Dwight Howard was the news of the offseason. Some were shocked with the center opted to sign with the Houston Rockets instead of remaining with the Los Angeles Lakers. This is the second NBA offseason where Howard dominated the headlines. In 2012, he was part of a highly publicized trade that sent him from the Orlando Magic to the Lakers in the first place. However, that was not the original plan for Howard.
Ken Berger of CBS Sports reports that Howard was originally slated to be traded to the Rockets long before signing with them at the start of the summer. Berger notes that NBA sources confirmed the Magic and the Rockets tentatively agreed to a trade of Howard back in March of 2012. The trade ended up breaking down after Howard insisted that he was going to finish out the season in Orlando.
At the time of the possible trade, the Brooklyn Nets were also exploring their options. Howard preferred to sign with the Nets over Houston, but the deal would have sent too many young assets out of Brooklyn and the trade would not have been favorable in the long run. The same thing would have likely happened with the Houston trade. The Rockets would have been forced to give up roster depth that is now so key to Howard's success with the team.
While the Houston trade would have worked for Howard in the immediate future, a long-term run would not have been ideal.
"We were sort of the ugly guy chasing the pretty girl for awhile," Rockets general manager Daryl Morey told CBS Radio. "We [had tried] to trade for him twice. In fact, once we were allowed to talk to Dwight when free agency started off, he told us how - and we didn't know this for sure - but how Orlando basically told him he was going to get traded to us if he didn't re-up with them a couple years back when he resigned. He was almost a Rocket a couple times."
Everything has worked out so far for the Rockets despite the failed trade. They have youth and elite talent to really be a threat in the Western Conference. The Nets might not have gotten Howard, but they did sign Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, giving the team a roster stocked with All-Star appearances. The Los Angeles Lakers got, well, a promising summer in 2014. In the end, Howard got the better deal.
