Kings Like Josh Howard, But So Do the Mavs

by Ziller on Jul 18, 2008 11:23 AM PDT Comment 29 comments

The Kings apparently countered that awful Jerry Stackhouse/Brandon Bass offer from Dallas with the obvious: Give us Josh Howard. The Dallas Morning News says the Mavericks are unwilling to consider that.

Apparently, this isn't the first time the Kings have tried to pry Howard away. He'd be an upgrade on John Salmons, for sure -- he's a tenacious defender, a decently efficient scorer, a great rebounder. But I'd find it difficult to offer up more assets beyond Ron Artest to get him after that woeful second-half.

The deadline on the Lakers' opportunity to match Ronny Turiaf's GSW offer sheet is today, so be prepared for a potential onslaught of Odom rumoring tomorrow.

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I don’t see any Artest swaps soon. It doesn’t seem like the Lakers want to part with Odom unless they get like Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan or Lebron James.

Why?

The Lakers’ thinking involves if they could get Pau Gasol (a borderline all-star) for Kwame Brown (a bust), then Lamar Odom which is a borderline all-star would be able to net a franchise player.

BOOK IT!

by kingme18 on Jul 18, 2008 11:35 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Nice to know

That Petrie is actually working the phones and not asleep in his office or on a beach in Maui.

by Carl on Jul 18, 2008 11:43 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

or just

surfing around basketball blogs and message boards like… well, never mind.

by misterbrister on Jul 18, 2008 12:11 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Ha!

SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!

by section214 on Jul 18, 2008 1:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes, but basketball is IMPORTANT

Much more important than whatever else it is the people who post here are supposed to be doing.

by Carl on Jul 18, 2008 2:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Chance they'll cave?

Any rumors / thoughts on the chances the Mavs cave on this?

A lonely Kings fan in a sea of gold and purple...

by Jaycee on Jul 18, 2008 1:27 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Don't think so

I think Artest is only marginally better than Howard, and he’s a huge risk. I wouldn’t even consider trading Josh Howard for Ron Artest.

by Carl on Jul 18, 2008 2:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I don’t see it either, it would be a big risk for the Mavs. The Kings might have to take a chance on someone that has similar issues with their front office.

by LiquidPolio on Jul 18, 2008 2:35 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hmm..

Good Question..

I can certaintly see Dallas as one of the few teams that may actually give up a peice like Howard in order to get back Artest. I dont think they will, however, it sure as hell wouldnt surprise me..

Remember, this IS the DALLAS MAVS and teir owner is still Mark Cuban….....

the same Mark Cuban and management that traded away their PG of the future (Harris) for an aging HOF PG that they thought could help them win RIGHT NOW…

the same Mark cuban and management that decided to take a risk and sign Rodman, when every other team in the league had pretty much “black-balled” him.

If there was 1 team in the league, with an owner and management daring (stupid) enough to trade away a player like Howard, then it sure as hell is the Dallas Mavs

by Hoops916 on Jul 18, 2008 2:48 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Question...

didn’t Carlisle really like Artest too? Was he the one heaping praises on Ron when he got the Dallas job?

If so, that might help a little bit too. Carlisle could possibly persuade management a little, especially since they’re in win-now mode after trading for Kidd.

However, as much as I like Howard, is he really what we want for our rebuilding? He’s 28, same age as Artest. Will he be in his prime when we are officially rebuilt or just getting past it?

by vfettke on Jul 18, 2008 6:48 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

scott howard-cooper

SHC on sacbee blog proposes an alternate Lakers trade that sucks. (artest, williams, douby 4 odom)... however it spurred a potential three-way with Cleveland that looks better to me. (artest/williams/douby to LA; farmar/varejao/sczerbiak to Sac; K-9/Odom to Cleveland). Isn’t Odom a perfect match to LeBron? Lakers save $ (per SHC column), we get Farmar to back up beno and test drive Varejao for a year. Plus, i bet Wally has some trade value at the deadline… thoughts? (ps. it works on trade machine).

by longtimelistenerfirsttimecaller on Jul 18, 2008 2:53 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Gah!

Please, not Varejao. There are enough undersized, incompetent power forwards on this team already and he’s on the books for two more years. I realize that I have an unnatural hatred for Varejao. Look at his numbers and Kenny’s numbers from when he used to play two years ago. It’s not pretty. Szczerbiak does nothing for the Kings. They both squish the minutes of guys who should be playing (Jason Thompson, Francisco Garcia). I like Farmar, but taking those other two guys on – when they have nowhere to play and nothing to contribute to this team – I just don’t like it.

by Carl on Jul 18, 2008 3:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree completely

Faramar is a decent PG, but I don’t think he is as good as Udrih. So we’d been taking on two waste players and a bench player.

