The Houston Rockets have done little to hide the expectation that Dwight Howard will not opt into his $23 million option for next season. Howard does not have much reason to stay in Houston, other than the money, so he appears bound to try his chances in free agency this summer.
And his agent's phone will be ringing, though no one will be on the other end offering $23 million. That might be exactly what Howard needs: to not be the highest-paid player on his next team and to not have such massive expectations for him.
Shaun Powell wrote for NBA.com that Howard is expected to leave Houston at the end of the season and test the free agent market rather than cashing in on his massive option. The decision could actually wind up being quite calculated, especially since Howard will not likely market himself as a franchise center.
Howard is dreadful from the charity stripe, his post moves are questionable and he can be a bit difficult. But he is 7 feet tall, he is a hulk and, though his mobility will not improve, he is not a statue. But here is the reason Howard will have no trouble finding a new team, per Powell: "he's not a diva anymore and his asking price should be relatively reasonable."
It is also possible that Howard no longer wants to play somewhere he is not wanted. James Harden reportedly pushed to have Howard traded, and a newspaper columnist declared, "Time's up, Superman." Rockets' general manager Daryl Morey has also been non-committal about Howard's future with the team, probably on purpose.
Plenty of teams would love to have a center of Howard's caliber (he is still averaging a double-double in points and rebounds) as a third, fourth or even fifth option on offense. Plenty of teams would also love to utilize him to allow their superstar big man to play with more freedom.
Think about the Pelicans or the Mavericks. With Howard strictly playing in the low post, Anthony Davis and Dirk Nowitzki do not have to and are free to take shots from all over the court. Teams like the Hawks, Hornets or Heat are all at least in danger of losing their premier big man.
Howard is saying the right things in case he does opt in for another year, but it is clear he does not want to be in Houston. TV broadcaster Gus Johnson said on air that Howard told him he wanted to be traded to the Milwaukee Bucks at the deadline.
