Schanowski: Bulls' Time To Pursue Howard Is Now
(WSCR) As reported yesterday, Dwight Howard wants out of Orlando.
Before the trade deadline passed during the 2011-12 season, Howard's name had been rumored with the Bulls. After all, teaming up the game's best and youngest point guard and center would only make sense.
Now that Howard has expressed an interest to be traded again, one Bulls expert thinks the time is now for the Bulls to make a move for the 26-year-old center.
"I think it's almost a better idea to do it now," Mark Schanowski of Comcast Sportsnet told The McNeil and Spiegel Show. "What (Rose's injury) has exposed with this team is that without Derrick, they are very offensively challenged. That Philadelphia series was painful to watch.
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"If the Bulls are going to try to get into the Howard derby, they're not going to get him for just Luol Deng and Joakim Noah. They're going to have to sweeten the pie. That would have to be the Charlotte pick and the rights to Nikola Mirotic. We'll see if (John Paxson) and Gar (Forman) are willing to roll the dice on what could possibly be a one-year rental."
Just before the trade deadline, Howard signed a one-year tender with the Magic. Now, he'll be a free agent after the 2012-13 season. So, theoretically the Bulls could go "all in" for Howard and lose him after one year.
Still, Schanowski said that wouldn't be the worst possible situation for the Bulls.
"If the scenario would unravel that way, then you'd amnesty Boozer," he said. "You'd have Derrick Rose and some middle-level salary guys and then in 2014 there's a big free agent class that includes the possibility of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh opting out after four years of their deals."
