Dwight Howard Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Dwight Howard On: Opt Out, Morey, Harden

May 19th, 2016 at 12:36pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Rockets center Dwight Howard is widely expected to opt out of his contract for 2016/17 and become an unrestricted free agent. The big man spoke candidly with Jackie MacMullen of ESPN.com on a number of topics, including about his time spent in Orlando and Los Angeles. The entire interview is certainly worth a look, but here are some of the highlights regarding his current team:

On whether or not he intends to opt out of his deal:

“To be honest, I have had some conversations with close friends on what would happen if I do opt out. But I haven’t really come out and said, ‘I’m going to opt out and do this and that.’ I just can’t focus on that right now. We didn’t have the kind of season we wanted, and I didn’t have the kind of season I wanted and it was really upsetting to me. So my thinking is, ‘I’m going to get in the gym, get my body right and when the playoffs are over take a look at everything.’ As much as it may seem crazy or unbelievable that I’m not thinking about it, every time I do think about it, my mind starts racing back and forth. I don’t need that kind of pressure right now. My agent [Perry Rogers] is smart. He’s done this for years. Let him worry about the teams and the [contract] numbers.”

On his comments about being disinterested at times during this season:

“There were times I was disinterested because of situations that happened behind the scenes that really hurt me. It left me thinking, ‘This is not what I signed up for.’ I felt like my role was being reduced. I went to [Rockets general manager] Daryl [Morey] and said, ‘I want to be more involved.’ Daryl said, ‘No, we don’t want you to be.’ My response was, ‘Why not? Why am I here?’ It was shocking to me that it came from him instead of our coach. So I said to him, ‘No disrespect to what you do, but you’ve never played the game. I’ve been in this game a long time. I know what it takes to be effective.”’

On his teammates reportedly being upset with him:

“My friends kept telling me, ‘Even if you aren’t getting shots, there are so many other things you can control while you are on the floor.’ And they were right. I allowed not getting the ball to affect me. That’s on me. As a big, someone who has been the focal point of the team, who is still young, who still has some great years in front of me, you run the floor, you sprint as hard as you can, you duck in, and still, you don’t get the ball. It brings you down. It sucks the energy out of you. I had long conversations with people close to me who said, ‘Dwight, this is going to make you look bad. Don’t keep doing this.’ So I listened to them.”

On his relationship with shooting guard James Harden:

“Before I got to Houston, I didn’t know him as a person. What made me really interested in James Harden was the way he attacked the basket when he was at OKC. He was the glue of the team, attacking, making plays, dunking. I was thinking, ‘Man, this guy could be special.’ When I hit free agency, I watched YouTube tapes of James for hours. I looked at us as a mini Shaq and Kobe. I was thinking, ‘Man, this could be a new life for both of us.’ And we had some good stretches together. Made it to the Conference finals last season.'”

On a possible return to Houston given his unhappiness:

“You never know what will happen. I’m not ready to rule anything out. But, no matter what the situation [is], I have to be true to myself, both on and off the floor. I can’t alienate myself by letting my frustration get the best of me. A lot of the situations I’ve dealt with the past couple of seasons have made me realize some things about myself. These situations I’ve dealt with have made me stronger. You could say I’ve hit the ‘reset’ button.”

Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Anderson, Terry

May 18th, 2016 at 4:09pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Grizzlies spoke with at least two candidates today as their search for a new coach heats up. Heat assistant David Fizdale came to Memphis for an interview, tweets Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com., as did Portland assistant Nate Tibbetts, according to Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). Both had been previously named as candidates for the job.

Spurs assistant James Borrego impressed Grizzlies officials during his interview earlier this week, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Memphis has also held interviews with Spurs assistant Ettore Messina, Hornets assistant Patrick Ewing and recently fired Pacers coach Frank Vogel (Twitter link). The Grizzlies have significant interest in Vogel, according to ESPN, but so does Orlando (Twitter link).

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

Pelicans free agent Ryan Anderson says he was nearly traded to Cleveland at the deadline, relays Brett Dawson of The Advocate. Appearing on “The Vertical Podcast,” Anderson contends the Cavaliers were trying to work out a deal for him before they picked up Channing Frye from Orlando. “There was a very last-minute phone call that I could have gone to Cleveland,” Anderson said. “I would be playing for the Cavs right now.” Anderson said he didn’t ask the Pelicans to trade him because he wants to have the option in free agency of staying in New Orleans. Anderson’s last experience as a free agent came in 2012 when he was restricted and Orlando swung a deal to send him to the Pelicans. This time, he likes the feeling of being in complete control. “I want to enjoy this process and see where New Orleans is at this summer,” Anderson said. “I want to see where, I don’t know, Houston is at or Sacramento or Washington.”
The Spurs could be interested in power forward Thomas Robinson if he opts out of his deal with the Nets, according to Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News. Robinson would give up a little more than $980K by opting out, but he stands to make much more on the open market with the expected jump in the salary cap. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has talked about the need to rebuild the bench with younger players, and the 25-year-old Robinson, a former teammate of LaMarcus Aldridge in Portland, could be a possibility.
Rockets point guard Jason Terry thinks Dwight Howard would be a “great fit” with the Mavericks, but only if he adapts to coach Rick Carlisle, according to The Dallas Morning News. “Whatever [Howard’s] role is, he would have to be the one to buy in first, and then you go from there,” Terry said on ESPN Radio’s Cowlishaw and Mosley show. “But he and Dirk [Nowitzki] together? That’s a powerful combination.” The 38-year-old Terry adds that he hopes to play one more season before retiring.

