On Dwight Howard Trade Rumors, Otis Smith Says "I Think You Have to Look at Everything"
by Evan Dunlap on Nov 30, 2011 3:19 PM EST
in News
Email
PrintOtis Smith, the Orlando Magic's President of Basketball Operations, has spent most of his tenure as General Manager building his team around All-Star center Dwight Howard. He wants to continue doing that, but with Howard eligible to become a free agent this summer, he may have no choice but to trade his superstar in order to avoid losing him for nothing. And in an interview with Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel on Wednesday, Smith did not rule out that possibility.
"I think you have to look at everything," Smith told Robbins, referencing the possibility of trading Howard. "I don't think you can take anything out of consideration."
Smith said he plans to talk to Dan Fegan, Howard's agent, soon to address Howard's needs. Fegan also represents Jason Richardson, the Magic's starting shooting guard, who will enter free agency on December 9th; Smith told Robbins re-signing Richardson is his top priority this offseason. In addition, Fegan used to serve as an agent to backup point guard Gilbert Arenas, who has since decided to represent himself, but Fegan still advises him at times.
Early Wednesday morning, ESPN.com reported the New Jersey Nets are prepared to make a trade offer for Howard built around young center Brook Lopez. Smith told Robbins he has yet to receive any trade offers for the three-time Defensive Player of the Year.
Please read Robbins' full story about his talk with Smith.
54 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
If Otis messes this up it's his job
He’s already fighting an uphill battle if Dwight doesn’t re-sign but if he does trade him and doesn’t get a GREAT deal, and I mean better than the Carmelo deal, he’ll be out of town before he can say “Golden State”.
Otis Smith should have been fired a long time ago/Just say No To Andrew Bynum!!
This guy is a terrible GM!! This is the general manager responsible for passing on Danny Granger to take Fran Vasquez!! Fran Vasquez!! Chris Duhon anyone? anyone? REALLY!! The Rashard Lewis contract was a joke and so were the trades made last year. Gortat will be a starting center and double double machine for years to come. Gilbert Arenas has the knees of an 88 year old woman. Hedo Turkoglu is washed up with an inflated contract. Jason Richardson sucks!! Why this guy still has a job I have no idea!! His stupidity is the main reason we are losing Howard!! Because he doesn’t know how to build a roster and manage a salary cap!!
If they end up trading for that bum Andrew Bynum I am going to be upset!! An overrated center that gets injured every time a fly lands on him that’s just what we need. I would rather have nothing then Bynum! Because Bynum will end up being another Grant Hill on the pay roll. That guy is made out of glass and he’s not that good even when he does play! He is the most overrated player in the NBA by far. He will average11 points 9 rebounds and 40+ games missed to injury every year. No thanks! I would rather get nothing for Dwight then add Andrew Bynum to the payroll! I have been listening to people talk up Andrew Bynum as a future all star for 6 years now. He still hasn’t been an all star and never will!! That guy is not that good and cant go 2 weeks without tearing his vaginal muscle.
Yeah.
I get why he’s saying all that (ease the blow if/when it happens) but seriously, I think anyone who doesn’t understand that Dwight being traded is a real possibility simply never will believe it, so what’s the point in saying it out loud to the media?
You can't reason with stupid.
http://www.twitter.com/JShannonhouse3
http://www.twitter.com/Amway_Get_Loud
What is interesting to me is the shift in tone from last year
It seems a lot more of a possibility now than before.
Yugly.
i like that he's putting it out there.
all 29 other GMs in the league are salivating right now. bet his phone is ringing off the hook.
he didn't need to put it out there for the other GMs in the league to call.
You can't reason with stupid.
http://www.twitter.com/JShannonhouse3
http://www.twitter.com/Amway_Get_Loud
by JeffShann3 on Nov 30, 2011 3:53 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Subject should be, who wants Otis??
He has put us in this mess, he should have to pay for it with his job!
Resigning Richardson is his TOP priority this offseason? Not getting postured for the future?
How much is Otis going to throw at an aging wing player and how many years is he going to commit the Magic to it?
We already have a salary problem. I personally don’t think JRich is the kind of guy that is going to put us over the top this year or to build around for the future regardless whether D12 stays or leaves. I personally don’t see JRich worth more than an MLE. Nice guy and all but his pts/gm were far higher in Phoenix due to their offeensive style. He’s not going to help Orlando get a ring.
