Monday, July 9, 2012

Dwight Howard Deal: Dan Gilbert Is Losing His Fan Support

Two summers ago, many people felt bad for Dan Gilbert.  Gilbert, the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, just watched LeBron James bolt his team to form a SuperTeam in Miami with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.  While Gilbert did get all high and mighty with his chatter after The Decision, a lot of people could understand that Gilbert was really disappointed in how things happened.

That was the Summer Of 2010.

Last summer, the Summer of 2011, the NBA was shut down due to labor strife.  The lockout cut into the season and nearly shut down the season.  One of the sticking point among owners was all these SuperTeams starting to form (remember that the prior season saw Carmelo Anthony force his way to the Knicks and Deron Williams was traded to the Nets).  Owners were tired of players demanding to not only be dealt but where they'd be traded to.

Fast forward to this summer.  All the NBA offseason talk has been around Dwight Howard and where he could end up.  We all know that Howard has set his list to the Nets and no one else.  The Nets, who resigned Deron Williams and traded for Joe Johnson, would love to form their own Big Three with Howard in the fold.  The problem is that it is a logistical nightmare to get this deal made without getting another team to help out.

Enter the Cavaliers.

Reports are that the Cavs are willing to be a third team in the deal and would be essentially doing nothing but getting Kris Humphries as a one-year rental and maybe and late first round pick.  It makes barely any sense for Cleveland to do this since they'd be helping mold yet another Big Three team in the East. 

Then you remember that it is Dan Gilbert that is allowing that. 

Yep the same Gilbert that was so adamant that the Lakers couldn't trade for Chris Paul last December that Commish Stern controversially vetoed the deal.  The same Gilbert who became the go-to voice of the small market owner that houses a team in an undesirable market. The same Dan Gilbert who promised his Cavs would win a title before LeBron's new Heat squad would ... and watched the Heat go to two Finals in two years and winning a ring. 

Why would Gilbert then become the third wheel in a deal that would send the best center in the NBA to a Brooklyn Nets team that is trying to step up to the glamour franchise table?  And all he's getting is a draft pick in the late 20s and Kim Kardashian's ex-husband?

Unless the Cavs are shown to get a high draft pick via a 4th team in any deal, then Gilbert has a lot of questions to answer when the media honks gets to him. 

Maybe Gilbert will promise another Cavs title before the Nets win one. 

2 comments:

Ruthless said...

Danny wants the Nets to dethrone King James ofcourse

Mike Briggs said...

Couldn't agree more, so ridiculous.