NBA Free Agents 2013: Why Dwight Howard Isn't the Most Sought-After Star
When NBA free agency officially opens on July 1, teams across the league will be vying for the stars who hit the open market. Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard is certainly among the biggest potential prizes, but red flags put him behind another free agent in the pecking order.
This year's free-agent crop is the best since LeBron James and Chris Bosh signed with the Miami Heat during the summer of 2010, so there will be even more focus on free agency this summer than usual. There are plenty of teams looking to bring in Howard, as he is arguably the best center in the league, but Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul is probably a safer addition at this point.
Finding a great center at the NBA level is extremely difficult, so there is no doubt that there is a market for Howard. He is averaging over 18 points, nearly 13 rebounds and more than two blocks per game over the course of his career. That type of production is rare, but there is a certain amount of baggage attached to Howard.
The biggest concern is probably his injury history. Maybe it isn't fair to call that into question since Howard has played at least 76 games in eight of his nine NBA seasons, but more issues seem to be cropping up the older he gets. Howard missed 17 games for the Orlando Magic during the 2011-12 season with a back injury and it took him quite a while to return to full health.
Howard then had issues with his labrum this past season. While D12 should be commended for his toughness due to the fact that he missed just six games with a partial labrum tear, it definitely hindered him in a number of games and prevented his 2012-13 season from being all it could have been.
There are also a number of intangible things that front office people will probably worry about when it comes to Howard. His contract situation in Orlando was an absolute nightmare as he waffled between wanting to re-sign, wanting to be traded and wanting to test free agency. Whichever team signs him will presumably lock him up for a long time to come, but he has demanded a trade in the past and there isn't anything stopping him from doing it in the future.
Also, Howard's attitude was questioned often this past season with the Lakers. That probably stems from the fact that he didn't come off as serious and focused as Kobe Bryant, but few if any players in the league are. Even if that isn't necessarily a fair criticism of Howard, it's likely one that some teams will take into account.
Paul is far from a perfect player in his own right, as he has never played a full slate of games and he has missed 18 or more games in a season two times. With that said, Paul is viewed as a warrior and a leader much more so than Howard. Maybe that has something to do with his diminutive size and the fact that the point guard runs the offense, but that's definitely the way it feels.
Paul is a year older than Howard and he has a longer injury history, but big men tend to break down long before guards. The fact that Howard has already had back issues is obviously a concern. At some point one would think that the knees will come into play, so there could be some reluctance from teams in terms of offering the 27-year-old Howard more than a five-year deal.
With career averages of 18.6 points, nearly 10 assists and 2.4 steals per game, Paul is a superstar when he's on the floor. He's also a great foul shooter and he makes smart decisions from the field, so he brings a dimension that Howard obviously doesn't.
The big question relates to whether or not Paul will be 100 percent available in free agency like Howard figures to be. Paul can sign wherever he pleases, but the Clippers finalized a deal to acquire head coach Doc Rivers from the Boston Celtics, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Paul hasn't come out and said that bringing in Rivers would automatically lead to him re-signing as well, but acquiring a championship-caliber coach can't hurt. Paul will be an unrestricted free agent and teams are going to pursue him until he re-signs with the Clippers or signs with another team.
There will be a market for both Howard and Paul, but those markets are very different since they're essentially on opposite ends of the spectrum as players. Based on leadership, attitude and perceived longevity though, look for the interest in Paul to be a bit more intense come July 1.
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