Over the past 24 hours, the Golden State Warriors have emerged as a clear favorite to land Dwight Howard. The team has said their meeting with the free agent went "very, very well" and they think they have a real shot at signing the center. As a result, the Warriors are making preparations to be able to sign Howard to a large contract and looking at players to trade to do so.
ESPN reports Golden State is aggressively trying to trade players and clear cap space for Howard's contract. They must clear exactly $30 million in order to have the financial flexibility to sign the All-Star. A sign-and-trade with Lakers is officially an option after the team realized they might no longer be a lock to re-sign Howard. Instead of getting nothing in return, they have re-opened the option of working out a deal with another team. That would certainly help Golden States' financial situation, but it might not be enough.
The Warriors will likely try and shed the contract obligations of players like Andrew Bogut, Richard Jefferson of Andris Biedrins. That would be enough to get Howard, but the only real tradable player in that bunch is Bogut. Golden State would have to work out some kind of package deal that would involve wither Klay Thompson or Harrison Barnes as well.
Golden State cannot use the amnesty provision after clearing Charlie Bell. It leaves them with few options on how to get creative in making room. Sources report that the Warriors have been trying to trade all three players throughout the week but have found very few takers. If Golden State can get the Lakers to truly agree to a sign-and-trade, it would eliminate a lot of the stress that Howard's contract would bring.
If Golden State cannot work out their financial situations, the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks will remain the clear favorites for Howard. The Rockets offer the chance to play with developing super star James Harden. They also already have the financial plan in place to give Howard the best deal available. The Dallas Mavericks have Dirk Nowitzki and the chance to land another super star in free agency next summer.
Howard wants a championship sooner rather than later. If Golden State is forced to dump off player's key to depth, how attractive will they be to the center? Howard is hoping to make a decision by Friday.
