There were a lot of teams that fell in love with him in the month leading up to the draft. He’s definitely someone to watch. He could develop into a special player in Orlando. He was one of the youngest players in this draft and a lot of people felt he left school too soon. Had he returned for another year, he would’ve been a very high pick next year.

  26. Ali

    Rockets gonna make moves toward trade deadline next year? Can you see Martin and some others moving for picks?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I do think the Rockets will trade Kevin Martin. He’s an expiring contract and they’re clearly rebuilding. I bet they move Martin and let Jeremy Lamb play big minutes.

  27. Keith242

    when will it be official?

    • Alex Kennedy

      It’s official. Trade call ended a little bit ago.

  28. Mark

    Lakers or Heat? Finals Matchup?