Dwight Howard: Magic Star Isn't Worth What Teams Are Offering for Him Via Trade

Dwight Howard is the best center in the NBA but he's not worth multiple young players and multiple first-round picks to acquire via trade.

Very few players are worth that kind of price, and Howard is not one of those players. Let's look at some reasons why Howard isn't worth the enormous trade packages that teams seem willing to build to acquire him.

Offensive Weaknesses

Howard led all centers in scoring last season with 20.6 points per game, but there are glaring flaws in his offensive game that should concern teams.

He doesn't have the low-post skills that players like Pau Gasol or Tim Duncan have, and surprisingly, Howard hasn't added much to his offensive arsenal since entering the NBA. Adding some kind of jump shot to his game needs to be a priority for Howard before next season begins.

Howard can score at a high rate, but he cannot be relied on to be the primary offensive option on a championship contender.

Free Throw Woes

Howard shot 49 percent from the free throw line last year, the worst mark of his career. He has always been a poor foul shooter, but he has shown absolutely no improvement in this area of his game.

His inability to hit free throws consistently makes him a liability in the fourth quarter, and teams will often foul Howard and take their chances that he will miss one or both of his attempts.

Giving up a lot of quality assets for a star who cannot be depended on to hit free throws late in games isn't a smart way to build a winning team.