The Houston Rockets won Game 3 of their first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, but it would be a huge surprise if they won another game, let alone the series. So the focus will soon shift to the offseason for the Rockets, and the future of center Dwight Howard will become a primary talking point.

Howard can opt-out of the final year his contract this summer, and all indications are he will do so in search of a longer deal at 30 years old. A rumor surrounding a possible return to the Orlando Magic surfaced earlier this month, with Shaquille O’Neal‘s apparent stamp of approval, and the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks have been rumored as teams that may appeal to Howard.

Rumors of a rift between Howard and James Harden surfaced during the Rockets’ disappointing season, including that each wanted the other traded. All signs are that Howard can’t co-exist with Harden, particularly on the floor and presumably off the floor as well, so with the Rockets’ investment in Harden that makes Howard the one who needs to go.

At some point, with an odd ending in Orlando and a dysfunctional one-year stint with the Los Angeles Lakers preceding his time in Houston, Howard has to absorb some fault as a common denominator in bad situations. But he is clearly not a part of the Rockets’ future, and once Howard opts out both sides will be better off apart. Not that Howard would, or should, even consider an offer from the Rockets if one did come.