Rockets Notes: Howard, Smith, Hornacek

May 11th, 2016 at 10:00am CST by Chuck Myron

Almost everyone in the NBA expects Dwight Howard to opt out of his Rockets contract, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, but the Perry Rogers client wouldn’t confirm that he’ll do so when he spoke Tuesday on TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” insisting that he hasn’t made a decision and that he hasn’t thought about which team he’ll play for next season, Robbins notes. That’s in spite of an April report that identified four front-runners to sign Howard this summer. See more on Howard amid the latest on the Rockets.

The big man remains confident in the viability of his pairing with James Harden, as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle relays. “I think we can [succeed together],” Howard said. “I believe we can. Both of us have to put our egos and our pride to the side and say, ‘Hey, we need each other to win.’ That’s the only way we’re going to win.”
Howard’s reputation hasn’t been the same since his messy split with the Magic four years ago, but he took strides toward repairing it with his charm and deft handling of the questions from the TNT panel Tuesday, Robbins believes. “I want to win,” Howard said. “That’s why I play this game, and I don’t want to finish my career and not be up on that podium.”
Still, no Rockets teammate was asking at season’s end for Howard to return, Watkins tweets, suggesting that it seems as though everyone assumes he’s leaving.
The Rockets completed scheduled interviews Tuesday with Kenny Smith and Jeff Hornacek and plan more interviews to come, a source told Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com (ESPN Now link). Houston reportedly interviewed David Blatt on Monday and previously did so with Mike D’Antoni, Clippers assistant coach Sam Cassell and Rockets assistant Chris Finch. Former interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff interviewed but took himself out of the running. A talk with Hornets assistant Stephen Silas is apparently on the docket and the team would reportedly like to interview Frank Vogel. The Rockets expressed interest in Lionel Hollins, Feigen reported, and college coaches Bill Self and Shaka Smart are said to intrigue the team. Still, Jeff Van Gundy seemingly remains the favorite.

Southwest Notes: Morey, Demps, Mavericks, Howard

May 1st, 2016 at 6:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Rockets coaching candidates had better be prepared to discuss defense and team chemistry in their job interviews, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. GM Daryl Morey offered few clues beyond that in a press conference this week as the team decides whether to replace interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff. Owner Leslie Alexander is a strong believer in an up-tempo attack with a heavy emphasis on 3-pointers, but Morey said running that system won’t be a prerequisite for the next coach. The Rockets are known as pioneers of analytics in the NBA, but none of Morey’s coaches has been a strong believer in numbers. Feigen notes that every coach Alexander has hired came to Houston with previous head coaching experience but adds that the organization targeted several assistants before hiring Kevin McHale and is expected to do so again. The writer mentions ex-head coaches Jeff Van Gundy, Lionel Hollins and Jeff Hornacek as possibilities, along with Adrian Griffin, Ettore Messina, Jay Larranaga and Jim Boylen.

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

Pelicans GM Dell Demps and his staff are preparing for the draft and free agency, even though the team hasn’t confirmed that Demps will keep his job, tweets Scott Kushner of The Advocate.
The Mavericks can offer one max contract to free agents this summer and possibly a second if Dirk Nowitzki and Chandler Parsons follow Deron Williams and opt out for next season, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. Dallas entered the offseason expecting to have at least $32MM to spend, but that number could rise closer to $60MM if Nowitzki, Parsons and Williams all opt out. Bontemps notes that Dallas is counting on landing an elite free agent this summer after last year’s near miss with DeAndre Jordan. He adds that owner Mark Cuban is trying to surround Nowitzki, who’s likely to remain, with as much talent as possible before he retires.
Dwain Price of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram suggests Rockets center Dwight Howard is the first name on the Mavericks‘ free agent wish list. Price believes Miami’s Hassan Whiteside, Chicago’s Pau Gasol and Atlanta’s Al Horford are other centers Dallas will target if it can’t land Howard.