He’s a middle of the road guy at this point and shouldn’t be commanding star type player money. Evan graded him out a C- last year (http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2011/5/27/2190996/orlando-magic-player-grades-jason-richardson) and I think this is appropriate. The Magic ought to pay him appropriately.
Please Otis – don’t saddle us with more bad contracts.
Live life to the fullest, and do it in the fast lane
by UCLA_Alum on Nov 30, 2011 4:00 PM EST reply actions 11 recs
Beat me too it. REC'd
"...sometimes your eyes lie to you..." ~SVG | I'm on Twitter
by magicfaninTN on Nov 30, 2011 4:01 PM EST up reply actions
I also thought that idea was odd.
I think letting J-Rich go should be on the table. Then again, we might be able to re-sign him for cheap which wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
The intensity has to go up, up! Not down...UP! -Stan Van Gundy
Resigning JRich clogs cap space. He’s not going to take a one-year deal.
"...sometimes your eyes lie to you..." ~SVG | I'm on Twitter
by magicfaninTN on Nov 30, 2011 4:04 PM EST up reply actions
I agree.
I wouldn’t re-sign him. I’m just saying he has to go for significantly less money than what his previous deal was for.
But again, I think we need to drop him. The only situation I see us needing to keep him is if we’re planning to trade JJ. Obviously that is a strong possibility if we’re truly in rebuild mode which I think we are.
The intensity has to go up, up! Not down...UP! -Stan Van Gundy
ugh...
Making a major acquisition should be his “Top Priority”.
Richardson is a good character guy and all but he’s declining and he is a horrible defender.
Whenever I think I’ve come to a point where I could not lose more faith in Otis Smith he manages to find a way to surprise me.
by aTasteLikeBurning on Nov 30, 2011 4:10 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Agreed to the max.
My first reaction when I read that was his top priority was, “WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?!”
Otis Smith is stupider than those stupid Sports Science segments they have on ESPN occasionally.
"We just want to chill" - Chris Bosh.
Proud Jameer and Rashard apologist since '07
It's amazing Otis is still employed by this team.
I like to watch.
by MoveThoseChains on Nov 30, 2011 9:24 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Was that the most rec'd comment ever on here?
I’m adding mine.
It makes zero sense to overpay Richardson. At this point we need to be thinking about the future, not the present. Overpaying a guy like Richardson isn’t going to get us a title this year, just put us in another bad cap spot.
Yugly.
Plan.
Dwight needs to get on the phone to CP3 and Deron and tell them to come to Orlando (yes, via his agent, in order to avoid the tampering fines). Then Dwight needs to tell Otis that if he can’t get the cap space or the trade for one of the other premier 2012 free agents, that he won’t re-sign in Orlando. No—check that—Dwight needs to tell RDV, ‘cause if he tells Otis, I think Otis’ ego will rise up and tell Dwight, “nobody tells Mr. Smith what to do.”
Sigh.
After last year’s deals, I really don’t trust Otis. At. All.
"...sometimes your eyes lie to you..." ~SVG | I'm on Twitter
by magicfaninTN on Nov 30, 2011 4:09 PM EST reply actions 3 recs
I like this plan.
You can't reason with stupid.
http://www.twitter.com/JShannonhouse3
http://www.twitter.com/Amway_Get_Loud
you should be thinking about life after dwight, and getting what you can for him before the deadline
deron and cp3 have other plans
deron williams is better than kyrie irving
by William_H_HOLLA on Nov 30, 2011 9:34 PM EST up reply actions
Ok. I was trying to be nice to just call the person who did this a Nets fan. But this time….troll. smh.
You should be thinking about life after Deron. See what I did there?
"...sometimes your eyes lie to you..." ~SVG | I'm on Twitter
by magicfaninTN on Nov 30, 2011 9:42 PM EST up reply actions
*first person who did this.
"...sometimes your eyes lie to you..." ~SVG | I'm on Twitter
by magicfaninTN on Nov 30, 2011 9:46 PM EST up reply actions
i have no delusions of the nets having an upper hand here, i actually think dwight will go to the lakers and wouldn't sign an extension with the nets
but i mean, really, the only thing i can gather from all these trade rumors is that there is no way dwight is staying in ORL. If the nets are looking like a lotto team this year I will say the same thing about him. Difference is, nets aren’t in cap hell like ORL is, even with the amnesty clause.
deron williams is better than kyrie irving
by William_H_HOLLA on Nov 30, 2011 9:49 PM EST up reply actions
One could gather from the trade rumors that every team wants Dwight (and those with reasonable shots at landing him are starting to be vocal) and that Dwight has yet to come out and publicly say what he wants.
