Rockets can’t deal Dwight Howard
The Houston Rockets are going nowhere in 2016, and now they are stuck with center Dwight Howard for the rest of the season.
On Thursday, the NBA trade deadline came and went with nothing but a small smattering of minor deals that barely moved the needle. Some believed that the Rockets would be able to move Howard before the 3 p.m. EST deadline, but he remains in Texas, giving fans one more reason to not watch.
Houston general manager Daryl Morey apparently wanted not only a first-round pick, but a legitimate player in return for the aging superstar, per ESPN. Nobody was willing to give that return, and now Morey is left with the very real chance that Howard opts out after this season and becomes a free agent, leaving the Rockets for nothing in return.
If you needed any proof that Howard plans to become a free agent this summer, here’s a quote from his agent, per the article.
“Many teams called expressing great interest in trading for Dwight,” Howard’s agent, Dan Fegan, told ESPN.com on Thursday night. “The obvious stumbling block to a trade was how could a team justify giving up important assets for a player who was about to become a free agent in a few short months?
“Not surprisingly, as the deadline approached, several teams called stating they had worked out the trade parameters with Houston for a Dwight deal but were not prepared to give up their assets unless Dwight agreed to opt into the last year of his contract and forego free agency. Dwight declined.”
With that reality, the lack of getting Howard elsewhere becomes even more of a failure for Houston. Morey knows that this team needs to be completely blown up. James Harden is a tremendous player but his complete lack of effort on the defensive side of the ball is devastating. The rest of the team is filled out with a litany of spare parts that aren’t getting anybody to the NBA Finals, let alone the second round of the playoffs.
Morey has to be realistic and look at the rest of the NBA, if not just the Western Conference. The Golden State Warriors might be the best team we have seen in 20 years. The San Antonio Spurs are one of the better teams of that span as well, boasting a collection of talent that includes Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge.
The Rockets need to start from scratch with the intent of seriously competing for a title by the end of the decade. Right now, they are nothing more than a pit stop for teams traveling through, hoping to pick up one more win.
