Add Dwight Howard to the long list of NBA players who will enter the free agent market this summer. Houston’s star center will forgo the final year of his contract, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical.
The Vertical Sources: Houston Rockets star Dwight Howard has declined his $23.2 million player option for 2016-'17, enters free agency.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 21, 2016
While Howard is no longer the dominant center that he was earlier in his career, he’s still a very good player. Howard played in 71 games in 2015-16, averaging 13.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in 32.1 minutes per game. Statistically, this was one of the worst years of Howard’s career, as his scoring, rebounding, and shot blocking numbers were all among the lowest that they’ve ever been. In fairness, it certainly warrants mentioning that his 32.1 minutes per game were the second-lowest of his career.
So this brings us to the question: Did Howard make the right decision in opting out? On the surface, absolutely not, because it would take a minor miracle for any basketball team to give Dwight Howard $23.2 million a year. Between his downturn in productivity over the last few years, his injury concerns, and the fact that centers like Howard aren’t as valuable in the NBA as they were just a few years ago, Howard’s value on the market very well could be comfortably under $20 million a year.
But dig a little deeper and Howard may be making a savvy move. Yes, while he’s not getting $23.2 million this year, it’s not crazy to think that he can still grab a salary around $17 million a year. Over the long-term, that may be a smarter move than playing out this deal, risking a bad 2016-17 campaign, and having his value on the market completely tank. It’s also plausible that he puts it all together in Mike D’Antoni’s system in Houston and can parlay that into a huge deal, but that’s a pretty big risk for him to take. So if you choose to look at it this way, Howard is taking a short-term pay cut for more long-term financial security.
Howard’s going to be the most interesting guy to watch in free agency this summer (other than Kevin Durant, of course). Most teams will probably see the guy who struggled over the last few years, but all Howard needs is for two teams to think that he still has something left in the tank and we’re heading towards a bidding war for his services.
