Houston Rockets Trade Rumors 2016: Howard Likely To Be Traded Before Deadline?
Several reports have surfaced claiming that the Houston Rockets are looking to release big man Dwight Howard before Thursday's trade deadline.
In a report by John Reid for NOLA.com, the Rockets are said to be currently in talks with the Miami Heat for a possible deal to trade Howard for big man Hassan Whiteside. Whiteside has also been involved in various trade rumors for the past months.
The report adds that Whiteside becomes a free agent by July 1st, after the current season, while Howard holds a $23.3 milllion player option for the upcoming season, but can become a free agent as well, should he choose to forego it.
In another tweet by ESPN's Marc Stein, the Rockets are said to be involved in talks with the Charlotte Hornets, but the two teams have yet to agree on a workable deal.
"ESPN sources say Hornets and Rockets have discussed a potential Dwight Howard-to-Charlotte trade but have not managed to find workable deal," Stein's tweet reads.
Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, on the other hand, has reported that the Hornets is "not interested in cashing assets" for Howard, adding that despite the fact that current coach Steve Clifford "loved" coaching him back in Orlando, there are still no chances of making a deal.
In another report by Mike Prada for SBNation, the Hornets' determination to sign a big man such as Howard is mainly due to the absence of injured center/power forward Al Jefferson, which leaves a significant gap in their frontline.
Prada's report adds that Howard would be a "significant upgrade," describing Cody Zeller, who is Jefferson's temporary replacement, as a "jack-of-all trades, master-of-none" kind of player.
For the current season alone, Howard has played in a total of 44 games and is averaging 14.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 steals, through 32.3 minutes of playing time per game.
