The table below shows who each team is receiving in the deal. Also to add on to that, the Magic will be receiving a protected first-round pick from EACH of the other three teams in the deal.

So after all is said and done, the Magic, who had to fight through the entire Dwight saga for the past two years don’t get a whole lot out of this deal. The one nice piece they do receive is Arron Afflalo, a defensive stopper who helped the Nuggets last year with his D and his presence from beyond the arc. Twitter has been a buzz tonight about the deal, and most, if not all people have thought the Magic didn’t get enough in the deal.

Basically, under these current parameters, three teams made out like bandits, and then there’s the Magic

— Mike Prada (@MikePradaSBN) August 10, 2012

Everybody else made out BUT Orlando. Yet the Magic had the most valuable asset. They couldn’t even unprotected picks out of the deal, man.

— Michael Smith (@michaelsmith) August 10, 2012

The Lakers finally add the piece they have been looking forward to all summer, Dwight Howard. The three-time Defensive Player of the year is headed to the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles, joining Kobe, and Pau as a slightly older, but extremely talented “Big Three”. The addition of Howard all but guarantees that we will be seeing a lot of LA-OKC Western Conference Finals, giving the Lakers the key piece  they needed to possibly knock off OKC, reversing what happened last year in the WC Semis, losing 4-1 at the hands of Durant and the Thunder.

After giving up their star in Andre Iguodala, the Sixers look to build on a fairly successful 2011-12 campaign by adding big man Andrew Bynum, a young star that could possibly resign in Philly  which would be three-year, $60 million extension. But if he would wait till after the ’12-’13 season or wait to become a free agent after the season.

Last, but certainly not least, the Nuggets, who were one quarter from eliminating the Lakers last year in the Western Conference Quarterfinals pick up Iguodala, who can help the Nuggets immediately into a solid contender in the West. Iggy will help Denver, as they hope he will continue to play as a solid all-around star, building on the ’11-’12 season in which he averaged 12 points, 6 rebounds and 5 and half assists per game

That’s just my minor take on the need to push the NBA to Columbus, but if you are looking for a place that is directly about bringing the NBA to Columbus, check out their site, coincidentally named www.NBAtoColumbus.com.

As “Linsanity” began it’s route southwest, New York Knicks coach Mike Woodson received a call from Knicks owner James Dolan about a possible acquisition the team could make for the upcoming season. “George Mikan! Can you believe he is still on the market?” exclaimed Dolan early this morning, interrupting a massage Woodson was receiving while on vacation in Mexico. “But James, George has been dead for seven years,” said Woodson, who was visibly confused by what was happening. The call would develop into an intriguing conversation for Coach Woodson, because James Dolan actually believed the blasphemy exiting his mouth.

JD- “I know Mike, but look, we could probably get him for the veteran minimum, and with Amar’e's injury history, we can’t take any chances. Also, have you seen all the fire hydrants outside the locker room? It’s not safe for Amar’e at MSG.”

MW-”Mr Dolan, HE IS DEAD! He can’t play.”

JD-”That’s what the critics said about Jeremy Lin too, and look what he did for us? Do you not remember Linsanity, it was crazy! MSG sold out, my wife put out, and Jersey Shore wasn’t even on tv for two weeks!”

MW-”I think you’re missing the point, Mr Mikan passed away in 2005. It is not physically possible for him to wear a Knicks jersey.”

JD-”Mike, have you not seen his stats? He averaged 27.4 points per game as a rookie in 1949! His rebounds aren’t listed, so you know he had to average like 54 a game, that’s what all the big men did back in the day, right?”

MW-”No, only Wilt Chamberlain, and before you ask about him, he is dead as well.”

JD-”Woah, nobody told me about Wilt being a free agent! I mean, we’ve already signed Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas, can’t go wrong with another old head.”

MW-”You know what? We should sign both of them! That’d be a great idea. Let me know how it goes.”