I think Dwight is using that leverage to light a fire under Otis. Whether or not Otis feels that heat or has the competency to do anything about it remains to be seen.
You’re right, Orlando’s got a lot of work to do to clear cap space. Doing so is possible. Time will tell.
"...sometimes your eyes lie to you..." ~SVG | I'm on Twitter
by magicfaninTN on Nov 30, 2011 10:46 PM EST up reply actions
look at how carmelo handled it last year
hes not just gonna get on a stage somewhere and tell the media he wants to be traded
deron williams is better than kyrie irving
by William_H_HOLLA on Nov 30, 2011 11:21 PM EST up reply actions
Heh. Jersey fan.
"...sometimes your eyes lie to you..." ~SVG | I'm on Twitter
by magicfaninTN on Nov 30, 2011 8:21 PM EST up reply actions
There's an arm growing out of Dwight's back :/
Finally, Gilbert Arenas can become the player he was meant to be!
by TheGiantSquid on Nov 30, 2011 9:22 PM EST up reply actions
That's what that fresh Jersey air does to you.
I like to watch.
by MoveThoseChains on Nov 30, 2011 9:25 PM EST up reply actions 7 recs
ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.............snap
"Generally, when I draw the play, it's just who's going where. Maybe I have not made it clear enough that we would like the ball to go in the basket."
by AB's triple double on Dec 1, 2011 9:28 AM EST up reply actions
And so the trolling begins.
Dude, you’re not the first person to put Dwight in another jersey and you’re not going to be the last. You’re better off not wasting your time day dreaming over mediocre trades that have little evidence and aren’t likely to happen.
The only way I re-sign Richardson is to try and trade him for a draft pick. Maybe a contending team like the Bulls who need a SG but don’t have the cap room to sign him outright would be willing to make that trade.
Otherwise we need to be cutting salary to make a run at a big time free agent… Not adding salary for average guys.
by Justin85 on Nov 30, 2011 8:27 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Can we amnesty a player every year?
Because if that is the case, I would think Williams would want to come to Orlando given we would have a better surrounding cast than NJ. If we amnesty Arenas this year, and Hedo next year, we would have enough money I believe to sign both Wiliams and Howard. Then we would still have JJ, Anderson, Nelson, Bass. I believe thats a better surrounding cast than Outlaw, Morrow, Lopez, Farmar, and Graham.
Hedo is the player who should get the most heat for our first round exit, not Arenas
by supermantotherescue on Nov 30, 2011 8:49 PM EST reply actions
Can we amnesty a player every year?
No. One amnesty for one player who is already under contract at the beginning of this CBA.
"...sometimes your eyes lie to you..." ~SVG | I'm on Twitter
by magicfaninTN on Nov 30, 2011 9:07 PM EST up reply actions
I could live with the Brooklyn Nets being my second favorite team.
www.pnutbutterjams.com
-FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES-;;-►
by Blood, Sugar, Sex, ORLANDO Magic on Nov 30, 2011 9:06 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
It's better than most of the alternatives but...
I’ll still be praying that Dwight doesn’t leave and cashing in any Jesus points I have for him to stay!
To me, the first question that the GM and front office is to Dwight about what it will take to keep him!
Then they need to do EVERYTHING in their power to make it happen! Dwight has made it clear that he wants to be in on what the Magic do in trades so I would start by asking him what he wants.
Plus, FIRE OTIS
Otis just doesn't get it
He should have been planning to have cap room for next off-season for years now. This combined with the moron trolls that will bombard OPP over the next few months will drive me insane.
Supporting from Hawai'i
by 808duck on Dec 1, 2011 1:55 AM EST reply actions 2 recs
If Dwight leaves...It's because he's lost faith in Otis as a GM
The fact of the matter is that barring a miracle, we won’t be that much better than we were last year. In fact, we have a good chance at being worse.
