Houston Rockets: Which Players Will Get Traded?

Dwight Howard

In spite of the fact that the Rockets have been shopping Dwight Howard since at least a week ago, it’s hard to envision a scenario in which Howard ends up getting traded.

His contract is worth $22 million this season and after he opts out in the offseason, Howard will likely be getting a deal worth at least $150 million over five years, so any team who trades for him will be giving up assets for a 30-year-old big man with back issues in an era where teams are playing smaller and emphasizing positional versatility.

In addition to the sheer size of Howard’s contract and the fact that teams just aren’t as likely to seek big men these days, there’s the fact that Howard is a bit flighty when it comes to joining teams and staying there. Nobody is going to want to send the Rockets a boatload of assets only to have him walk in free agency during the offseason.

The Rockets have been disappointed by the seeming lack of interest in Howard, but it makes sense that there hasn’t been much. The biggest mark in favor of making a deal is that the Rockets may decide nearer to the deadline that they can’t risk losing Howard for nothing, and just ship him for the biggest haul they can find, whatever that may be.

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