Dwight Howard: Ranking 5 Best Landing Spots For Free Agent

Did shipping Dwight off to Los Angeles improve the Magic in the long run? (Photo via DeviantArt user angelmaker666)

With the free agency period right around the corner it is that time, again, for teams to begin to assess their needs and what they can do to become championship contenders for the 2013-14 season. For teams and fans alike, the possibility of adding a player who gives you the chance to make a run for the NBA championship is always exciting.

Add Dwight Howard into the mix and you’ve created a recipe for drama throughout the entire free agency period.

Prior to the 2012-13 season, the hype surrounding Dwight Howard’s free agency or, the “Dwightmare,” had many on the edges of their seats, but it also left just as many people with a bad taste in their mouth. At the beginning of the season, most people assumed that once joined forces with Kobe Bryant it would be a match made in heaven. However, according to Dave McMenamin at ESPN, after a season where the Lakers struggled to make the playoffs, Dwight has voiced his frustrations with his current situation to Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak.

Thus, the debate begins. Should Dwight Howard continue forth in the purple and gold? Or will he decide to move teams once again? Let’s take a look at the top five potential landing spots for Howard, and rank them.

1. Houston Rockets

When Howard became a free agent in 2012, Daryl Morey, general manager of the Houston Rockets, made it no secret that he was very interested in having Dwight Howard become a part of this team. At the time, the Rockets’ main pieces were essentially Kevin Martin and a significant amount of mediocre role players. Unsurprisingly, this wasn’t quite what Dwight was looking for.

Fast forward a year, and the scenery in Houston is drastically different. After a complete roster turnaround, which included adding James Harden, Jeremy Lin, Omer Asik, along with Chandler Parsons emerging as one of the best, young players in the league, Houston is heading into the offseason seemingly one piece away from becoming a major contender in the Western Conference.

Dwight Howard could be the final piece to that puzzle.

Coming to Houston, Dwight would be joining the youngest team in the NBA, with a coach in Kevin McHale who is best known for being one of the most dominant post players in NBA history. For those who have followed Howard, it’s become very clear that he enjoys being the center of attention. However, even though he would be teaming up with an All-Star in James Harden, Harden has been vocal about recruiting Howard to Houston and that he would enjoy playing alongside the big man.

The Los Angeles Lakers have the ability to offer Howard a five-year contract that would total roughly $118 million, while the Rockets would only be able to offer him a four-year, $88 million contract. However, a closer look at these numbers may show that the difference isn’t all that significant. Let’s break this down.

According to Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld, here is what Howard’s approximate yearly salary with the Lakers would look like:

2013-14: $20.5 million

2014-15: $22.1 million

2015-16: $23.6 million

2016-17: $25.1 million

2017-18: $26.7 million

If Howard were to sign with the Rockets, or any other team, his yearly salary breakdown would be:

2013-14: $20.5 million

2014-15: $21.4 million

2015-16: $22.4 million

2016-17: $23.3 million

However, the devil is in the details. While Howard would be making approximately $30 million more if he were to stay in Los Angeles, this amount is pre-tax. This is especially important to consider in the case of Houston, or Dallas, as we will look at in a minute, because Texas does not have a state income tax. What this means is that, by playing in Texas, Dwight would be saving nearly $5 million in income taxes alone simply by moving to Houston. Factor in the cost of living in Houston compared to the exorbitant cost of living in Los Angeles and it’s not far-fetched to make the argument that Dwight may actually see more return, financially, on his talents. At the very least, it does not appear that he would actually be sacrificing $30 million to join the Rockets.

Whether or not Howard will decide to join a young team full of incredible talent, even though he would instantly become the star, is unclear, but it isn’t hard to make the case for why he should certainly consider the Houston Rockets this time around.

2. Los Angeles Lakers

Despite the rumors that Dwight was unhappy with his role on this years Lakers team, it’s hard to deny that Los Angeles seems to offer Howard exactly what he seems to desire the most.

The spotlight.

Los Angeles is one of the biggest markets across any sport and with that comes endorsements, commercials and fame. Moreover, the Lakers are one of the most storied franchises in sports history and can offer Howard the chance to become their next star. Thanks to the most recent collective bargaining agreement, the Lakers can offer Howard the most amount of money and the longest contract.