The best thing that Otis can do is sell Dwight on a plan to get better over the next 3 years and structuring the team so that they are competitive year in and year out. That means NOT making “splash” trade and signings of aging players trying to go for the “home run” every year. With the new CBA, and the more punitive luxury tax, maybe Otis has a better chance at selling that.
Speaking of which, I think that’s where we went wrong. We got too good, too quick. We weren’t supposed to make the Finals in 2009. And when we did, that pushed expectations too high (Dwight’s, and the Organization’s). We weren’t ready. And honestly I think that was the precursor to all the terrible moves that we made after the Finals.
Instead of taking the next natural step in the progression, and setting ourselves up to be competitive every year, Otis made a bunch of knee jerk moves trying to hit a home run.
Now look at us.
Well said
We weren’t supposed to beat the Cavs That year (according to everyone outside Orlando), and when we did the expectations kept rising.
Not that I would ever take back a trip to the finals, but once we made it there, the thought process became “we’re just a few players away from winning it all”. And while that may have been true, it resulted in trades that made us worse and worse (though hindsight we clearly see this).
by Justin85 on Dec 1, 2011 10:36 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
The summer ‘09 deals and trades made a lot of sense at the time. Last season’s move with PHX and WASH? Not so much.
"...sometimes your eyes lie to you..." ~SVG | I'm on Twitter
by magicfaninTN on Dec 1, 2011 11:56 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Last year's trades with PHX and WAS definitely take the cake.
In hindsight though, you can say that Vince Carter was who everybody thought he was. It’s arguable that we got that much better with him starting at the 2, opposed to Courtney Lee.
Hindsight is 20/20, but we probably should have just payed Turk. Especially considering how things turned out with the new CBA.
I think people fail to realize, at the time the deals made sense. The team last year (‘10-’11) was struggling mightily, especially on that road trip. Look what turned out of Rashard, he ended up out for the season. It was a catch-22 for the Magic, either keep the team of original roster that wasn’t producing or take a major risk (and failing) for moves. It’s just tough right now, fortunately there is some chance for Otis to redeem himself with this new CBA (somehow someway) let’s just pray it works out
A flu ravaged the team during that bad stretch
A lot of us thought we should hold out a bit before making a kneejerk trade like that. I still wish we had.
Yugly.
Agree with aakks
Team was struggling because they were barfing. Otis panicked and carelessly tossed assets.
"...sometimes your eyes lie to you..." ~SVG | I'm on Twitter
by magicfaninTN on Dec 1, 2011 12:43 PM EST up reply actions
He traded away every asset/piece of flexibility we had
We would actually have a decent chance of keeping Dwight, and possibly pairing him with CP3/Williams.
Sorry to say, he mortgaged the future of the franchise, with a shot in the dark. I don’t hate Otis like a lot of people do, he’s done some good things, but that was totally a panic move.
Terrible trades straight up - hindsight not needed
Shard for adn injured Zero and we carry another year of non-performing $20M/yr salary. I sure didn’t think this was good when it happened. Didn’t like what Otis got us into with Rashard to begin with (6 yrs $120M), but getting a worse player with a bad rep and adding on more salary committments – come on! Dumb
Carter, $4M, Pietrus, Gortat and a number one pick for Richardson, Hedo and Clark. Carter and his $4M were a wash for JRich who was at $14+M and change. Vince, for all that was reported, had a $4M buy out at the end. Both are now UFAs and can go anywhere. As you can see from the threads JRich sure didn’t impress in a Magic uni. Clark is also an UFA it looks like. Hence the trade details are Gortat, Peaches and a number 1 pick for Hedo and his bloated contract Otis didn’t want to pay at teh end of 2008-2009. How does this seem like any sort of a good deal even when it went down? Phoenix was laughing all the way to the bank.
Live life to the fullest, and do it in the fast lane
If you think everyone like the deals when they were made,
you are very wrong. I’m sorry you liked them at the time and have been proven wrong, but they were always incomprehensible and awful.
I like to watch.
by MoveThoseChains on Dec 1, 2011 4:21 PM EST up reply actions
would just like to say
as a nets fan i’m dissapointed in the trolling going on here. we don’t know where dwight is going, what right do we have to mess around on your blog. i would like to apologize on the behalf of nets fans.
by mbspam17 on Dec 1, 2011 3:14 PM EST reply actions 4 recs
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Orlando Pinstriped Post
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
