Dwight Howard (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The NBA trade rumors had another marquee name in the past weeks but is the book closed on Dwight Howard's possible transfer?
According to Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports, the Houston Rockets were asking too much.
"Howard won't be going to Boston, league sources told The Vertical, and the reason is simple: The asking price is just too steep," Mannix wrote. "The Celtics like Howard, believe he can be a cornerstone player but are unwilling to part with any significant assets - including Brooklyn's coveted first-round pick - to get him. Boston is aggressively pursuing deals and is motivated to add a frontcourt player to its promising young roster, but Howard won't be one of them."
One cannot blame Rockets GM Daryl Morey as he went through a lot to acquire Howard, besting a horde of suitors including the incumbent Los Angeles Lakers.
But should the teams really walk away from this deal? Today's Fastbreak looked at both sides and declared that both the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets should try to work something out.
They note that the Boston Celtics have stockpiled assets, with as many as four first round picks in 2016, but a team can only field five players at a time. Those assets need to be converted-and they should be converted to someone like Howard.
While there are many knocks on Howard: major back injury, 31 years of age (by end of 2016 season), and diminishing stats (but still very respectable). However, most of them applied to Kevin Garnett in 2007. He was 31 when they won the championship and he was no longer at MVP level. That should serve as a precedent.
The assets make the Celtics a trade partner but it is also those assets that made Houston play hardball. They were probably waiting for a "Godfather" offer because they knew that the Celtics can provide that and they are gauging if Boston would blink.
The Rockets can also reason that they want to win now, but can they realistically get anything from Boston or any other team that would make them a better team than the Golden State Warriors or San Antonio Spurs this season? Getting a bounty from Boston will make them major players in the draft again (where they have been good, in general).
These are two of the most active traders in the league. It is not unlikely they bump into each other soon.
