NBA Rumors: Dwight Howard Interested In Signing With Knicks In Free Agency?

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The end of the Dwight Howard in Houston appears to be drawing near. All signs point to the three-time Defensive Player of the Year leaving the Houston Rockets in NBA free agency this summer with the dynamic with James Harden simply not working.

With Howard seemingly ready to opt out of his deal with the Rockets, the star center will likely have a fair amount of suitors interested in his services in free agency. Apparently, Howard might be interested in signing with the New York Knicks once he hits the open market in July.

According to Ian Begley of ESPN, Dwight has been dropping hints to his friends that joining the Knicks is something he’d be interested in:

Along those lines, one name to keep in mind this summer is Dwight Howard.

Some of Howard’s friends have let it be known recently that the center would be interested in coming to New York as a free agent if he opts out of his current contract, league sources say.

Before Howard joined the Rockets after spurning the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency a few years back, the center was a hot commodity on the free-agent market. Many teams were interested in his services and willing to sign him to a lucrative long-term deal.

In 2016, the narrative is different for Howard with the center no longer the dominant force he once. Howard’s will receive a considerable amount of interest, but teams now know there’s substantial risk involved. Howard hasn’t played well with others during his short stints with the Lakers and Rockets, and that could make title contenders think twice about signing him.

As for the Knicks, the storied franchise is desperate to bring in star talent to help the bolster in the Phil Jackson era. The Knicks will be armed with cap space and could show interest in adding Howard when the times comes in July.