Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard. (Photo : Getty Images)
The Milwaukee Bucks are still targeting Dwight Howard in free-agency this summer as the team is allegedly placed starting center Greg Monroe on the trading block.
Milwaukee came from a 41-41 team that lost to the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 2015 playoffs to a 33-49 squad that did not qualify in the postseason this year, which means some mistakes might have been made during the course of the year that needed to be corrected.
The Bucks were the surprise winners of last summer's Greg Monroe sweepstakes as they outdone big market teams New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers for the signature of the 6-foot-11 former Georgetown standout.
However, just after one season with the club, Milwaukee is allegedly shopping him around "hard" this summer, according to Oregon Live, as the team felt that he is not a complete fit in head coach Jason Kidd's system, particularly on the defensive end of the floor.
The 26-year-old Monroe provided the Bucks numbers that are close to his career averages, such as 15.3 points, 8.8 boards, and 2.3 assists per game, but he is just not what the team is looking for when it comes to a rim-protecting, shot-stopping center. His 0.9 blocks per game average last season proved it.
The Bucks are said to be "eager to move on" from Monroe, but analysts believe that he does not have "much trade value" at this point and to the team is having a hard time finding a trade partner for the New Orleans native.
Meanwhile, Fansided indicated that Howard could still be a target for Milwaukee as they are looking for an ideal replacement for Monroe.
The 30-year-old Howard certainly fits the traits that the Bucks wanted in a center even though the incoming unrestricted free agent center's perceived value is not the same as before.
The report noted that "Howard's stock has been in steady decline ever since he left the Orlando Magic in 2012, with a combination of injuries, poor fits, attitude questions and more, getting in the way of the caliber of play that made him one of the league's very best players".
Still, the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, eight-time NBA All-star, and five-time All-NBA First Teamer is a clear, clear upgrade over what Monroe had provided for the squad last season.
