The Houston Rockets are trying to build the best team they can to compete with the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs. After getting shutout last year, the team is aiming for different results in 2016. With their window for a championship closing, the Rockets are in win-now mode and that means keeping Dwight Howard while risking losing him for nothing in the offseason.
Howard's tenure has been up and down with the Rockets. Houston thought he was the final piece of the puzzle, but that has not yet come to fruition. Instead, Howard has dealt with a number of injuries while reportedly being unhappy with his place on the team. The team expects Howard to opt out of the final year of his contract and capitalize on the expanding salary caps, but that will not push the team to trade him now.
According to Calvin Watkins and Marc Stein of ESPN.com, the Rockets are not trading Howard despite a number of interested teams. Even with Howard expected to test the market this summer, Houston believes they are better with Howard than without him in order to win a championship. Stein reports that one reason the Rockets are laying low following the deal to acquire Josh Smith is because they plan on going all out in pursuit of Kevin Durant.
The Rockets are like every team in the leaving believing they stand just as good of a chance as anyone to acquire Durant in free agency. The Oklahoma City Thunder star has been linked to just about every team in the league this season and the Rockets are no different. Houston will have the money to pay a max contract to Durant while using Harden to recruit his former teammate.
For his part, Howard reportedly still wants to play for the Rockets. Stein reports the center plans to finish out the season before entering new negotiations with the team. The center is averaging 14.4 points and 11.8 rebounds this season, but has only played in 40 games. Given his injury history and age, Howard is going to have a tough time negotiating a deal greater than what he already can earn. The center is set to make $22.4 million this season with a $23.3 million option next year. The chances a team offers him more money are slim to none.
"Nobody talks about that stuff," Howard said, via ESPN.com. "My mind is on trying to get better every day, and I felt like I was on a good stretch and got hurt. Just trying to get back, that's my mindset. We don't sit around and talk about, 'Hey what's going to happen next year?' Because that means you're really not in, and you don't want to have those thoughts."
Opting out is a big risk for Howard. If the Rockets know they have a chance at getting Durant, they will not sign Howard to a contract that hurts that effort. He could end up getting shut out completely and end up heading elsewhere.