Daryl Morey lives in the now.
And, by extension, so do the Houston Rockets.
Relative to last season’s second-place finish in the Western Conference, the Rockets are laying a dud. They’re miles away, in terms of championship value, from the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, and if the NBA had a “Playoff Team Most Likely to Seriously Mix It Up at the Trade Deadline” designator, they would own it free and clear.
Dwight Howard’s future is part of that assumption. The Rockets are always aggressive in trades and free agency, but the rise of Clint Capela and continued presence of Terrence Jones has, arguably, diminished his value. Howard is on the wrong side of 30 and is expected to explore free agency over the summer. Rather than reinvest in an aging big man, might Houston instead consider moving him?
Morey doesn’t appear to be thinking along those lines, at least not publicly, per the Houston Chronicle‘s Brian T. Smith:
Considering Howard’s future in Houston as the trade deadline approaches: “We’re just focused on this season. So is Dwight. If we as a team and he as a player play(s) like we know he’s capable and has been this year and was last year, all that stuff takes care of itself. There’s no way we make the conference finals last year without Dwight and there’s no way are making the solid playoff push this year without Dwight.”
Dealing Dwight Howard is in inexact science. He still has value as a pick-and-roll finisher and rim protector, but he’s a flight risk, so any team interested in his services must be prepared to hand out $20-plus million annually to an aging behemoth who has long since forfeited Iron Man status.
The Rockets are superstar-hungry anyway. Howard’s name and reputation is enough to keep them satisfied through this season, and if they decide to part ways, Morey would probably prefer cap space over picks and prospects and long-term contracts anyway.
So bet on Dwight Howard finishing this season in Houston.
Just don’t bet on him sticking around much longer.
