Miami Heat, Houston Rockets talking Dwight Howard for Hassan Whiteside swap
By Wes Goldberg
The Miami Heat and Houston Rockets could take care of some of their problems with a center swap, per a report.
As we approach Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, their is more and more buzz surrounding both Hassan Whiteside and Dwight Howard and their teams’ willingness to trade them.
Related Story: It's time for the Heat to part with Whiteside
The Heat may be ready to move on from Whiteside, who was ejected after receiving a Flagrant 2 foul after elbowing Spurs center Boban Marjanovic in Miami’s last game before the All Star break. His contract expires after the season and they may want to get something in return for the talent they unearthed last year.
For the Rockets, Howard is believed to be targeting free agency this summer by opting out of the final year of his deal. It doesn’t seem that Howard would be itching to re-sign with Houston after such a turbulent and disappointing season for the organization.
One way both teams can put a band-aid on these issues is a simple center swap and, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, the two organizations have been in such conversations.
Dwight Howard could be moved by Thursday's trade deadline. Miami is talking with Houston about a deal that would include Hassan Whiteside.
— Frank Isola (@TheFrankIsola) February 15, 2016
While this deal is intriguing, it’s also potentially complicated. Howard is on the books for $22 million this season, while Whiteside is making south of a million bucks. The Heat would be forced to include multiple other players–most likely Luol Deng, Chris Andersen and Josh McRoberts–to make the contracts work.
Why the Heat do it
Howard, 30, has gotten a bad rap since forcing his way out of Orlando and struggling with the Lakers before eventually landing in Houston.
However, Howard has been a difference maker for the Rockets. He may not be the dominant rim protector he was when he led the Magic to the NBA Finals in the early 2000’s, but he’s still among one of the more complete big men in the league.
He’s a 15 points and 12 rebounds guy and, even though he has his injury concerns, he has played in 44 games this season compared to just 41 all of last season.
Most importantly, and unlike Whiteside, Howard is a very good passer at the center position. He averages 1.5 assists per game for his career, and knows how to handle double teams. In fact, the offense in Orlando revolved around that passing ability, with him sucking in doubles in the post and kicking out to teammates for open shots.
Why the Heat don’t do it
If it were as simple as swapping Whiteside for Howard, it’s a no brainer. But the Heat would have to include multiple players for this to work. I don’t believe that including Andersen and McRoberts would make it a deal breaker–since the Heat have been rumored to be looking to dump those contracts–but parting with Luol Deng could be tough. The Heat would have to believe that rookie Justise Winslow is ready to become the starter and that Gerald Green can be relied on to play big minutes every game.
There is also the complicated concerns regarding Howard’s contract. At about a $23 million cap hit next season, according to spotrac.com, the Heat would be held hostage by his contract and player option. That hold would take them out of the free agency game this summer unless he were to opt out early.
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If Howard were to opt in, the Heat would also be taken out as free agency players. If he were to opt out, the Heat could lose him for nothing and render that Whiteside trade potentially pointless. The best case scenario is just one scenario here: That Howard works out as a fit in Miami and, deciding he wants to stick in one place for the forseable future, opts out and re-signs to a long-term deal for less money per year. The odds of all of that working out, however, is slim.