Dwight Howard is once again in the news. With the Houston Rockets having been a disappointment through the first quarter of the season, the big-man seems to be unhappy with his situation. That has led to some speculation that he could be traded in the coming months, with the Miami Heat being among the noted suitors. The Rockets, however, seem to not be interested in taking any offers, according to Sam Amick of USA Today Sports:
The Rockets continue to see Howard as a pivotal part of their long-term plan and have been quick to dismiss the notion that they’ll consider trading him before the Feb. 18 deadline
While the Rockets seem disinterested with trading Howard, they are expecting the center to opt out of his contract this summer:
Howard has a player option for next season worth $23.2 million, but a person with knowledge of the Rockets situation said they are expecting him to opt out and become a free agent.
This will likely generate some buzz but it should really not be a surprise. Howard is 30 years old and has a bevy of back injuries in recent years. If he opts out of his contract, he will likely be signing his last large multi-year contract. That’s not to mention the expected monumental rise in cap space that would make Howard’s probable max-contract an even larger deal. It would simply be a smart business decision to opt out of his deal.
The Rockets will not overreact to this news, because it should have been expected. Unless they get a confirmation that Howard is unhappy enough to move on from Houston in the summer, do not expect them to attempt to trade the big man. For his part, Howard is trying to put all rumors to bed:
“I chose to go to Houston (via free agency in the summer of 2013), so why would I just say, ‘I’m not happy’ and leave,” Howard, who is widely expected to become a free agent again this summer, told USA TODAY Sports. “I chose this place, you know what I’m saying? And I want to make this thing work here. Obviously we haven’t been playing great basketball, and personally for myself my numbers don’t seem like I’ve been playing great, but the only thing on my mind is trying to grow as a man and grow as a teammate and a leader. All the BS that’s around, sometimes it is frustrating to hear it, because I know who I am as a man and I know what I’m trying to do for this city.”
