NBA Rumors: Dwight Howard and the Biggest Controversies Brewing in the League

The NBA season is only a few weeks old, but already there are big controversies brewing. 

Some of them have spilled over from the offseason, and some are developing nightly as players become increasingly frustrated with their team's performance. 

Either way, the following list shows some of the biggest controversies growing around the league. 

It will be interesting to wait and see how each one plays out. 

Andre Miller Is Not Happy

Andre Miller's return to the Denver Nuggets has not exactly been what he envisioned when he was traded back to the team. 

Instead of being the starting point guard, Miller has found himself coming off the bench behind Ty Lawson and he does not like it. 

The Denver Nuggets now have some choices to make with Miller who is the final year of his contract and will become a free agent at the end of the season. 

The last thing this building team needs is a veteran player who does not want to be there and the added pressure of trading for something in return instead of letting Miller walk away in free agency.

Boston Celtics Breaking Up

The disappointing 4-8 record of the Boston Celtics this season is a sign that no one wants to see: the aging threesome of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are at the tail end of their careers and no longer dominant. 

Garnett and Allen are in the final years of their contracts and may not finish the season in Boston. 

General Manager Danny Ainge has to look at options that will set the team up for the coming years, and that may include trading away one or more of the three to get future players in return.  

It would seem that Pierce's large contract would make him a difficult player to move, but recent reports indicate that he is generating interest among other teams around the league. 

It would be surprising to see the Big Three still be together at the end of the season. 

Olympic Snubs

The finalists for the United States Men's Basketball team for Olympic competition in London this summer were announced recently.

Even though the list was expanded from 18 to 20 players to accommodate the talented players in the league, there were some noticeable omissions. 

Two notable players, Stephen Curry and Amare Stoudemire were left off the list and are not happy about it. 

The final roster of 12 players is expected to be named in mid-June.

Expect more players to share similar feelings with Stoudemire and Curry as eight more players will ultimately not get the chance to represent their country.   

Will Kobe Bryant Run out of Gas?

At age 33 and after putting thousands of basketball miles on his body, Kobe Bryant is averaging just over 37 minutes per game for the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Head coach Mike Brown would like to play Bryant less, but he is not sure how to make that happen unless his teammates step up and play better. 

Bryant, who is already playing with an injured wrist and an ankle and knee that needed treatment in the offseason, has responded well to additional playing. 

His recent streak of games scoring at least 40 points is impressive but also speaks to the lack of contribution from his teammates. 

Andrew Bynum is playing well, but the team needs to support Kobe more consistently.

Bryant has repeatedly shown critics that he is able to continue to play at a high level despite the obstacles he faces, but at some point it is going to be too much for him.

Will DeMarcus Cousins Snap?

Like most of the Sacramento Kings, forward DeMarcus Cousins has had a rough start to this NBA season. 

Cousins has already been suspended by then-head coach Paul Westphal for showing his attitude while expressing a desire for a trade and nearly had a verbal altercation with a camera man in the locker room. 

Despite the perception that he is an attitude problem waiting to explode, teammate Jimmer Fredette defended Cousins in a recent USA Today article by J. Michael Falgoust.  

Fredette stated, "DeMarcus is a good guy. He really is... Sometimes he gets a bad rap. It's not all fair to him. He's fun to be around."

If Cousins and the Kings continue to have the difficult season they are now in the middle of, it is possible that his frustration could get the better of him and he could snap.

Will Deron Williams Leave the Nets?

The fate of Deron Williams remaining with the New Jersey Nets rests in the hands of Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. 

The only way that Williams stays with the team after this season and does not catch the first train out of New Jersey is if the Nets are finally able to add Dwight Howard to the team. 

According to ESPN, the Nets will have a tough choice to make and will likely trade Williams if there is no chance of getting Howard. 

Losing Williams will be a huge setback for the team as they already gave up Derrick Favors, Devin Harris and a couple of draft picks to acquire Williams in the first place.  

Drama in Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City stars Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant were involved in a highly publicized on-court argument in the third game of this season. 

Even though the incident received more media attention than it should have, there is now a history between these two competing teammates. 

As long as things are going well in Oklahoma City, this should not be an issue. 

If the team experiences adversity this season, there is a good chance that the drama could once again flair up and put these two at odds. 

Will Steve Nash Be Traded?

The Phoenix Suns owe it to long-time franchise player Steve Nash to allow him to retire as a member of the team. 

Nash is currently in the last year of his contract but probably has a couple of solid seasons left in him. 

The Suns organization has a difficult decision to make, and they and Nash are both working to show loyalty.

According to reports, the Suns will only trade Nash if he wants it, and Nash will not ask for a trade. 

From a business standpoint, it makes sense for the team to move Nash for the assets that they will get in return from a team trying to dump salary.

From a loyalty standpoint, however, the Suns must do all they can to help Nash end his career and go into the NBA Hall of Fame in a Suns uniform.

As the trade deadline comes closer, the Suns will have a tough choice to make.

Washington Wizards Are Set to Explode

The Washington Wizards have won only one game this season, and the second year of their major rebuilding plan has taken a step backwards. 

The Wizards have talented players in John Wall, Chris Singleton and JaVale McGee, but they just can't seem to put together any consistent play. 

With each mounting loss, frustration is building and so is the controversy.

Most of it surrounds only one player, McGee, who made headlines early this week for an ill advised highlight dunk that he threw to himself that head coach Flip Saunders called "unacceptable."

The biggest on-court problem is that Saunders appears to not have any control over players who seem more than happy throwing up multiple shots and not playing together.

Larger than that however, is going to be how the coach can deal with the growing negative attitude of the team and how he can take keep McGee from becoming increasingly more outspoken.

For the Wizards, it is a good thing that this nightmare season will only last 66 games. 

Where Will Superman Land?

No player has been the subject of trade rumors more than the Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard this season. 

It seems like there is a new NBA team that throws its name into the race every week. 

From the New Jersey Nets before the season to Howard recently adding the Los Angeles Clippers to his wish list, General Managers across the league are looking for deals that will entice the Magic to trade away their star. 

As the trade deadline approaches, the hype and energy surrounding the Dwight Howard sweepstakes will grow out of control.

Other possible landing spots for Howard include the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and the Dallas Mavericks.

Perhaps the team that Howard ends up with has not yet jumped into the race, and maybe he will end up staying in Orlando.

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