Yea it really is. I don't buy the "cold weather" stuff as he's willing to go to the Nets. Does he not care about championships? Rose and Boozer will get you there a lot quicker than the Nets minus Brooks Lopez.
Albeit, maybe just positioning, per rotoworld: I feel like a package focused around Noah, a big Florida guy, and some of the surplus of 1st rounders, would be pretty enticing. Could certainly beat anything the Nets put out there.
It really sucks that Howard is so opposed to Chicago. Seeing as the Bulls are interested, they could definitely have put together a package that could compete with most anyone's.
That would make next season a lot more bearable. I think the Yanks are out as well. Everything I've read regarding them just gives me the impression that they're not looking for that much pitching help. From what I can tell, they never even tried to get in the Buehrle or Wilson races. I see the Rangers as being the Vegas favorite for this just because they need to make a splash now. I think Jays will be in as well as they have seemed interested in dropping some cash for talent, although I'd wonder if they have the upfront money for the bid. The Nationals are another team I wouldn't count out as they've chased numerous free agents with legitimate interest and been stiffed repeatedly. Adding a healthy Strausberg and Darvish to that team would make them look pretty formidable. The Cubs rounding obviously round out the list of serious contenders as they need young pitching and lest we forget, Theo and Jed were both involved in the winning bid for Dice-K, so they are probably the most experienced front office in this race as far as this process is concerned.