Dwight Howard Had Destination In Mind At Trade Deadline, And It's Not Where You Think

The Houston Rockets were clearly shopping Dwight Howard at the NBA trade deadline, despite denials about a trade request from him, but they could not find a suitor due in part to his likely decision to opt-out of his contract this summer. During Monday night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Bucks’ play-by-play man Gus Johnson offered an interesting anecdote stemming from a conversation he had with Howard.

“I said, ‘I feel you’re underappreciated.’ He said, ‘Yeah, probably, but listen, I wanted to come to Milwaukee during the trade deadline. I would’ve come, but they wanted me to sign an extension.’ And I said, ‘Well, they couldn’t sign you to half a season.’ He said, ‘You never know. I like Milwaukee.'”

Milwaukee was not speculated on as a trade deadline destination for Howard, and his exact fit on the team looks unclear. Center Greg Monroe has come off the bench in each of the last eight games, dating back to Feb. 9, which could be considered interesting timing if talks about a trade with Houston involving Howard were ramping up behind the scenes. A deal was apparently in place, possibly involving Monroe as part of the package going to Houston, but Howard’s unwillingness to sign a contract extension derailed it.

The Bucks are having a disappointing season, particularly after a playoff campaign in 2014-15, but the group of young players they have means the future is still very bright. Giving up some of those pieces in a deadline deal, even if Howard was willing to commit to a multi-year contract, would have been a bad idea. If a contract that reflects his actual value is possible, and Monroe is moved, some interest in signing Howard as a free agent this offseason wouldn’t surprise me. Either way, the Bucks will be fine with or without Howard in the long run.

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