Following the successful conversation, Dolan would contact several members of the Mikan family to see how the former center was doing these days. As Woodson had already indicated, the Mikan family alerted Dolan that the Hall of Famer passed away seven years ago. Finally realizing that there really were no other options for the Knicks, Dolan would contact the Philadelphia 76ers and ask about  newly signed Kwame Brown, who ironically had as many impressive plays in the post as George Mikan did last year. Maybe Willis Reed can suit up for the Knicks this upcoming season, he’s only like two years older than Camby right?

OTHER SPORTING NEWS

• Los Angeles Sparks F Candace Parker was named the Western Conference’s Most Impressive Player for the past week. Parker averaged 24 points in two games, and only dribbled the ball of her knee four times, a WNBA low.
• Washington Wizards rookie guard Bradley Beal had 18 points in a 77-75 summer league victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Beal and former Butler guard Shelvin Mack led Washington in scoring, and more importantly, made Bucks’ F Shavlik Randolph feel even worse about the downturn of his career than he already does.
• The Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers are in trade talks again. In the proposed deal, LA would send Andrew Bynum to Cleveland, Orlando would send Dwight Howard to LA, and Cleveland would send Anderson Varejao, several first round picks and an overjoyed Comic-Sans letter directly from Dan Gilbert to Orlando.
• Authorities in Dallas say the mother of Cowboys WR Dez Bryant was involved in a domestic assault, ironically involving her son. Bryant’s mother accuses her son of “trying to kill her,” by hitting her in the face with a ball cap, pulling her clothes and smacking her arms. And we all thought Marshawn Lynch‘s DUI arrest the same night was bad.

Have any suggestions for a Comedy Corner post? Contact BehindTheBoxScore on Twitter @behindtheboxscore

Following the contract extension agreement that the Chicago Bears reached with star running back Matt Forte earlier in the afternoon, Bears GM Phil Emery has made it clear that his team’s number one goal is to now pursue Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard. Howard, who has been the center of trade talks since March, has changed his mind numerous times on what he wants to do with his future. After telling media members that the Brooklyn Nets were the only team he would commit to long term, Howard has now been forced to deal with wherever he might land. Various trade offers have reached the desk of Orlando GM Rob Hennigan, including an offer from the Saskatchewan Rough Riders of the CFL, whom offered to give up $40 million in Canadian dollars, six seasons of Friends on Blu-ray, and an autographed Brian Adams hockey stick in exchange for the 6’11″ center. Hennigan would politely decline a few days later after intense deliberation. Now, Hennigan will have another excruciating decision to make.

Finally reaching an agreement with Forte was a huge step in the right direction for the Bears. With their franchise running back secured for another four years, Chicago is one superstar away from championship contention. Adopting the Micky Arison formula for success, Emery is willing to unload the “motherload” of trade offers for Howard. In an interview with Behind the Box Score yesterday, Emery guaranteed that Howard “would don the orange and blue next season. And no, I’m not referring to the 2006-07 Golden State Warriors.” When BtBS asked Emery what the offer would entail, he gave us a sneak peak of what Chicago would be giving up. “Look, I’m just going to say this. I learned from the legendary Mike Ditka, and that guy was crazy. He offered to give up his entire 1999 draft class for a pothead who just happened to play running back. With Dwight, we have one of the best athletes in the world, and if we can get him in Chicago, everyone will forget that our favorite baseball team here hasn’t won in 104 years.” 

Our interviewer, whose name is not going to be used for safety reasons, tried to remind Emery that Howard doesn’t even play football. With that being said, Emery said he is still focused on nabbing Howard for the 2012 season. With the addition of Brandon Marshall, the Chicago offense hopes to explode onto the scene, especially in a high scoring NFC North. Emery didn’t reveal what position Howard would play if he were to land in Chicago, but finished trade talk with this, “In Chicago, we have had a history  of winning. Whether that be the most homicides in one year, or the best rapper to schmash Kim Kardashian, Chicago isn’t happy with second place. Rob Hennigan, I’m speaking directly to you. I’m willing to give you the best trade offer you’ve seen in your short career as a GM, and if you don’t accept it, well, we will have problems. Let me remind you that I resided in the same cell as Tookie Williams. I can get you touched.” These are very strong words from a GM pursuing a player who doesn’t even play in the same league as the Chicago Bears, but nonetheless, at least this Chicago franchise is trying to improve.

