NBA Free Agency: Four favorites emerge to sign Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard probably will not return to the Houston Rockets in 2016-17, but he does have four potential landing spots in this summer’s NBA free agency.

When Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard publicly stated mid-season that he was going to opt out of his final three years in his contract with the Rockets this summer to become an unrestricted free agent, that was the writing on the wall for Howard’s tenure in Houston.

For many reasons, it would be completely shocking if Howard returned to Houston for the 2016-17 NBA season. While he is a traditional back-to-the-basket, defense-first center with an undeveloped offensive game, he reportedly has four teams highly interested in signing him in NBA free agency this summer.

According to ESPN’s Calvin Watkins, with regards to Houston’s plans for next season, “Howard is not expected to have a role. It’s expected that he will become a free agent and seek a new team. Orlando, Milwaukee, Portland, and Charlotte are the favorites.”

Howard is still a highly productive player in the league and all four teams could use his help in their respective front courts. The Milwaukee Bucks would absolutely have to part ways with center Greg Monroe to make it work there, but Howard could provide a veteran presence to Milwaukee’s exciting young corps.

The Portland Trail Blazers are playing terrific basketball in their first round series with the Los Angeles Clippers with their dynamic backcourt duo of point guard Damian Lillard and shooting guard C.J. McCollum. Portland could find more balance with an inside presence on both ends of the floor with someone like Howard.

The Charlotte Hornets would be an interesting and frankly the most probable landing spot for Howard, as he would play for a defense-first coach in Steve Clifford and his top assistant with the Hornets would be none other than Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing.

Then the possibility of going back to the team that drafted Howard No. 1 overall in the Orlando Magic could be very interesting. It would have to include a sign-and-trade with Houston for near-All-Star Nikola Vucevic, but Howard could provide a veteran inside presence to the team he played his best ball for from 2004 to 2012.

Wherever Howard ends up, it will certainly be a better situation than with the quagmire of conflicting personalities down in Houston. He shouldn’t be worth a max contract, but could be the second or third best player on an up-and-coming team in 2016-17.

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