Report: Dwight Howard declines $23M option, will become UFA
The Dwightmare is over for the Houston Rockets.
Dwight Howard has declined his $23-million player option for 2016-17 and will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, The Vertical's Shams Charania reports.
Howard and the Rockets trudged through an unhappy season in which the team vastly underperformed following a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2015. Howard battled injuries early in the year and never quite found his footing upon his return.
Howard ultimately posted below-average production in points (13.7) rebounds (11.8), blocks (1.6), and minutes (32.1).
Having been marginalized, the disgruntled star also reportedly tried to get James Harden traded and as it happens, Harden pushed for the opposite. The Bearded One easily won that power struggle as Howard became the subject of incessant rumors at the trade deadline which saw him linked to Milwaukee, Charlotte, Miami, and Boston.
No team met Houston's price, and thus the unhappy band stuck together for a late playoff push and a humbling gentleman's sweep in the first round.
Howard's nonplussed reaction to James Harden's game-winning shot in Game 3 summed up the season quite nicely. He officially ended his time with the Rockets with a step-back three.
Despite the drama, Howard remains in demand, with Dallas and New York reported destinations for the eight-time All-Star.