Dwight Howard has made it clear he wants out of Orlando. The All-Pro center has asked for a trade to one of three teams: the Lakers, Mavericks, or Nets. One GM doesn’t think Orlando is interested in what the Lakers can offer, and the Nets’ trade chip, Brook Lopez, is injured. One would figure that a team like the Bulls would be a desirable landing spot for Dwight. Chicago also has attractive assets for a trade. So why isn’t he interested in joining reigning MVP Derrick Rose in Chicago? It may be because Howard’s primary sponsor, Adidas, wants to keep its two biggest NBA stars in separate markets.
From Yahoo! Sports:
Adidas has two franchise endorsers: Derrick Rose and Howard. Rose signed a $94 million extension with the Bulls, and sources say Adidas is working on a lifetime shoe deal for him now.
And as one high-ranking sneaker executive says, “Adidas simply cannot have its two signature players on the same team in the same market. … Derrick is the face of that market, owns that market, and Adidas can’t possibly have maximum bang for its buck with Dwight there.
“It serves Adidas no purpose. They need them as rivals in competing markets.”
The reasoning may sound silly, but it’s a reality. Brands like Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour influence where recruits go to school, and where coaches decided to coach. It’s not far fetched to think they want to keep their starts in separate markets.
I don’t know if that’s the reason Dwight isn’t interested in playing for the Bulls, but it’s a plausible factor. It’s just too bad we’re going to see so many crying fans when Dwight leaves Orlando, which could come sooner rather than later.
