After the Charlotte Hornets traded Dwight Howard to Brooklyn one day before the 2018 NBA Draft, the former all-star center doesn’t even want to board the plane.
Dwight Howard and the Nets are working on a buyout. Where would he go?
Howard says he wants to go somewhere where he can help a team win. But is there a market for his services?
Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Howard has requested a contract buyout, which would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent instead of playing for the Nets next season. His current contract is set to pay $23.8 million through the 2018-19 season, but he and Brooklyn — who are reportedly working to make that buyout happen — will ultimately come to an agreement on a number less than that.
“I want to be in a situation where I have an opportunity to help a team win,” Howard told ESPN in a phone interview. “That’s my only goal. All I need is a real chance and a clean slate where it’s not people talking about my past.”
Well ... where does that exist?
If Howard truly wants to help a team win and repair his image, the Nets would probably be the place to start. Brooklyn recorded 28 wins last season, their most in three seasons, and could use some veteran help as they push for a win total in the mid-30s next year. Howard projected to help Brooklyn in the paint, where the Nets allowed the third-most points in the league, and serve as a screen-and-roll big man for D’Angelo Russell and Jeremy Lin.
Nevertheless, he has made his decision and all signs indicate he will indeed be a free agent when the trade finalizes on July 6.
The market for Howard is unclear. He has not been an integral piece of success to a team since he left Orlando in 2013. He’s also no longer the perennial all-star and feared rim protector he once was; instead, he’s a big man who has been traded before each of the past two NBA Drafts.
But some team, somewhere, will probably look to acquire his services for a cheap, one-year contract. Howard said he wants to help a team win, which is likely code for he wants to join a team that’s a Dwight Howard away from a championship. Those teams are scarce, if they exist at all, but he could be useful in some places:
- The Milwaukee Bucks immediately jump out as a team that makes sense, pairing Giannis Antetokounmpo with a veteran big man who can catch and finish alley-oop lob passes. They have John Henson and Thon Maker on the roster, but Howard is a definite upgrade over both
- If LeBron James returns to Cleveland, the Cavaliers could also make sense, though Howard can’t effectively defend positions outside than true centers. The biggest if, obviously, is what James does this summer
- The Washington Wizards could also be an option as an upgrade (of sorts) to Marcin Gortat. Howard would have to take a minimum contract to make this happen, but he could actually meaningfully help Washington.
- And of course, there’s always the option of Howard joining the already loaded Golden State Warriors on a veteran’s minimum deal. That wouldn’t be much fun though, would it?
The reality is that if Howard is seeking a championship at this stage of his career, his options are limited at best. But free agency is a man’s game, and if LeBron James is afforded the chance to choose happiness in his next destination, Howard equally deserves that opportunity. Happiness for him clearly isn’t in Brooklyn.
The question is where?
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