With the National Basketball Association trade deadline quickly approaching on February 18, much of these rumors have centered around former Los Angeles Laker and current Houston Rocket, Dwight Howard. With free agency looming, Whiteside will be sure to continue the strong production in order to raise his stock for the summer.
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But would either team deal for Howard?
The Houston Rockets have completely imploded this season, and even though Howard doesn’t appear to be part of the problem, it looks like he’s going to be opting out at the end of the season.
With Whiteside earning the National Basketball Association minimum and Howard in excess of $20 million, the Heat would have to include the salaries of several veterans to make the salary-cap math work, a combination of players including Luol Deng, Chris Andersen, Josh McRoberts and Udonis Haslem.
The Heat resume play Friday at Philips Arena against the Atlanta Hawks.
The only thing that could stop the deal from happening is the fact that both Howard and Horford will be free agents after this season and the Rockets and Hawks are not going to make this deal if they feel like they do not have a shot of signing those players back for the long term. He has posted 12.2 points, 11 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game and holds a Heat-leading 23.8 PER in this edition of the league. McHale and Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon were expected to help turn Howard into one of the greatest big men in National Basketball Association history.
The Heat have always been linked to superstar names every offseason and trade deadline.
This is a different conversation if we’re talking about the 2009 version of Howard-the one who could easily have won an MVP award, dominated the league as its best defender and led Stan Van Gundy’s perfectly constructed Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals.
The Dwight Howard trade was already tossed around by the Washington Post since last December as suggested by Bill Simmons. So, if his emotions can be reigned in and harnessed by Bosh and Wade in time for the playoffs, not making a trade could work best for the Heat.
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No. 5 – The Clippers also are said to be looking for a shooting big to sit free-throw disaster DeAndre Jordan late in games. There is just one difference – Howard’s player maturity, and his ability to keep himself composed and focused on the court.
