I see Dwight as a hindrance to what Morey may want to do for the future. We know Morey is always positioning the Rockets to be able to acquire top free agents. The fact that Dwight is in decline while his salary continues to climb is a problem in my opinion. Dwight has a player option in 2016/17 for more than 23 million. That's the same year that Durant is a free agent. I know that the salary cap will be going up, and I know that the Rockets could have cap space to sign Durant, but Dwight's huge contract would limit what Morey could do in regard to other players. Durant might be hesitant to join Harden if we can't build a strong supporting cast. Also I think it is a problem that other players seem to really dislike Dwight. Is Durant or other top free agents going to want to come to Houston to play with a declining Dwight Howard? I'm thinking it might be wise for the Rockets to deal Dwight while they still can. If his knee gets worse, or if his level of play keeps declining, it's just going to be harder to get rid of Dwight. I guess it comes down to whether Morey thinks a team built around Dwight and Harden can truly contend for a championship. Dwight played well in the playoffs last year, but it still wasn't enough to get us out of the first round. Can Dwight flip the switch and turn it on for the playoffs this year? Maybe the Rockets should get out from under Dwight while they still can.
These are pretty much my sentiments about Howard as well. He's not worth his contract and I feel shouldn't be apart of Rox long-term future like Harden should be. I don't think Howard at this point is a good enough side kick to Harden playing wise and mentality wise. Rox wanted Howard forever and now that they have gotten him, and he isn't the super star the organization hoped for I got to believe. Morey himself said Dmo is the second best option on this team. To me that was very telling. I've been critical of Morey but he is all about value when it comes to contracts and I believe some how, some way he will eventually move on from Dwight and invest that money in another way moving forward.
I think he's waiting for the playoffs as well like he said after the Brooklyn game "I'll do my damage in the playoffs" or something like that
If your goal is to sign a top free agent, the method to do so does not include trading a previous top free agent signing the moment he shows some health issues.
I agree that it would send the wrong signal. But do you really think that other players would not understand why the Rockets would make the move. I don't think Dwight garners much respect from other players. I think people all around the league would say it was Dwight's fault if it doesn't work out in Houston. It's a tricky situation, and I don't think Morey will trade him. Morey chased after Dwight for a long time, so I don't think he wants to throw in the towel at this point. But, then I started thinking about Durant, and how he dislikes Howard. Is Morey going to be able to convince Durant to come here with a declining Howard in the middle?
Everyone who keeps saying Dwight will be okay once the playoffs get here, you don't see the problem and uncertainty with that? Did we ever express during Hakeem's great career, "Lets wait until the playoffs, he'll turn it on then". Hakeem brought it consistently in regular season and playoffs like most superstar/greats do. It is not a certainty that Howard will flip a switch. And as good as Howard was last year in playoffs, the Rox still lost the series. This team goes and Harden goes. Once the playoffs get here, teams will start hard doubling Harden and daring the other players to beat them, which I feel is a good strategy. The only other player I have confidence in on the current roster to make the other team pay in that scenario on a consistent basis is Dmo because of his post game. Dmo I feel is definitely the x-factor and more important to this team's future than Dwight. If the Rox had current Dmo last playoffs, they win that series.
Wrong way to look at it. . . .. If Durant is GOING TO BOLT Would you rather offer them some Flotsam . .. . or DWight? Then could gets picks and some nice talent and try to woo Westbrook to stay or Dwight and QWestbrook could be a better compliment of inside out than Wetbrook and Durant . . . Dwight and some picks/talent might be the best offer they can get Rocket River
No doubt Dwight is not Hakeem. He has an Hakeem type contract that he's playing under though. He's basically a 20 million dollar role player. Dwight has to be more or its a bad value contract in my opinion. I know a lot of the talk about trading Dwight is unrealistic but I'm just thinking in long term. Rox should move on from Dwight after his contract or toward the end of the contract when he's an expiring. That's all I'm implying.
That's a big "if". Lets start by getting out of the first round for the second time in two decades. And no its not my money. If Rox want to overpay players that's them. Simple as that. I'm just a fan making observations. Les Alexander and the organization can do whatever the hell they choose to with their money. I choose to keep my expectations low at this point to guard against more disappointment as a Houston sports fan.
