NFL Tickets
The Houston Rockets haven’t achieved their expectations this season, and that will be true even if they end up making the playoffs. Firing Kevin McHale was definitely a mistake, but it is not one that they can correct at this point. McHale will get another shot, though, and the media will happily take him back if he is done with coaching.
The Rockets will have to move either Dwight Howard or James Harden this summer, and Howard might life easier by declining his player option for the 2016-17 season. It would be a shame to lose an asset for nothing, but ditching Howard might be addition by subtraction.
Howard not accepting his player option would be kind of foolish, because there doesn’t seem to be a market for him. The Rockets did all they could to ship Howard at the trade deadline, and they couldn’t find any takers. They’ll do the next best thing by getting rid of him this offseason.
The Washington Wizards could go after him this summer if their Kevin Durant plans fall through, but they shouldn’t offer Howard a max contract if no other teams are willing to give that. Dwight is running out of chances in the NBA, and his body is breaking down at an alarming rate for a guy who once dominated the league. His exit from the Orlando Magic couldn’t have been more messy, and it would be interesting to see if they’re intrigued by bringing Howard back there.
The Rockets would get what they deserve by making the playoffs, because they would probably be matched up against the Golden State Warriors. And we all know how that series would end.
Howard could turn around his career by displaying selfless behavior, but that doesn’t seem likely at this time. His tenure in Houston is clearly coming to an end, and that is the ideal scenario for both sides.
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