Bernucca: Why the Lakers have to trade Dwight Howard

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Dwight Howard is the best center in the NBA. Yes, still.

He also is (a) incapable of making an elbow jumper, (b) unreliable at the free-throw line, (c) susceptible to long-term injury, (d) hypersensitive to criticism from teammates and coaches, (e) more interested in becoming the next Bill Murray rather than the next Bill Russell and (f) wondering why no one has handed him the icon status he desperately craves.

But the worst thing Howard is – and unlike the items above, this is a temporary condition – is a square peg in a round hole.

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Hamilton: Three Point Guards Knicks GM Glen Grunwald Should Pursue Via Trade

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Have the Knicks regressed to the mean? From here, it kind of looks that way.

No doubt they are a good basketball team. But since beginning the season with a blistering 18-6 record, the Knicks have gone just 10-9 and enter play February 1 as the second seed in the Eastern Conference.

Still, with just three games separating the Knicks from the sixth-seeded Atlanta Hawks and the trade winds swirling around the NBA – you know, with it being February and all – let’s take a look at six names.

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Hakim Warrick traded to Charlotte for Matt Carroll

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If you go by the axiom that it is always a good thing to trade a small for a big, the Charlotte Bobcats made a nice move today by acquiring forward Hakim Warrick from the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for shooting guard Matt Carroll.

The move should give the Bobcats an extra defensive presence, which is something you need when you are ranked 30th in the NBA in points allowed (107.2).

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Geltzeiler: Who Will Get Traded? Who Will Have Breakout Season?

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As much as I enjoy the NBA, there is a tedium to the preseason that only makes me feel dissatisfied. I’m that much closer to regular season basketball, but yet I don’t quite have it, kind of like Al Pacino and his retirement in The Godfather 3.

Nonetheless, as we enter a new season, I’m always looking for players who will emerge as stars. I also look at who has a realistic chance of getting traded. And then I like to look at what offseason acquisitions had the best chance to affect the title chase.

I’m going to give you 5 players in each category.

Why 5?

I choose 5 because there are 5 players on each team on the court at the same time.  I choose 5 because Kobe Bryant currently has 5 championship rings, but most of all, I choose 5 because in my humble opinion, there are only 5 teams entering this season with a realistic chance at winning the title.  Those teams are Miami, Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, and Boston.

We’ll have all of our staff picks posted before the opening tip on Tuesday night.

Meantime …

Five Players Who Are Going To Have Breakout Seasons

1) Ty Lawson (Denver) - Lawson has improved very steadily in his first three years in the league. This is the season where he takes his game to another level — even if he doesn’t get he contract extension he is seeking.  He’s already an animal at pushing the tempo. He’s not only a good shooter, he’s a smart shooter and he hits his free throws. He’s a good defensive player and a good passer. He’s also in a unique position this season where he can improve in an area that his team desperately needs him to improve in.  The Nuggets struggled executing offensively in the half court in last year’s playoffs. They don’t have a significant low post presence and settled for a lot of perimeter jumpers. Lawson can be an enormous weapon off the dribble in the half court.  He has worked in the offseason on penetrating using his left hand.  He’s fast enough to pretty much get in the paint whenever he wants.  A better left hand and a more aggressive mindset will put him in the conversation with the top 5 point guards in the league. 

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Chicago Bulls Offseason Moves & Analysis

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bulls small logoUNDER CONTRACT: G Derrick Rose, F Carlos Boozer, F Luol Deng, C Joakim Noah, G Richard Hamilton, G Kirk Hinrich, F Taj Gibson, G Jimmy Butler, F Vladimir Radmanovic, C Nazr Mohammed, G Marco Belinelli, G Nate Robinson, C Kyrylo Fesenko

DRAFT PICKS: G Marquis Teague

FREE AGENTS: G Mike James, F Brian Scalabrine

MOVES: For the first time in franchise history, the Bulls are going to have to pay the luxury tax – and really don’t have much to show for it. GM Gar Forman refused to match the three-year, $25 million offer sheet Houston gave Omer Asik, who will receive $14.1 million in the final season of the deal. That’s 2014-15, when the Bulls already will have roughly $50 million committed to Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer. But Asik isn’t the only member of the “Bench Mob” that won’t be back. Kyle Korver was dealt to Atlanta for cash and a $5 million trade exception. Ronnie Brewer’s option of $4.37 million was not picked up, and he signed with New York. C.J. Watson also was waived and signed with Brooklyn. And Chicago showed no interest in bringing back John Lucas (who signed with Toronto) or Mike James (still a free agent), which means all of the point guards who filled in admirably when Rose was hurt last season are gone. Rose’s torn ACL will keep him out until late January at the earliest, and his new caddies are Kirk Hinrich, the former Bull who was re-signed for $8 million over two years, and rookie Marquis Teague. Forman did try to rebuild his bench on the cheap, nabbing Nazr Mohammed on a veterans’ minimum deal to replace Asik and adding range shooting by signing Vladimir Radmanovic to a one-year veteran deal and Marco Belinelli for $1.9 million through the bi-annual exception. He also got somewhat of a steal in signing Nate Robinson to a one-year, $1.2 million deal – if Robinson displays the maturity he has in recent years. If he doesn’t, he’s gone, because the contract isn’t fully guaranteed. But Radmanovic and Belinelli are not stalwart defenders; on offense, they are only effective playing off double-teams or dribble penetration. Without Rose, the Bulls don’t really have anyone who commands a double-team or can easily get inside a defense. Before camp began, Kyrylo Fesenko was signed to fortify the frontcourt. And coach Tom Thibodeau – inexplicably allowed to enter the final year of his deal – received a four-year, $17.5 million extension through 2016-17.

TO-DO LIST: Not matching on Asik  was somewhat of a surprise but allowed Forman to keep in place a long-term plan. Reserve forward Taj Gibson – who often plays ahead of Boozer in crunch time – is due for an extension next summer, when Richard Hamilton’s contract comes off the books. Discussions are under way and the deal likely will get done before the Oct. 31 deadline. Forman can then reload in the summer of 2014, when Luol Deng’s contract expires. At that time, he can also use the amnesty clause on Boozer and have enough room to sign a free agent to a maximum contract to play alongside Rose, Gibson, Noah and perhaps a re-signed Deng. Chicago native Patrick Beverley, considered as a camp invite, signed a three-year deal to play in Russia.

PROJECTION: The Bulls will look different next season, and not just because Hinrich is running the offense until Rose returns around the All-Star break. Asik, Watson, Brewer, Korver and Lucas all were rotation players last season. That is a huge turnover for a team that has had the NBA’s best record in each of the last two years. Chicago will fall from the 60-win stratosphere. The Bulls are still a playoff team, but they are going to take a step back – at least in the regular season – and it could be far enough to fall behind Indiana in the Central Division.

(RELATED: What grade did the Bulls get?)

For offseason analysis of every team, click here.