Houston Rockets: Dwight Howard Involved In Trade Rumors

It’s been a long season for the Houston Rockets, and it’s nearing time to make for the organization to make a decision on how to proceed with Dwight Howard.

The Houston Rockets have had a tumultuous season, currently in seventh place in the Western Conference and just a game better than the .500 mark with a 26-25 record. It’s a far cry from what was supposed to be a team that could contend with the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs for the Western Conference crown.

While nobody expected either the Warriors or the Spurs to be as good as they have been this season, nobody could have imagined that the Rockets would have fallen from grace like they have.

The reasons are as plentiful as they are mystifying, as a team known for grit, effort and defense has been at times the worst defense in the NBA, lacking dramatically in effort and from time to time a 10-0 run against them has been enough to break their will and open the floodgates.

The Rockets are in a strange spot in that they were expected to contend, but they may find themselves more likely to sell than buy at the deadline. The question is, in what form can they sell?

Ty Lawson has a contract that essentially expires at the end of the season, thanks to his generously removing the guarantee of his 2016-17 salary from his contract, but he’s been such a disaster this season that even teams who need a ball-dominant point guard who can score (like the Brooklyn Nets, the Milwaukee Bucks or the Utah Jazz) are almost certainly going to take a pass, and it’s not as if the Rockets could get much of value for him anyway.

The most likely trade piece for the Rockets is Dwight Howard, and that’s a proposition fraught with complication. Howard is widely rumored to be considering opting out of the final year of his contract in the offseason, foregoing the $23.2 million he is due in 2016-17 to become a free agent.

Considering the soon-to-explode salary cap, Howard is certain to command a contract worth $30 million annually, if not more.

While Howard has been one of the most consistent players for the Rockets this season, he’s going to be 31 years old shortly after the start of the 2016-17 season, and the idea of committing huge money over the course of a long-term deal to Howard is certain to give general manager Daryl Morey pause.

Naturally, whenever there is a talented player rumored to be on the move, there will be suitors ready to pounce. Reports from Frank Isola of the New York Daily News surfaced Wednesday morning, suggesting that the Boston Celtics have engaged in talks with the Rockets about making a deal for Howard.