PROPOSAL: Josh Howard to the Clippers

From the RealGM forums, a trade proposal has Dallas sending forward Josh Howard to the Clippers for forwards Al Thornton, Tim Thomas and DeAndre Jordan.

My take: Moving Howard would be a classic change of scenery deal for Dallas, as Howard provoked controversy this month when he said he doesn't "celebrate" the national anthem because he is black. But Mavericks owner Mark Cuban rushed to Howard's defense, and it's unlikely the team would trade Howard so quickly after such a public show of support.

If the Mavericks were interested in trading Howard, however, the deal as outlined would be reasonable: Thornton has shown star potential and Jordan is an upside-laden big man, while Thomas can be serviceable when properly motivated. The Mavericks, however, would certainly be acquiring the best player in the deal, which many observers consider the ultimate factor in deciding the "winner" of a given trade.

For the Clippers, the trade could be considered a missing piece transaction, as Howard would fit in nicely with the team's newly-assembled veteran core of Baron Davis, Marcus Camby and Chris Kaman. Some Clipper fans would argue, however, that Thornton has a very real chance to meet or exceed Howard's level of play in the very near future, to say nothing of the inclusion of Jordan. Thomas, meanwhile, is widely viewed as overpaid, and his exit would likely be greeted with cheers.

Upshot: No deal.