Dwight Howard understands what it feels like to be recruited. When he was a free agent last summer, everyone from Kobe Bryant to Carmelo Anthony was trying to pull him in to their respective teams. After deciding on Houston, the center might now be asked to do the same thing. The Rockets are looking for that final piece to their championship puzzle and will need all of the help they can get on bringing in the biggest name.
The Rockets have been linked to every top free agent set to hit the market, plus a few trades. The Houston Chronicle continues to report that team insiders note the Rockets are looking to make a big splash this offseason in hopes of contending in the Western Conference after an early postseason exit this year. They could sign Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James or both. They could also make a trade for Kevin Love.
According to USA Today, Howard has no plans on recruiting either James or Anthony to the Rockets this offseason. Instead the center believes they must make their own decisions regarding their future and if that includes the Rockets then great, but if not then he does not want to get invested. Howard noted that he was overwhelmed in free agency and the chaos of it all and has no plans on getting himself involved.
"A great man once told me that this is my plane, I fly it where I want to fly it, I'll land it where I want to land it," Howard said. "I built it, and it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks. If I want people on that plane, I'll put them on there. If not, this is my plane. For 'Melo and all of these other free agents, this is their plane. This is their time to fly wherever they want to fly. They can't let anybody or anything get in the way of doing what's best for them."
The Rockets have several things to take care of in the offseason. Before they can consider recruiting a top free agent, they must trade away Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik, something easier said than done. If the teams fails to do then the Rockets have no chance at landing someone based on salary cap space alone. The team has been linked to several deals that could also include signing and trading Chandler Parsons.
Houston is going to have a lot of competition when it comes to acquiring free agents. The Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks are planning on getting involved as well so Howard might need to stretch that popularity of his.