Soon-to-be free agent Dwight Howard has a big decision to make next month regarding his future in Houston. Howard is owed $23 million for next season on his final year of his contract that he signed back in 2013. However, many believe that Howard won’t be sticking around in Houston anymore since they were embarrassed in the first round of the playoffs by the defending champions the Golden State Warriors.
If Howard decides to opts-out of his final year and become a free agent, he will be set to make north of $129 million on a max deal with another team. In many eyes, Howard is on the decline and no longer considered a once dominant player in the league. To Howard’s credit, he as a big man can’t flourish when you’re playing alongside a ball hog of a star player in James Harden.
Harden is a superstar in the league in his own right, but to win a title with one of the best big men in the game, you have to get him involved in the offense. Howard didn’t take too kindly to Harden not feeding him the ball in the post. There were moments in the season where Howard would show his frustration and even take himself out of the game.
Howard has been labeled a diva for some years now stemming from his nasty divorce from the Orlando Magic in 2012. Many sources around the league believe that Howard could sign with a handful of teams this summer such as the Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trailblazers, Orlando Magic and the Dallas Mavericks just to name a few.
All of these names sounds interesting and with the salary cap blowing up drastically making many teams a player in this year’s free agency. The team that makes the most sense in landing Howard to me is the Dallas Mavericks. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has been on record in 2013 professing to everyone that we want Dwight. The Mavericks didn’t sign him then but now three years later they are definitely in play for the big man from Atlanta, Georgia.
The Dallas Mavericks could put together a starting core on the floor in which Howard could be one of the focal points of the offense. This is a team with a Howard addition could make a championship run. With players such as Wesley Matthews, Deron Williams, Chandler Parsons (free agent) and Dirk; they could give the West a run for their money.
Right now is the perfect time for Howard to focus on his legacy and winning a championship. He’s currently in his prime years and the game won’t get any easier for him as time passes. The Mavericks makes the most sense because he can still get a max deal and contend for a title.
Howard should feel extremely excited and disappointed at the same time that he can now move on from a dysfunctional Houston team that barely made the playoffs this season. This was one of the worst season’s statistically for Howard where he struggled and saw his production decline. Through it all, Howard still finished the season ranking fourth in the NBA in rebounding averaging 11.8 per game; not bad for a player everyone has counted out.
Howard has never developed a complete post-up game like the past greats have done. But he’s considered by many as one of the most dominant players the NBA has had in the past decade. If you’re asking others they’ll say he’s overrated. Many teams are desperate and looking to land a marquee name this summer and Howard is one of those stars on many teams wish list.