((Elev8TheGame))

LeBron James (27 years old, 8 year veteran)

As the leader of the NBA’s best Miami Heat, James is having a career year in 2011-12. Averaging 27.6 ppg, 8.1 rpg, and 6.8 apg, LeBron is the obvious pick for best complete player in the league. James has been known as a great teammate, and many say his greatest quality is his ability to make the ones around him better basketball players. The only knock against James is his recent late game struggles, most notably the fourth quarter collapses in the NBA Finals last season vs Dallas.

Kobe Bryant (33 years old, 15 year veteran)

Bryant, one of the greatest scorers in NBA history is having another outstanding season in the purple and gold. Known as the best closer in the NBA, Bryant has often drawn many comparisons to Michael Jordan for his leadership and will to win. What separates Bryant from most players in the league is his killer instinct late in games, and his ability to hit clutch shots. The only negative aspect surrounding Kobe is that he is on the wrong side of 30, and with deep playoff experience, Bryant has an intense amount of mileage on his legs. (2012 stats, 28.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 4.9 apg)

Kevin Durant (23 years old, 4 year veteran)

Durant, the back to back scoring champion in the NBA has infinite potential. In leading the Oklahoma City Thunder from obscurity to tops in the Western Conference in just a few short years, Durant is the pick for many NBA experts as the next megastar. Last Sunday, Durant had the highest scoring output of the season against Denver, in which Durant shot 18-25 from the field for 51 points in an overtime win. The one thing that Durant has going against him is the fact that many analysts believe Russell Westbrook has control of his team, which should not happen with a player of Durant’s caliber. (2011-12 stats, 27.7 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 3.4 apg)

Derrick Rose (23 years old, 3 year veteran)

Rose, the defending MVP, has helped bring Chicago basketball back to glory. After a career season in 2010-11, Rose and the #1 seeded Bulls were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat. Returning another talented squad, Rose has been a big part of Chicago’s success thus far this season. Although Rose is battling a back injury, the lightning quick point guard has put up very good numbers. All he needs is another scorer to play alongside with, and Rose could bring the first championship to Chicago since the legendary Michael Jordan. (2011-12 stats, 21.8 ppg, 7.7 apg)

These are our four candidates we feel are worthy enough to be chosen for the #1 overall pick in a theoretical fantasy draft, but it’s now up to you to decide who you think should be chosen with the first pick. Leave your choice in the comment box and tell us why you think your player deserves to be the top pick. Your choice not listed? That’s fine, choose a different player and tell us why you would choose them first overall. It’ll be interesting to see who the people think is the most valuable player in the league.

Topics for today:

• Lebron vs Linsanity tomorrow night, discussing who we think will win and why
• High school basketball tournament heating up, who will win the Columbus regional
• A brief overview of Buckeye basketball
• Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck: Who to stick with?
• Major League Baseball, predictions for the Reds and Indians
• And much more!

If the embedded clip does not work, here is the extra link: http://soundcloud.com/behindtheboxscore/the-behind-the-box-score-show

After nearly two weeks of Linsanity, Jeremy Lin and the Knicks will get their true test in the Eastern Conference, as New York travels to Miami to play LeBron and the Heat on Thursday. Following a 100-92 loss at the hands of Deron Williams and the Rocafella Nets, oops, I mean, New Jersey Nets, Lin and the Knicks hope to upset the surging Heat. Miami, at 25-7, have won 14 of their last 16 games, with the previous six coming by 10 or more points. The ironic aspect of the Heat’s success this season is the incredible amount of undercoverage the team is receiving. As James continues to have arguably his best season thus far in his career, the successes of LeBron and Miami have been minimized due to Lin’s comet like crash on the scene, taking the entire world by storm. It will be interesting to see the outcome Thursday in Miami when these two meteors collide.

