As the trade deadline approaches, one of the biggest names being rumored to be shipped soon is center Dwight Howard. Formerly considered as one of the best centers in the league, Howard has struggled with injuries and has made him a shell of himself.
As thedreamshake.com reported, Howard has never been fully healthy since being forced to play earlier than his recovery during his 1-year tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers. The report states that Howard was playing with knee injuries during last year's Playoffs as he struggled with a torn MCL and meniscus.
He attributed his ineffective play during the Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors to his knee injuries.
The rumors first came out when the team struggled at the beginning of the season. General manager Daryl Morey expressed that the organization will continue to make changes until there is a significant improvement.
As per bleacherreport.com, Morey spoke about the team's struggles and the potential roster moves.
"We will change until it's working," Morey said. We win at the Rockets. Mr. [Leslie] Alexander does not accept losing. I don't accept losing. The players, no one accepts losing. We've been the fifth-most winning franchise since Mr. Alexander's owned the team. We're going to do whatever it takes to win."
Since making that statement, the Rockets have improved but are clinging to their playoff spot.
According to Fox Sports, Howard's pending free agency could be the reason he is on his way out of the Houston. If the Rockets organization feel that the team has no chance of signing Howard, they could decide to trade for assets with multi-year extensions and preferably to the Eastern Conference.
Rumors have also surfaced that the Rockets could look into trading the center to the Raptors for Terrence Ross, Jonas Valanciunas and draft picks. This would give the Raptors a defensive center who could help propel the team into serious playoff contention.