Since the conclusion of what was a disappointing season for them, it has been all but a certainty that the Houston Rockets would lose Dwight Howard in free agency. The center is almost guaranteed to opt out of his contract and considering how the season went in Houston and the marred relationship with Rockets’ players and management, it seems highly unlikely Howard would consider returning.
That said, teammate Jason Terry does not believe it is quite a certainty yet whether Howard would considering staying in Houston. In an interview on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Terry claimed that he would not rule out a return by the big man. (Transcription via HoopsHype)
“I wouldn’t rule (a return) out. He has yet to opt out. Again, it’s just going to depend on if you get the right coach in there. At this point in his career, he’s not going to be the focal point offensively. They’ve made that clear. He’s gonna have to, if he remains in Houston, buy into the role fully, commit himself to setting screens, rebounding, running the floor, blocking shots and working on his free throws, obviously.”
The most interesting part of Terry’s quote is that he reveals Howard would put a lot of weight on the coaching hire made by the Rockets. Perhaps he would like to play under a Spurs assistant in James Borrego, who seems to have become a front-runner, if not the exclusive one, in the race to become the next head coach.
Mike D’Antoni has also been connected to the job but he and Howard did not get along well in their one season together with the Lakers. Hiring D’Antoni would signify Houston effectively pushing their multiple time all-star center out the door.
Finally, Terry speaks about Howard having to play within a very specific role of basically doing the dirty work and not expecting much else. From comments made by Dwight (really throughout his entire career) it does not seem like he wants to be confined to that sort of role. He expressed his disappointment with often not getting the ball on offense despite working hard to get in good positions and help his team. It seems unlikely that he would change his mind up now.
While Jason Terry may think that there is still a chance of keeping their all-star center in the mix, it would be a surprise if Dwight Howard did not opt out of his contract and seek greener pastures.
