Report: Morey, Harden pushed to decrease Howard's minutes
It's no great secret that the relationship between Dwight Howard and the Houston Rockets deteriorated greatly towards the end of last season.
Sensing that Howard would leave in free agency, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, with the backing of team owner Les Alexander, repeatedly pressured Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff to decrease Howard's minutes, sources told ESPN's Tim MacMahon.
League sources told MacMahon that James Harden heavily influenced management's decision to cut Howard's minutes, although team sources rebuked that claim by saying Harden did not participate in the discussions.
Morey favored Swiss big man Clint Capela, who wasn't nearly as accomplished as Howard, but was willing to play pick-and-roll with Harden (something Howard resisted, as he favored post-play) and was more vital to the Rockets' long-term success.
Howard apparently learned of management's desires and subsequently pushed for a trade mid-way through the season. The franchise tried to shop Howard, but couldn't find an appropriate suitor.
Bickerstaff resisted Morey's demands and, not surprisingly, was let go this summer in favor of Mike D'Antoni, who has featured Capela as his starting center throughout preseason.
That move has paid off, with Capela posting per-36 averages of 22.2 points, 16.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks while shooting 63.2 percent from the field through five preseason games.
Howard eventually fled Houston for his hometown of Atlanta this summer on a three-year, $70-million contract.