In other news…

• Retired slugger Manny Ramirez has come to an agreement with the Oakland Athletics. The contract is set for one year, at $500,000, a tremendous pay cut considering Ramirez was making $20 million in each of his two years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ramirez, who turned his back on the Tampa Bay Rays following a second positive test for banned substances, was slated to serve a 100 game suspension for the 2011 season. With his retirement, league officials have reduced his suspension to 50 games for this season, saying the retirement was virtually “a 140 game suspension.” ESPN’s Pedro Gomez, who has been around Manny all offseason, says the Manny the A’s signed, is “a changed man.” 
• The New York Yankees have handed all of their troubles on the mound over to the Pittsburgh Pirates. New York dealt overpaid pitcher AJ Burnett to Pittsburgh in exchange for two prospects and a signed Terry Bradshaw helmet, according to multiple sources. Burnett, who was 11-11 last season with a 5.15 ERA, has $31 million remaining on his contract, in which New York will pay $20 mill. 
• In the NHL, the Detroit Red Wings look to extend their record home winning streak to 24 games on Thursday against the defending Western Conference champion, Vancouver Canucks. Detroit is fresh off a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks, who have lost six straight. All is well in Detroit sports at the moment. 
• Boston Celtics PG Rajon Rondo has been suspended for two games following his ejection Sunday night in a 96-81 loss to Detroit. Rondo, who received his second technical foul late in the third quarter after throwing the ball at an official, was upset over a foul not being called. The timing of Rondo’s suspension is detrimental to the Celtics, as the talented point guard will miss games at Dallas and a rematch vs Oklahoma City. 

Moving and Shaking

The 2012 field is different that the 2011 field in many regards, mainly in the teams that are actually in the field. Perennial City League powers Brookhaven and Beechcroft have dropped down to Division 2. Ex D2 members Hilliard Bradley (9-11), Canal Winchester (10-10) and Olentangy (10-10) have moved up a level, with Bradley getting their first taste of Division I tournament experience.

No Power Change at the top

 The top seed three of the last four years, the Northland Vikings, finished their season at 19-1, with their only loss to Huntington Prep (WV) early this year. The Vikings won the Columbus City League Championship again this year for the sixth time in a row, their 89th consecutive CCL win, a 66-55 win over Walnut Ridge. Walnut Ridge is the second seed in the tournament, also finishing 19-1.

The annual discovery of Cinderella

Every year, without a doubt there is one team, low seeded or no seeded, that gets hot just at the right team and breaks the hearts of teams in their path. Last year, unseeded Westerville Central ran through the Columbus 2 regional, knocking off 12th seeded Mount Vernon, 10th seeded Olentangy Orange, culminating with an upset of 3rd seeded and 19-1 Upper Arlington, 59-55. The Warhawks then faced Northland in the district final, giving the Trey Burke-led Vikings all they wanted, but fell in the end 65-62.

This year’s tournament has the potential to be upset happy, with there being many good unseeded and low seeded teams in the field. One team that stands out would be 10th seeded Grove City. The Greyhounds have a favorable route to the district final, and could possibly fly under the radar, much like they have all year, finishing 14-6.

Can Northland Repeat?

Coming off the mentioned 66-55 win over 2nd-seeded Walnut Ridge in the Columbus City League championship, the Vikings are flying high, looking for a 3rd regional title in 4 years. Northland is led by their bigs in the middle, a pair of 6’8 centers in Jalen Robinson and Devon Scott. The guard play for Northland, which was a trouble in their only regional loss 2 years ago, a 71-45 upset by Gahanna, has been improved the past two years, with Trey Burke handling the duties last year. This year, seasoned veterans Jordan Potts and Ke’Chaun Lewis dominate as the guards.