You know the stages of loss? I think we are in the second stage of trading. First is interest. Then comes junk. Everybody and their brother is going to throw out junk offeres to see how desperate the Kings might be. The next stage is serious negatiation.

"Being loquacious and being right aren't necessarily always the same."
GP, the man, the myth, the legend, puts the smackdown on Reggie

by SavageBeast on Jul 18, 2008 3:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

in my defense...

Farmar, Varejao, and Wally are on 1 year deals… Farmar looks to me to be a solid backup and as much as we’d like to think Singletary is a “find” first year points don’t typically do well. I think you underestimate Varejao… in my view he is a perfect bench guy and at one year remaining we could find that out and resign if valuable or toss if not… He held out last year, the Cavs stunk and got much better when he returned… Wally makes the money work and like i said, he is a great shooter and his expiring would look good to a contending team in Feb a shooter away from advancing (like Korver did for Utah last year).

by longtimelistenerfirsttimecaller on Jul 18, 2008 3:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good points LTLFTC

I guess what it is going to come down to is what we are being offered. Much as I want cap room, and decent picks, I’d hate to give up a starter without getting something that will net us a starter in return. Then again, petrie can only accept what he is offered. I guess we’ll see how hi Ron Ron is valued.

"Being loquacious and being right aren't necessarily always the same."
GP, the man, the myth, the legend, puts the smackdown on Reggie

by SavageBeast on Jul 18, 2008 4:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Varejao is a free agent in 2010

According to this site. I might be willing to consider it if Varejao expired at the end of the season (trade bait).

by Carl on Jul 18, 2008 4:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Varejao

One year at $5.8 million and then he has an option for $6.2 million. My bet is that he would opt out, given the fact that he could get about the same salary and additonal years simply by signing for the MLE.

SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!

by section214 on Jul 18, 2008 5:54 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

He is known to have an inflated view of himself

And if Desagna Diop can get the MLE then Varejao certainly can. I still feel like the Kings would be adding a head to the Hydra, but I might be more inclined to do a deal if I knew he’d be gone at the end of the year.

by Carl on Jul 18, 2008 5:59 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not a Varejao fan

His salary will barely cover his flopping fines. And he’s not particularly gifted on the offensive end. Give Shelden Williams Varejao minutes and you’d probably get fairly similar results. Come to think of it, let Shelden Williams play with LeBron and The Landlord might flourish.

SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!

by section214 on Jul 18, 2008 6:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

2 things

Moving Thomas with Artest is a must. Getting back another asset, along with an expiring contracts has to be the Kings primary interest in this deal. I wonder if Ferry is even interested in dealing Szczerbiak for Artest, or is that too much of a move for him to accomplish. (Also it might be too expensive overall for the Cavs to be willing to do that.)

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Jul 18, 2008 8:57 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm not sure how you

play Ron and LebRon together. Leb is too big to play the 2 and Ron doesn’t want to play the 4.

Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott

by Kfan in Korea on Jul 18, 2008 9:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

How do you know?

He was willing to do it in Indiana. There’s nothing wrong with Artest playing the 4 for Cleveland. (And LeBron can play the 2 on offense. He just can’t guard anybody.)

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Jul 18, 2008 9:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Because he

said he didn’t want to play the 4 for us? I was just questioning how it would work.

Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott

by Kfan in Korea on Jul 18, 2008 9:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

HIs tune will change if he goes to Cleveland

After all many of the scenarios that suggest Artest would allow Kobe to lead the Lakers without his dissent should apply to LeBron. I’m not saying they automatically do, but they should.

That being said this is Artest, and he’s a total wild card. When did Artest say he wouldn’t play the 4? Any reading material to corroborate? (Not substantiate, but corroborate.)

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Jul 18, 2008 9:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It was early last season

he talked about being willing to do short stints at the 4, but he didn’t like the idea of playing big minutes there. It probably came from the Bee, but I’m not going to go look for it.

Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott

by Kfan in Korea on Jul 18, 2008 9:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well either way

I disagree with the LeBron at the 2 offensively because he can score on anybody as is. Defensively Ron can take whoever is at the 2 already, or 1, or whatever. That’s why I think it will work. If Ron was limited defensively than it wouldn’t.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Jul 18, 2008 9:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The real question in this hypothetical scenario is...

when shit goes sour due to Ron being Ron, who wins in a fight, Artest or Lebron?

Could be some awesome television

by vfettke on Jul 18, 2008 9:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

You're playing with LeBron James. You just let him play wherever the hell he wants.

by Carl on Jul 18, 2008 9:48 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Only you Carl

But I wholeheartedly agree.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Jul 18, 2008 10:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs