The NBA Free Agency rumors continue and two former teammates could plan the next phase of their careers together.
It should be recalled that Chandler Parsons played a huge role in recruiting Dwight Howard to Houston. While playing with James Harden and becoming a contender is undoubtedly the biggest draw, Parsons' actual pitches swayed the tide in favor of the Rockets, beating the vaunted Los Angeles Lakers in that tug-of-war.
Thus, it's no surprise that Parsons and Howard, now that they will both have options to become free agents, could link their destinations together. Parsons confirmed that he and Howard have discussed it, as he states in an interview with Tim McMahon of ESPN.
"Yeah. We have ongoing talks and text messages still to this day," Parsons confides. "He's one of my good friends. It's cool that we could have the opportunity to go into free agency this summer together."
He also gave D12 a vote of confidence. "I've expressed how I think he can be one of the dominant players in this league. I think he still has a lot left in the tank. He gets criticized a lot for whatever reason, but I still think he can be one of the best big men in the league and a game-changer. He's not that old [Howard is 30]. He still has a lot left in the tank."
The possibility is easy to accept, but the question is where it will happen. Both players are in Texas (no state taxes if that is ever a factor) and both have reiterated their preference to stay with their current teams.
However, there is a difference with how their respective teams view them. The Mavericks clearly want to keep Parsons, but the recent trade deadline rumors seem to indicate that they're lukewarm on Howard. The Mavericks were a former suitor for Howard and Cuban is an owner willing to gamble on overpaying, especially if he strikes out on the bigger fish.
The choices are not confined to Texas, though. The Orlando Magic has declared to pursue Parsons and according to Hoops Rumors, they are right next to the Mavericks in his priority list. Orlando is in Florida, also with no state taxes and Parsons played college ball as a Gator.
The big caveat is the Dwight Howard drama, aka the "Dwightmare" which left a bad taste with the franchise and its fans. D12 also lists Orlando as his second choice and he would actually be a good fit as the defensive anchor for this young team. Will Orlando accept him again? If Parsons and Howard are a package deal, that would be hard to resist.