The Vikings run to another title begins Thursday against winless Central Crossing, then a match-up with another winless team in West the following Wednesday. Northland won’t face a seeded team until the district final, where they could possibly face 9th seeded Olentangy Orange or 10th seeded Grove City. The chances of a repeat are very high, considering the biggest hurdle they would face would either be a rematch with Walnut Ridge, or 3rd seeded Olentangy Liberty, team that started the year 17-0 but lost 2 of their last 3. There is no reason that the Vikings shouldn’t win the region again, and here are my final predictions:

Columbus District 1: #1 Northland over #10 Olentangy Orange, 71-57

Columbus District 2: #3 Olentangy Liberty over #2 Walnut Ridge, 61-55

Columbus District 3: #4 Pickerington Central over #6 Newark, 59-50

Regional Semi #1: #1 Northland over (Canton Regional #1) Canton Timken, 80-68

Regional Semi #2: #3 Olentangy Liberty over #4 Pickerington Central, 65-59

Regional Final: #1 Northland over #3 Olentangy Liberty, 52-45

Just a few hours north, the Seattle SuperSonics were a franchise going in the opposite direction. With obvious talent in 20 point scorers Ray Allen, and Rashard Lewis, the Sonics finished the 2006-07 campaign with a 31-51 record, one game worse than the year before. Hoping to start fresh, obvious changes were going to be made by the front office, and with their lottery chances, Seattle liked what the future had to offer.

On the college landscape, Ohio State C Greg Oden was dominating all draft chatter, and right up there with him was Texas SG/SF Kevin Durant. Oden and Durant were the obvious top two prospects for the draft, and rightfully so. As both players were leading their teams to successful seasons, each represented a different style of play. Oden, averaging 15.7 ppg, and 9.7 rpg was an obvious force to be reckoned with. Causing havoc for any defender opponents tried to throw his way, most NBA scouts saw the next great big man in the making.

In the Big 12, Kevin Durant was the catalyst on an explosive Texas offense. Averaging 25.8 ppg and 11.1 rebounds, Durant was of a different breed. Measuring in at 6’9″ and 225 pounds, the forward showed remarkable shooting touch along with incredible ball handling skills for someone his size. The only knock against Durant among scouts was his frail frame, which many thought would be an obvious determent to his development once he reached the NBA.

As June 28th approached, fans in each city were anxious to see how their respective teams’ futures were to be changed for the better. Portland would go on to draft the consensus #1 pick, Greg Oden, and Seattle had an even greater day, as the Sonics not only drafted Durant, but in the process, traded star player Ray Allen to Boston for the rights of the fifth overall pick, Jeff Green. With the move, Seattle initiated an obvious youth movement, and the Celtics after acquiring not only Ray Allen, but Kevin Garnett that day, became one of the premier forces in the league. As we reflect on the monumental moves made that day, one can only wonder how the league’s landscape would have been changed had Portland changed it’s mind. Let’s take a look at what could have been.

June 29, 2007

NEW YORK, NEW YORK- With the first pick in last night’s draft, the cellar dweller Portland Trailblazers drafted Kevin Durant. Durant, with his superior shooting ability and versatility looks to pay dividends for the Blazers offense, only adding to the length of LeMarcus Aldridge and Channing Frye. With Roy at the point, and Durant on the wing, the Blazers look to have one of the youngest and most talented offenses in the league. With an adequate balance of inside and outside scoring, the future is bright in Portland.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK- Selecting second in last night’s NBA Draft, the Seattle SuperSonics were blessed to acquire the talented center out of Ohio State, Greg Oden. Oden, who brings obvious length to the Seattle front line, hopes to return the Sonics to the glory days of Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp. Along with Oden, Seattle looks to rely on F Jeff Green to bring more scoring to an offense that looks to be depleted following the departures of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis.

November 16th, 2007

PORTLAND, OREGON- Squaring off against the West perennial power and defending champion San Antonio Spurs, the young Blazers took down the defending champs, 108-94. Led by rookie Kevin Durant’s 27 points and 6 rebounds, the Blazers did a great job at containing Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. With the victory, Portland improved to 4-3 on the young season. Durant is off to a wonderful start in his career, averaging 17.3 ppg, while Brandon Roy (19.4 ppg) and LaMarcus Aldridge (15.8 ppg) are each averaging double digits.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON- In a 94-78 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, the Sonics suffered an even greater loss Friday night. Midway through the 2nd quarter, rookie big man Greg Oden went down with an apparent knee injury. Oden, who had injury problems in his only season at Ohio State, is waiting on x-ray results to see whether or not his season is in jeopardy. For Seattle, Oden’s injury is threatening to not only the team’s immediate future, but the long term future as well. Coach PJ Carlesimo said following the loss to Atlanta, “Greg’s a strong kid, and we hope he can get back on the court very soon. We need him out there if we want to make any moves this season.”

