Would anyone trade for Dwight Howard and/or Chris Paul without a guarantee that he’d remain beyond this season?
Quite obviously, as documented in this morning’s post about all the trade scenarios that are out there, the Golden State Warriors are one such team, as are the Boston Celtics.
But there is another team, the Los Angeles Clippers, that can trump them all with a mixture of players and draft picks — including a very special one acquired years ago in the Sam Cassell-Marko Jaric trade with Minnesota, the Timberwolves No. 1 pick, unprotected, in what will be a loaded 2012 draft.
I went on the Petros and Money show on 570 Fox Sports Radio in Los Angeles to discuss, among other things, the Clippers’ chances of pulling off one of the two monster trades that will have an enormous domino effect on the free agency market if consummated by the end of the week, when training camps open. Click here to listen to the interview.
As you pointed out yourself in your column about the financial incentives for Paul and Howard, there simply WILL NOT BE an extension no matter what team acquires these players, as they can make substantially more money by opting out and re-signing than by signing an extension. All the trade partners should know this, right?
But whoever he gets traded to can sign him for the full bird contract after he opts out of his final year of his last contract if I understand that correctly