Rockets After Dwight Howard and Josh Smith

Daryl Morey and company’s two-year long pursuit of Dwight Howard is well known and has been well documented. The Rockets want him. Badly. Even after retooling their roster with Omer Asik, who turned into a double-double machine, they want Dwight. And we’re not about to blame them.

Disappointing 2012-13 campaign still in mind, Howard remains the NBA’s best center. Marc Gasol, Brook Lopez and Joakim Noah, among others, can have their fun, but there is only Howard. Why? Because of his off year. Since when is averaging more than 17 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks a bad year? That is was considered one is flattering. The Los Angeles Lakers’ first-round playoff exit was disappointing, as was Dwight’s unceremonious ejection in Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs, but that doesn’t take away from what he’s spent almost the last decade doing—dominating.

But back to the Rockets. And their infatuation with acquiring Howard to pair alongside James Harden. And then their plan to snag Josh Smith too.

Excuse me?

You read correctly, the Rockets are planning the ultimate free-agency coup, angling toward landing both Smith and Howard, according to Sam Amick of USA Today:

According to two people with knowledge of the situation, the Rockets’ Monday meeting with free agent forward Josh Smith in Los Angeles included a discussion about a possible partnership with him and his childhood friend from Atlanta in Howard.Smith has long been known to be on the Rockets’ radar, but he is not viewed solely as a backup plan to Howard should he decide to sign elsewhere and the possibility remains of another superteam being created with Howard and Smith joining franchise centerpiece James Harden.

Lakers fans won’t want to believe it, and they’re not alone. The Western Conference as a collective can’t be thrilled about the idea of Houston going from a surprise eight seed to an immediate contender. Not when the Denver Nuggets lost George Karl and Masai Ujiri and could lose Andre Iguodala. Not when the Oklahoma City Thunder must now move on without Kevin Martin, their main get in the Harden trade. And not when the Lakers’ fate is directly tied to Howard’s decision.

Still, it’s possible. To call it realistic would be a bit of a stretch, but there’s potential for the Rockets to form the league’s newest Big Three.

Sans Thomas Robinson, the Rockets have more than enough cash to offer Howard a max contract. But they don’t have enough green available to Dwight’s fellow unrestricted free agent Smith, bringing us to a sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks.

Hoping to capitalize off Smith’s departure and in need of a center, the Hawks could theoretically take Asik—who the Rockets would have no use for with Howard on board—and send Smith to Houston. Done. Case closed. Well, sort of.

Though the Rockets would have enough space to absorb Smith’s new contract while just sending out Asik, Jeremy Lin has hit the trade block. He counts for just over $8.3 million on the books next season and would impede Houston’s ability to build around its theoretical super team.

In return for Lin, the Rockets will want another point guard. Harden can play the part of a floor general and I’m as high on Patrick Beverley as anyone, but they’d need someone else. If they can’t get another point man, I doubt that stops any trade from going through. Dumping Lin’s salary without taking back anything in return would also be an option and allows them to pick a distributor from the bargain bin. Even if that falls through, the Rockets have plenty of options. So many avenues to explore. But first, they must wait.

Their offseason exploits begin with Howard. Should he sign elsewhere the Rockets will likely look to Smith anyway, hoping that he, Harden, Chandler Parsons, Lin and Asik are enough to make some noise in the West. But should Howard agree to join the Rockets, Morey will be one step closer to assembling what will become one of the most feared superteams in the league.

No pressure, Dwight.