It is also recognized that, as a franchise, the Lakers will spend whatever it takes to build a championship-worthy franchise.

The irony is that the same collective bargaining agreement that allows the Lakers to offer Dwight a significantly higher paying contract is also the same collective bargaining agreement that would punish the Lakers very heavily if they were to go over the salary cap. What this means for Los Angeles is that, while they can offer Howard the attention he may be seeking, they do not have much flexibility by way of surrounding him with championship-worthy pieces.

While he may ultimately decide L.A. is the place for him, Howard will have to seriously consider whether a slight pay raise is worth being forced to run coach Mike D’Antoni’s offense with an aging Steve Nash at the helm and a potentially hobbled Kobe demanding the offense continue to be run through him.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers

Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, much of the attention they have received of late has been due to their shortcomings, not on court success. However, equipped with Kyrie Irving, the first overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft and an incredible amount of potential cap space heading into the 2014-15 season, Cleveland might just be able to catch Howard’s attention.

According to HoopsHype.com, the Cleveland has less than $33 million committed to players next season. Even more interesting is that in 2014-15, only six current players would have money left on their contracts and all of those are team options.

Cleveland would be able to sign Howard to a max contract, clear their roster in 2014 (with the exception of Irving and Howard), and pursue another max contract player next summer.

Guess who can become a free agent in 2014? LeBron James.

While it is certainly a long shot that LeBron would return to Cleveland, the possibility of this venture should certainly intrigue Dwight. It’s important to consider, though, that this offseason Cleveland hired Mike Brown as their next head coach. Many may not remember, because their stint together was so short lived, but the last time Mike Brown and Howard were together, Mike Brown lasted a total of five games.

It’s probable this had very little to do with Dwight Howard, but it is interesting to consider that they were only 1-4 in together, which makes one question whether or not Dwight believes that to be the best player/coach combo.

4. Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks’ pitch to Howard will probably look very similar to the pitch the Rockets make.

By joining Dallas, Howard would be playing alongside another All-Star and NBA champion, Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzki has also said, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN, that he would be willing to take a significant pay cut if it meant being able to surround himself with talent similar to the likes of Dwight Howard. Like Houston, the Mavericks are also able to make the argument that Dwight would experience an insignificant loss financially due to a lack of state income tax.

One additional selling point the Mavericks have is that they can put Howard next to a player that knows what it’s like to win an NBA championship. Most recently, the Mavericks won the 2011 championship, beating LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the first season of the “Big Three.”

Unlike the Rockets, however, joining Dallas would mean joining a team with significantly less impactful role players, and a superstar on his way out as opposed to a superstar who is only beginning to reach his full potential in James Harden.

5. Atlanta Hawks

Although the Hawks finished the 2012-13 season with a 44-38 record and made the Eastern Conference playoffs, their best argument for why Howard should return to his hometown has very little to do with their current roster.

Salary data on HoopsHype.com shows that, heading into next season, the Hawks only have a maximum of $18.5 million tied up in seven players, with the option of trimming off another $3 million by not picking up the team options on DeShawn Stevenson and Mike Scott. This kind of cap flexibility would not only allows them to offer Dwight Howard the max contract, but also gives them the ability to make a run at another high-profile player.

If Howard were to come to Atlanta, he would be joined alongside one of the top frontcourt players in the league, Al Horford, which could create nightmares for opposing teams down low. Horford’s ability to spread the court with his mid-range jump shot would potentially afford Howard the space he needs to pound the ball inside without crowding the paint.

One major roadblock for the Hawks is Howard has expressed before that he has no interest in returning to Atlanta to play. Another factor to consider is the current question mark that is the Hawks’ head coaching position. While Larry Drew is still technically the head coach, it’s been rumored that he has already interviewed with the Milwaukee Bucks and that Atlanta is reaching out to Stan Van Gundy.

This could be problematic for Atlanta’s hopes of convincing Howard to join their ranks because, as many remember from the first time Howard free-agent rumors began swirling around, the reports were that Van Gundy and Howard didn’t quite get along towards the end of Howard’s time in Orlando.

Wherever Dwight Howard ends up next season, he is certain to make an impact because of his incredible talent, strength, and ability to average 22 points and 14.5 rebounds. Howard’s future is uncertain, to say the least, but what is certain is that we are in for an entertaining free agency period.