NBA Rumors: Boston Celtics Are a Perfect Fit for Dwight Howard Long Term
Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard has added the Boston Celtics to his list of several NBA teams that he would go to via trade this season, and there are plenty of reasons why the 17-time NBA champions would be the perfect fit for the star big man.
"And if Howard is still available — if the Magic don’t blink and move him before the March deadline — C’s president Danny Ainge will undoubtedly put in a call to Team Dwight.
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The question is whether he’ll answer.
“Always. Always,” Howard told the Herald. “I’d always listen to a team like that.
“My thing is I want to win. It’s not something like I’m doing this for money. I win. I want to do it my way.”
The Celtics are a winning franchise and general manager Danny Ainge has shown time and time again in recent seasons that he's committed to making the franchise competitive.
Head coach Doc Rivers is one of the most talented and respected coaches in the NBA. Him and Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs are probably the two best coaches in basketball.
Despite having an aging roster right now, the Celtics are well set up to contend for a title in the near future. Paul Pierce, Avery Bradley, Rajon Rondo and Brandon Bass are the only players signed past this season. Jeff Green, who is out for the year recovering from heart surgery, will likely be signed when he returns next year.
That's five quality players of which only Pierce is past his prime. This summer the Celtics are going to have a lot of salary cap room, and would be able to sign Howard and other quality players to complete the roster.
Boston's recent playoff success is one thing Howard would have to consider when deciding where he wants to play next season and beyond. The Celtics' veterans don't dominate the regular season, but they always raise their game in the postseason. Personal egos and agendas haven't been a problem in Boston since the new "Big Three" era that started.
"“You know,” said Howard, “you look at a team like Boston and look at a team like LA who’s won . . . especially Boston. Man, those guys came together and they didn’t care who scored all the points. They had done all the individual stuff.
“You know, for me, I’ve done a lot of things individually, but I want a championship. All those accolades that I’ve got over the years, they mean a lot, but it’s just different watching teams hold up that trophy and knowing how hard you have to work to get it.
“They have the championship mentality,” he said of the Celts. “It means a lot. Like I said, I like the team. They play hard and they go after it, and that’s what I like.”
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When the Magic were embarrassed by the Celtics on Monday 87-56, one of the worst performances in the franchise's history, it was clear that Howard and the Magic still aren't ready to contend for a title.
The Celtics would be able to build around Howard and craft a roster good enough to win multiple championships with a combination of youth and experience.
Rondo is the perfect pure point guard to pair with a player like Howard, and having Pierce alongside him would ease the scoring burden on D12.
With Boston, Howard would play with an elite point guard who is in the prime of his career, the team would be able to build around him and there would be veterans such as Pierce who can provide championship experience and leadership, something absent in Orlando.
The chance to dominate in a great basketball city like Boston and join the long list of Hall of Fame Celtics centers like Bill Russell, Dave Cowens and Robert Parish is an opportunity too good to pass up.
The Celtics have the rare combination of exceptional coaching, passionate fans, owners committed to winning, veteran experience and young talent. The franchise is well set up to contend for an NBA championship in the near future, and if Howard wants to win titles, Boston is the right place for him to sign long term.
Nicholas Goss is an NBA Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report, follow him on Twitter.
