NBA Rumors: Why Celtics Have No Shot at Landing Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard keeps adding to his imaginary wish list of teams he's never going to play for.
His latest endorsement, the Boston Celtics, have no shot at landing him.
He recently told the Boston Herald:
"I'd always listen to a team like that. I want to win a championship, and it takes a certain type of team to win a championship. You know, there's a lot of teams who are great during the regular season. They play well, but it's different once you play in those playoffs, you know?
"
First off, the only way Howard would have any chance of joining the Celtics is via free agency.
There is no way GM Otis Smith would sink to trading Howard to Boston and nobody is pretending that would happen anyway.
However, in order for Howard to join the Celtics this summer, they would have to clear their books of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, two players with expiring contracts.
The Celtics' new Big Three would then be Howard, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo.
While that certainly isn't a bad option, to even get to that point, the Celtics would have to let Allen and Garnett—two of the original Big Three—walk for nothing.
There are many who marvel at the shape that 36-year-old Allen is still in. To let him get away for free would be an absolute travesty.
Therefore, Danny Ainge has the option of possibly trading Garnett and/or Allen before the deadline and blowing up everything he created.
The Celtics are only 8-9 this season. They haven't been able to stay healthy and they still have a major need at center. This team is currently the seven seed in the Eastern Conference, but only because the East is so terrible. Only six of the 15 teams in the East even have winning records.
Needless to say, it is more likely that the Celtics will trade away their only opportunity to land Howard (KG and Allen's expiring contracts) before they even get a shot at him in free agency.
