2012 NBA Free Agency Thoughts

Thoughts on NBA Free Agency so far, with my obvious bias as a Mavs fan showing:  

• So New Jersey—sorry, Brooklyn—wants DWill, Joe Johnson, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash (Stein is reporting that), and Dwight Howard?  And they are going to trade what for these players since they were about the second worst team in the league?  And they are going to fit this all under the salary cap how?  Maybe it’s the Mavs homer in me, but to me it sounds like a franchise screaming “We are going to act like a player and maybe they’ll think we are a player!” even when there is no way they can ever acquire/afford these players. 
• That being said, if Dwight Howard really did tell Orlando that he will only go to the Nets, there’s no way he’s saying that unless he’s talked to Darren Williams first and made sure he’s resigning there, right?  If he truly did throw that ultimatum for the Nets—and I have a sliver of hope in the fact that it’s being REPORTED that he wants the Nets, and he hasn’t said that it has to be the Nets—there’s no way the Mavs are getting Williams. 
• Why in the world would Steve Nash go to Toronto?  I mean come on.  That team is years away from truly competing, and there are several teams who have enough money who are competitors who Little Stevie Nash I’m sure would be much more interested in.  Why is Toronto wasting their time? 
• How terrified would you be as a Clipper fan that even with Blake Griffin signing an extension, CP3 said, “Nah, I’m going to play this out” and didn’t sign an extension, making him a free agent at the end of the year?  If Howard weren’t once again making such a splash that news would be getting MUCH more pub. 
• That being said, assuming that since he’s back in LA he will return to his Lakers-era form, how much of a steal was getting Lamar Odom for the Clips?  That team just needs to add a Ray Allen-type shooting guard (I can give you 12-15 a game by just knocking down open jumpers) and they are a threat to the Thunder in the West.  And yes, it kills me to write this about that lazy asshole. 
• I love Ray Allen, but did anyone watch him play at the end of the season?  Whoever signs him better hope that his ankles heal and it’s not just father time catching up with him. 
• Finally, as weird as it is to think this so soon…but has anyone ever handled free agency worse than Dwight Howard?  Now I know everyone will say “Yes, Lebron” but Lebron did more damage to his rep than anyone ever has, but other than “The Decision” he didn’t handle it this badly (say what you will, but even the ridiculous party they threw as soon as they signed isn’t so bad now that they’ve won a title in their second season to back it up).  Howard is now in about month 12 of killing his reputation by how he’s handling this.  It’s sadly fascinating to watch.  What an idiot. 

We’ll see how this all plays out.  Once again, we are seeing the NBA…….IT’S FANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNTASTIC!!!