NBA Trade Deadline: Ranking value of 5 stars on the market

5. Dwight Howard

Just a few years ago Dwight Howard would have been at the top of this list. When he was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year from 2009-2011 in Orlando, Howard was undeniably one of the best assets in the NBA. He was a terrifyingly athletic force at center and a fierce defender, but has since fallen due to health issues and chemistry problems. With the Houston Rockets, he’s not been the player he once was, both in terms of overall impact and his role.

Whether or not he’s unhappy playing alongside James Harden is something we can’t truly know. Either way, the Rockets appear to be ready to move on, which is starting to emerge as the deadline closes in.

ESPN’s Marc Stein has reported that multiple teams have expressed interest in Howard since he was made available, while the Hornets are coming to the forefront of the situation:

"The Charlotte Hornets are among the teams to have expressed trade interest in Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard, according to league sources. Sources told ESPN.com that the Hornets and Rockets have held exploratory talks on a potential Howard deal since Houston made him available last week. But one source close to the talks expressed pessimism Tuesday that the sides will be able to find common ground on a deal."

Decline and health issues aside, Howard is still worthy of some star status. And as multiple teams remain interested, organizations around the NBA must believe so. For teams with poor interior defense who are desperate to improve, Howard (despite his decline) could be the anchor they can look to.

Offensively, Howard is still going to be fairly limited. He doesn’t have range, he’s not a good free throw shooter, and a hook shot is pretty much the extent of go-to post moves for him. That being said, he’s still highly athletic and could be utilized far more as a pick-and-roll threat with the right team. While his interior defensive presence and 12 rebounds per game (good enough for 3rd in the NBA right now) will help the most, he can provide 18 points per game with relative ease if used to full effect.

The reason why Howard may not bring as much in return as the Rockets would like is simply because he’s so much less valuable than he once was. He’s no longer the most dominant center in the NBA, and that’s apparent now by a large margin. Also, he simply isn’t worth his contract anymore. His current mark of $22.35 million is high enough, and if he uses his player option for 2016-17 this summer to go in search of a max contract, it brings about more problems.

First off, he probably won’t get the money he wants and thinks he deserves. Secondly, the idea of him leaving to look for more money when the salary cap raises is going to worry any team that trades for him at the deadline.

He’s at the bottom of this list of five selected stars for such reasons, and the personality issues and complacency he’s shown at times only add to the concern. However, he can still make a real difference somewhere, even if teams need to be wary of sacrificing too much to acquire him.

Next: Hassan Whiteside