Rockets' Dwight Howard: Declines player option

Howard opted to decline his $23.3 million player option for the 2016-17 season and will become an unrestricted free agent, Shams Charania of Yahoo! Sports reports.

Analysis:

Howard largely struggled this past season, seeing his lowest offensive numbers since his rookie season with 13.7 points per game. Howard and James Harden appeared to clash both on and off the hardwood, so it seems unlikely he'll return to Houston despite both parties leaving the option open. With that being said, Howard's defensive capabilities remain one of the better options in the league, meaning the 30-year-old center should receive a ton of attention on the open market.