Dwight Howard Rumors: Latest Developments on D12's Potential Destinations
It's come to this.
A massive offseason of free-agent additions and championship aspirations gave way to a 2012-13 season that left the Los Angeles Lakers in flux, unsure of what the future will hold with Kobe Bryant working back from a major injury, Pau Gasol with one foot out the door and Dwight Howard likely to follow suit.
It was a season to forget for the Lakers, and unfortunately, it appears things will get a lot worse before they get better. In a basketball city like no other, the Lakers will potentially take a backseat to the rejuvenated Clippers next season—at least the way this offseason is headed.
It’s no secret Howard was unhappy in Los Angeles—and why should he have been? He signed on to play with a championship contender, but found himself on a roster struggling to even secure a playoff berth. He may have been part of the problem, but don’t tell D12 that.
Regardless of the reasons for the Lakers’ disappointing 2012-13 campaign, it’s unlikely Howard chooses to stay in Los Angeles going forward, especially with Bryant on the sidelines for the foreseeable future and the rest of the Lakers’ roster devoid of talent to replace him. In a free-agent driven league, Howard is as good as gone.
But where will the league’s best big man end up this summer? There are several likely candidates, rumors of which are picking up steam with the NBA draft closing in.
Let’s take a look at the latest rumors involving D12 and his potential free-agent destinations, breaking down the likelihood of each scenario.
Houston Rockets
Howard’s interest in the Houston Rockets has been widely reported, and according to Ken Berger of CBS Sports, that may be the destination that is most intriguing for him:
"With six weeks to go before Howard becomes an unrestricted free agent, the team that is said to intrigue him the most is the Houston Rockets, according to multiple people briefed on internal conversations surrounding Howard's free-agent decision.
"
Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld mirrors that sentiment:
The fit makes a lot of sense if Howard is looking for a young squad capable of contending for a title in the near future. He’ll be looking at a four-year, $88 million contract wherever he ends up, and there’s no doubt D12 will want to spend those four years with a chance of winning a ring.
Houston has the pieces in place to make it an extremely desirable free-agent destination. The problem is cap room.
For the Rockets to have a good shot at signing the superstar, they would likely need to work out a sign-and-trade deal with the Lakers—something Los Angeles should have no intention of doing given its exorbitant luxury tax situation.
A final option would be for the Rockets to trade away some pieces in a salary-dump attempt prior to the free-agent period. Given the options, that may be their best shot.
Golden State Warriors
According to Mark Medina of the LA Daily News, the Golden State Warriors are on Howard’s radar as a potential summer destination:
"A source familiar with Howard's thinking says he plans to test free agency and has considered the Lakers, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Golden State.
"
That interest should come as no surprise considering Golden State’s tremendous playoff run this season with Stephen Curry at the helm. The Warriors have a ton of talent to build on, and the addition of Howard would make them instant championship contenders.
Then again, that’s what we said about the Lakers.
Still, Golden State would have to clear considerable cap space to acquire Howard, especially if he is to sign outright. In the event of a sign-and-trade with the Lakers, the Warriors would still have to clear nearly $20 million in cap space in the deal and potentially give up the likes of Andrew Bogut and David Lee.
If Mitch Kupchak is to entertain such a deal, he likely wouldn’t do so without getting a star in return, especially with the Lakers deep in the luxury tax. Just like Houston, it will be hard for the Warriors to find the wiggle room to acquire Howard.
Atlanta Hawks
As Medina reported, the Atlanta Hawks are on Howard’s potential list of suitors this summer. The question is why.
While Atlanta will have the cap room to sign Howard outright, it’s hard to envision a scenario in which the superstar signs with a team devoid of superstar talent in a city not especially alluring to big-name free agents.
The Hawks will be undergoing a major transformation this offseason as Danny Ferry attempts to rebuild a roster that will likely lose Josh Smith to free agency. Beyond Smith, there isn’t enough talent for Howard to consider turning down Houston or Golden State.
That is, of course, unless the Hawks sign another superstar to go along with Howard.
According to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, the Hawks may try to lure Howard to Atlanta alongside Los Angeles Clippers soon-to-be free agent Chris Paul:
That particular scenario—however unlikely—would certainly give Atlanta an edge in acquiring Howard outright. He’s from Atlanta and the allure of playing alongside Paul would have its merits. It’s just hard to see the pieces falling into place for that to happen.
