NBA Trade Rumors: Latest Offer for Dwight Howard Will Ruin Rockets' Future

The Houston Rockets are offering up the world in exchange for Dwight Howard, but in return, all they're getting is a player who can't do everything it takes to win a title all by himself.

Howard proved as much in Orlando over the last eight years. What makes the Rockets think it's going to be a different story in Houston?

According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Chad Ford, the Rockets are working on a new trade proposal that would bring Howard to Houston from Orlando, accompanied by the long-term contracts of Jason Richardson, Glen Davis and Chris Duhon. In exchange, Orlando would get "multiple future first-round picks and recent draftees," which would essentially give the Magic the opportunity to start all over once Howard's gone.

Basically, the Rockets are attempting to bring the most expensive players on the Magic roster to Houston and hoping for a different outcome in a new city, while shipping all of their hopes of a bright future in one big package to Orlando.

According to the same report from ESPN.com, the Rockets would give the Magic:

—Kevin Martin, Patrick Patterson, Marcus Morris and Chandler Parsons

—Draft rights to 2012 first-round selections Jeremy Lamb, Royce White and Terrence Jones

—Future first-round picks

The Rockets are willing to give all that up in exchange for a player who, most likely, won't sign a contract extension with them. It's a big sacrifice to make for what will essentially end up being one shot at winning a title.

Then, there's the fact that the formula that included Howard, Richardson, Davis and Duhon in Orlando didn't produce a championship.

Not even close.

That formula isn't going to result in any different of an outcome in Houston, no matter how magical Kevin McHale's powers might be.

As we've seen from moves the Heat, the Celtics and the Lakers have made over the last five or six years, you need more than one superstar in order to compete in the NBA these days. There's no superstar waiting for Howard in Houston who will help him build a championship contender. The Rockets—even if they acquire Howard—will still be a long way off from competing for an NBA title.

Once they give away all their worthwhile young players and their future first-round picks, the Rockets will be even further off.

Except at that point, they'll be saddled with giant, worthless veteran contracts, too.