Unless they are top 5 picks, which they likely wont be with Cleveland getting Bynum to go with Irving, then those picks aren't worth much.

Regardless, getting Howard for a year is probably better than them having Bynum for a year, who could leave next year anyways.

Also, Brooklyn can't offer as much as LA can to Dwight and they'd have to find someone to take Brook Lopez before they got Dwight.

They have his Bird rights, can give him the biggest contract...he'd re-sign in L.A.

Anyways, rumors are the Lakers are willing to make the deal with a reassurance or not so it doesn't really matter.

impossible for him to go to Brooklyn now. l.a. will have his bird rights so they can give him more money than any other team

The picks they would have been getting from Brooklyn wouldn't have amounted to shit either.

The players they would have got are far better so what is your point?

If they want him, they have no choice, extention is 3 years max, a new contract is 5 years. So itsin Howards best interest to not sign ANYTHING until his contract is UP

Obviously they don't want a maxed out Brook Lopez...they want cap relief, picks, and an asset like Varejao that they can move again for more picks, etc.

If Brooklyn had the best deal, Dwight would be a Net.

if they don't trade him and he walks away next season what do they get then?

Why the **** would they want to give Brook Lopez a max contract?

This way they are clearing out so much salary they can build from the ground up again.

There doesn't appear to be any other deal to do this, given that Howard is so specific about where he wants to go. The options are pretty limited. I have a feeling they will be asking Cleveland for quite a few picks, and I bet Cleveland would fork them up. I don't think Cleveland's picks are necessarily useless. They have three first round picks, including their own. You figure even with Bynum, they still have a chance of being a lottery pick. In any event, three first round picks can easily be traded up to get a lottery pick.

We can call Orlando stupid if we want. I think they are in general. But I think Dwight Howard is such a dick bag that he's not giving them much in terms of options.

If the Lakers get Howard they are the new favorites.

I like this deal for Cleveland too. Don't like it for Orlando at all.

Honestly, with the position he has put them in I'd get more satisfaction letting him rot. Cleveland would be a playoff team easily IMO with Bynum, so those picks become not great anyway.

Dwight Howard really has ****ed Orlando. It would be hard to come off as a bigger douche than this.

Pau and Bynum for Howard?

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

I think the GM has ****ed Orlando now too. Past and present.

Hennigan has a chance to acquire Bynum and doesn't want him.

You are getting a 3rd team involved. You are no longer shopping Howard to other teams. You are looking for teams that want Bynum. Where are the Bulls? I can't think of any reason this "framework" deal goes any farther than the Nets deal. Orlando might as well release him. WTF are you going to rebuild with Varejao and a handful of mid-late first round picks?