This isn’t surprising. The Houston Rockets are stuck in neutral, and the NBA trade deadline ends a week from 3 p.m. ET today. So, it makes sense that Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical is reporting that Houston is working with Howard’s agent, Dan Fegan, to look at possible trade destinations for the Rockets big man. Rockets GM Daryl Morey is actively calling teams to dangle Dwight, so even if Fegan isn’t keen on a city, Howard will likely be wearing a different uniform by this time next Thursday.
The decision to move the 30-year-old stems from what will take place this summer, when Howard has a player option worth $23,282,457. That’s a ton of money, but at this juncture in his career, with multiple back and knee injuries already in his rearview, and a game predicted on freakish athleticism that’s made his contemporary game look like a vestige of his former self, locking up one more long-term deal has to be Howard’s ultimate goal.
To that end, the Rockets are trying to get something in return before Howard opts out in July. After firing Kevin McHale early in the season and trading for Josh Smith, Houston still can’t seem to reach the level of play that catapulted them — with a big assist from an exhausted Clippers squad — to the Conference Finals last May.
The Rockets fell below .500 (27-28) with a 116-113 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers Wednesday night — a team that could certainly use Howard’s rebounding and defensive presence at the rim. It’s time for them to move Howard before he picks another suitor this summer. It’s not like Howard hasn’t already been linked to reports he wanted to leave anyway.
There were the Miami Heat rumors in December, which he publicly dismissed. Then, the Celtics became a possible suitor, and now we’re here.
Dwight might not plan on retiring anytime soon, but his agent won’t earn his cut without knowing which way the current is headed on his client, and Dwight only has one more near-max contract left in him. That’s why he’s shirking $23 million-plus to get a multi-year option, even if that means a minor pay cut in the short term.
Dwight’s gone, the only question left is where he’ll play out the remainder of the 2015-16 season, and whether a team would be willing to offer him the max this summer.
(Yahoo)
