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NBA Trade Rumors: Best Landing Spots for Dwight Howard

By Maxwell Ogden

Jan 20, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) is introduced before playing against the Detroit Pistons at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 20, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) is introduced before playing against the Detroit Pistons at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Houston Rockets have reportedly made Dwight Howard available for trade. Which teams around the NBA should be taking notice?

Jan 20, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) is introduced before playing against the Detroit Pistons at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 20, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) is introduced before playing against the Detroit Pistons at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports /

With the 2016 NBA All-Star Break upon us and the trade deadline looming, the Houston Rockets are in a precarious position. At 27-28, Houston is a game under .500 and .5 game back of the Utah Jazz for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.

In danger of missing the playoffs and searching for identity, desperate times appear to be calling for desperate measures.

Dwight Howard has been at the heart of trade rumors for a vast majority of the 2015-16 NBA regular season. He refuted a report that he was upset in Houston, but the news kept surfacing as the Rockets fell further into oblivion.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the 27-28 Rockets are contacting teams about a potential trade surrounding the three-time Defensive Player of the Year.

"The Houston Rockets have started contacting teams about trading eight-time All-Star Dwight Howard, league sources told The Vertical. Howard, 30, plans to exercise an opt-out in his contract this summer to become an unrestricted free agent, and uncertainty surrounding the commitment both sides are willing to make has pushed Houston general manager Daryl Morey toward seeking potential trades on the market, league sources said. The Rockets are working with Howard’s agent, Dan Fegan, on possible destinations, league executives told The Vertical."

The question is, which teams could and should take the plunge and gamble on a potential trade for the polarizing star?

Howard has fallen out of favor with many around the NBA, but he still has clear value to any and every team. He’s No. 3 in the NBA in field goal percentage, rebounding, and offensive rebounds per game, and is No. 18 in blocks per game.

Howard also has 24 double-doubles, which is good for No. 12 in the Association—an impressive number considering he’s missed 11 games this season.

Most importantly, Howard is a proven postseason performer. He led the Orlando Magic to the 2009 NBA Finals, averaged 26.0 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks in the 2014 playoffs, and tallied 16.4 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks during the Rockets’ 2015 run to the Conference Finals.

The question is, which team would benefit most from adding Howard to the mix?

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