A surprise contender emerged for Dwight Howard ahead of the NBA trade deadline.
Per ESPN.com’s Marc Stein:
ESPN sources say Milwaukee made offer for Dwight Howard but talks broke down in part because Howard wouldn't opt into final year of contract
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 18, 2016
Howard would have made some sense for the Bucks, though I wonder who they would have needed to trade. Greg Monroe almost certainly would have been involved. That would have made sense if Howard agreed to opt into the last year of his deal. Monroe can become a free agent in 2017 anyway (player option), so the Bucks wouldn’t have been sacrificing security.
Superman wouldn’t have done much for the Bucks’ perpetually struggling offense, but watching pick-and-rolls unfold between him and Khris Middleton/Jabari Parker/Giannis Antetokounmpo would have been heaven. He might have also helped them recoup their lost defensive swagger. He, unlike Monroe, can be an elite-level rim protector, and with him behind them, Milwaukee’s perimeter pests would have the luxury of being more aggressive, flying around the outside, forging traps and attempting for force turnovers.
Ah, well. It just wasn’t meant to be. And the Bucks shouldn’t feel bad about Howard not opting into the last year of his deal. Chances are he wouldn’t have done it for anyone. His stock is already as low as it’s ever been, and now is the time for him to lock down one last lucrative nine-figure deal.
