Rockets GM Morey mum on re-signing Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard is all but guaranteed to opt out of the final season of his four-year contract with the Houston Rockets this summer.
As an eight-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year who turns 31 in December, Howard knows this could be his final chance to cash in big time on a long-term NBA contract, taking advantage of the coming salary-cap spike this summer and next.
Acutely aware of this is Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, the man who signed Howard away from the Los Angeles Lakers in 2013 in the payoff of a five-year plan of asset accumulation and cap flexibility.
During last week's Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston - an annual event where Morey is a mainstay - he was asked about possibly re-signing Howard.
From Sports Illustrated's Matt Dollinger:
During the front office panel, ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan, who was moderating, asked Morey about re-signing Dwight Howard. Morey immediately replied: "Uh oh." MacMullan pressed the Rockets GM on negotiations. He responded that the NBA’s max salary threshold keeps things simple. MacMullan asked, So you're re-signing him? To which Morey responded: "I just said they had the concept."
Of course, it could be a fairly innocuous remark, but there is a fair amount of logic in the Rockets letting Howard go on his merry way elsewhere. Morey is a shrewd manager with a keen analytical bent, and he was already forced to downplay reports this season that Howard was shopped ahead of the trade deadline.
While Morey was unable to recoup anything in a swap, the idea of cutting bait with Howard in free agency isn't totally unpalatable. After all, the Rockets will have increased cap space too. Rumors have flown for some time that Howard doesn't get along with James Harden, and Houston is expected to be one of many teams to take a shot at Kevin Durant.
While Howard remains an above-average player, the productivity of centers in seasons north of 30-years-old rarely trends upward. Through Tuesday, Howard has missed a combined 63 games during his three-year tenure in Houston - mostly due to significant knee and back injuries.
Having said that, NBA front offices will always possess a fixation to some degree on big men, something that when combined with spare cash this summer will lock Howard up to a max deal somewhere. The Charlotte Hornets, for instance, have been rumored to be interested in Howard. Coach Steve Clifford has a previous relationship with him, and Charlotte could well view him as an upgrade to Al Jefferson - also an unrestricted free agent.
-With h/t to PBT