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At this point in the week, trade rumors are becoming nothing more than that — rumors. With the NBA‘s deadline for transactions only two days away, movement gossip is at an all-time high. Take, for example, the one swirling around Biscayne Bay that has the Miami Heat receiving Dwight Howard from the Houston Rockets in exchange for some form of a package featuring Hassan Whiteside.
The faults of such a deal have been discussed numerous times throughout the past few weeks — one being that the Howard is four years older and has been dealing with back and knee injuries in recent years. Plus, he often comes off as more immature as seen through his 10 technical fouls and two ejections compared to Whiteside’s two and one.
The trade would only make sense from the standpoint that the Heat would have Howard’s bird rights, thus allowing them to avoid dipping into their salary cap to re-sign him. This would leave money to chase other free agents as they retool, which is a luxury they would not have when trying to re-sign Whiteside. However, both big men can be used as a conduit to something bigger.
For example, there’s the proposed three-team trade that would send Chris Andersen, Goran Dragic and Whiteside to Houston, Howard to the Atlanta Hawks and Jeff Teague and Al Horford to Miami.
Not only would Teague’s 41 percent three-point shooting help Miami in their weakest spot, but his ability to play both on and off the ball may mesh better in the backcourt with Dwyane Wade. Horford’s ability to be interchangeable at the power forward and center positions as well as stretch the floor to the three-point line (34 percent) would make he and Chris Bosh one of the most dangerous frontcourt duos in the league.
That is if Bosh’s possible diagnosis of returning blood clots does not sack him for the second half of the season again. But if it does, Horford’s 15-point, seven-rebound average could be a great fill-in until he gets back.
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