February 23rd, 2008

CLEVELAND, OHIO- In a 104-99 loss to the defending Eastern conference champ Cleveland Cavaliers, the Blazers saw significant contributions out of their young stars. Led by Kevin Durant’s season and career high 34 points, the Sonics fell just short to LeBron James and the Cavs. James, who earlier in the week was asked about the remarkable season Durant was having, was quoted as saying, “Kevin reminds me alot of myself. He has really put that team on his back, and I’m excited to play against him.” Cleveland jumped out to an early 56-38 halftime lead, but a surge in the final period led by Durant and Brandon Roy evened the score at 94 with three minutes to play. Cleveland would rely on James for scoring in the 4th, and a 10-5 run proved to be the final nail in the coffin. James, who finished with 41 points and 12 rebounds, had his way all night in the lane, getting by Durant and LeMarcus Aldridge. With the loss, Portland falls to 24-20, while Cleveland improves to 28-16.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON- Brutally outmatched by the size and scoring of the Los Angeles Lakers, the league worst Sonics fell to a 10-36 record Wednesday night, after a 110-88 loss. Greg Oden’s season ending injury is excruciating for the Sonics, as the young and inexperienced team has looked for more contribution out of Nick Collison and Jeff Green. The Sonics struggled to score in the paint, as newly acquired Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum dominated Seattle on the boards. Green led Seattle with 20 points, but Kobe Bryant’s 38, and Gasol’s 32 proved to be too much for the home team. Along with the apparent struggles on the court, Seattle fans have been even more troubled lately, as reports are surfacing that team owner Clay Bennett has been exploring options to move the team to Oklahoma City. Bennett had been adamant about the deteriorating Key Arena, and unless a new arena is in the works, odds are the team’s bags are packed. This is the team’s 41st season in Seattle, and many fear it will be their last.

April 17th, 2008

PHOENIX, ARIZONA- Although the Portland Trail Blazers were on the wrong end of a 100-91 loss to the Phoenix Suns, the young team is on their way to the playoffs. Finishing the season with a 50-32 record, Kevin Durant is the consensus pick for Rookie of the Year. Behind Durant’s 22 ppg, the Blazers featured one of the league’s best offenses, ranking sixth in points per game at 103. Coming in to the playoffs as the sixth seed, Portland will be squared off against these same Suns. Coach Nate McMillan likes his chances against Phoenix and it will be interesting to see how this inexperienced squad responds to the pressure the playoffs tend to bring.

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA- The Sonics wrapped up a horrendous 2007-08 campaign and their history in Seattle with an embarrassing 103-70 loss at the hands of the mediocre Sacramento Kings. With the loss, the Sonics finished the season with a 17-65 record, including a 14 game losing streak to end the year. Without rookie Greg Oden in the post, the Sonics suffered on both sides of the ball for the majority of the year. The fans in Seattle were visibly distraught as the year progressed, as the rumors in February became truth regarding the team’s future. Watching your team lose 65 games is one thing, but to watch your team leave your city on such terms is another. Maybe someday a franchise will return to the great state of Washington.

Back to the present day….

It’s quite interesting to think about how one draft could have changed the fortunes of two franchises. Portland, who has been competitive for years, is still lacking a franchise game changer to become a contender. With Durant, that certainly would have happened, and it’s crazy to think just how good that team could have been. Barring injury, Greg Oden’s presence in the paint could have also paid huge dividends for Portland, who is still to this day searching for a true center. Seattle’s selection of Durant is arguably the best draft pick the team has ever had. Durant, a two time scoring champion, has led the now Oklahoma City Thunder, along with Russell Westbrook, to the best record in the Western Conference. This was only a sneak peak at what we could have seen in the NBA had Portland chosen Durant ahead of Oden. It is also difficult to predict that Oden would have had the injuries that he has suffered from. What do you think would have happened in the league had Portland been given the chance to rethink their decision?