NBA Trade Rumors: Dwight Howard ‘Extremely Unhappy’ In Houston
Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
After reaching the Western Conference Finals last season, the Houston Rockets have struggled to start the 2015-16 NBA season. The Rockets fired head coach Kevin McHale after the team after the first 11 games of the season and following a 4-7 start.
Almost a month after firing McHale, the Rockets haven’t made the drastic improvement they’ve been hoping for with the team sitting at 12-14. As if the team’s struggles weren’t bad enough, a rumor has begun to circulate about veteran center Dwight Howard being unhappy with his role in Houston.
According to Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops, Howard isn’t happy and could be traded at some point this season:
Dwight Howard is extremely unhappy in Houston playing second fiddle to alpha dog James Harden, multiple league sources tell SheridanHoops.com. And with the Rockets underachieving more than any NBA team, look for them to try to move Howard later this season.
If this rumor proves to be true, it isn’t the first time Howard has expressed his displeasure with his team. Howard pushed himself out of Orlando back in 2012 in a four-team trade resulting in the star center landing with the Los Angeles Lakers. Although it seemed to be a perfect fit for Howard in Los Angeles, the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year only played one year with the Lakers before leaving in free agency to sign with the Rockets.
Every stop Howard has had during his career in the NBA has ended the same way. Dwight either doesn’t see eye-to-eye with the head coach like he did in Orlando or struggles to coexist with a superstar teammate. Dwight had problems with Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles and appears to be having similar difficulty with Harden in Houston.
Along with Howard rumored to be unhappy in Houston, the veteran center intends to test free agency once again this season. Dwight will opt out of his current contract with the Rockets and become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Howard is likely looking to secure a long-term deal, but may struggle to find suitors with his reputation bound to take a hit once again if he leaves Houston on bad terms.