And-Ones: Howard, Celtics, Curry

April 29th, 2016 at 10:17pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Despite losing to the Hawks in the first round of the NBA playoffs, the Celtics feel that they’ve made progress as an organization this season, Kyle Hightower of The Associated Press relays. “You go from … under .500 and barely making the playoffs and kind of eking in at the end by winning six straight, to being in the mix for being a top-four seed in the East. And so yes, there’s progress,” coach Brad Stevens said. Stevens also added that expectations for the team will be raised for next season after reaching the playoffs the past two springs, Hightower notes. “People have told me all along there’s two really tough tasks, right? One is getting to be a very good, competitive team at a top 10-15 level on offense and defense and give yourself a chance to be in the discussion we’re in now. And that’s been a path in the last three years to get there,” Stevens said.

Here’s more from around the league:

The Magic should resist sentimentality and decline to pursue center Dwight Howard this summer if the big man opts out of his deal, as he is expected to do, opines Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. While Orlando’s fans may push for the team to ink Howard in their desperation for the Magic to land a star player, the center’s lack of post game and diminishing physical skills should give the team pause when considering a reunion with the veteran, Robbins adds.
The Rockets appear open to retaining Howard, despite chemistry between him and James Harden that’s “cordially bad,” as Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com relays (via Twitter). “I’d say we need a great player to go with James [Harden] and Dwight Howard is a great player so it’s for sure an option we’re looking at,” Houston GM Daryl Morey told reporters. Howard would reportedly prefer to remain with the Rockets, but at least four other teams seem to be more likely options.
Warriors superstar Stephen Curry told reporters that he is “feeling better” since spraining his MCL, and he’s trying to return to action before the team’s target date of May 9th, writes Ethan Sherwood Strauss of ESPN.com. “Feeling better but just got a ways to go,” Curry said. “I always have an optimistic view, no matter what it is. I hope to get back sooner. I haven’t talked to the doctors, athletic training staff, all the experts. That two-week timeline was, as [GM] Bob [Myers] says, an educated guess.”

Western Notes: Catanella, Rockets, Conley

April 28th, 2016 at 7:28pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Kings have officially named Ken Catanella as their assistant GM, the team announced. Catanella joins Sacramento’s front office after spending nearly five years with the Pistons as director of basketball operations and assistant GM, the release notes. “We are focused on building a winning team and part of that process is ensuring we have a sound front office structure,” executive Vlade Divac said. “We are thrilled that Ken Catanella is joining the Kings to help us build on our progress and drive success on the court. Ken’s unique statistical and player expertise will provide a significant boost to our basketball operations team.”

Here’s more from out West:

Rockets veteran Jason Terry gave his thoughts on the issues between Dwight Howard and James Harden, as Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston relays (on Twitter). “Could be a contrast in styles,” Terry said. “I think those two have to be put in a system where they have to learn to play together. I just think they’re two different styles. They just couldn’t coexist to have success this year. It worked last year, but this year it was just different for some reason.”
Veteran swingman Randy Foye says the Thunder have yet to play their best this postseason as they await their series versus the Spurs to commence, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman relays. “We want to get better. We feel as though as a team that we’re not playing our best basketball,” Foye told Horne. “We’re not satisfied with being where we’re at right now. We’re just trying to continue to take it to another level, every single practice. Even when we’re not practicing as hard, there’s guys in here trying to get work in, trying to better themselves.”
Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, but despite the struggles of Memphis this season, he believes the window of contention is still open for the team’s core, writes Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com. “It’s not as bad as it may seem,” Conley said. “I mean, we are missing seven or eight guys and still had a chance to win Game 3 against one of the better teams in history. We might have a different team with a lot of different faces, but with the core group of guys we have instilled here, and with Marc Gasol coming back healthy, we definitely have a chance to continue in this window to be successful.”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Rockets Rumors: Howard, Terry, Coaching Job

April 28th, 2016 at 1:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

Houston hasn’t ruled out trying to re-sign Dwight Howard, but whom the Rockets select as coach will go a long way toward determining whether they pursue a continued partnership with the former All-Star center, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Howard would reportedly prefer to remain with the Rockets, but at least four other teams appear to be more likely options at this point. Houston’s choice of a head coach for next season and the system that coach runs will influence Howard’s choice, according to Feigen. See more on Howard in the wake of Wednesday’s season-ending loss:

Howard refused to talk about his future after Houston’s playoff elimination Wednesday night, notes Sam Amick of USA Today, who passes along noteworthy comments Howard made last month about the Magic, who’ve since emerged as an apparent co-favorite to sign him this summer. “To this day man, Orlando has always been special to me,” Howard said of his original NBA home. “Each city, the city grows on me so much because, like I said, I’m a people person and I’m always out in the community. I start to develop relationships, even with people at the smallest places. The Waffle House, stuff like that. … When you leave, it’s like anything. You’re like, ‘I miss this,’ and ‘I miss that.’ And Orlando was a place that I think about all the time. I basically grew up there, and I had so many friends there and stuff like that. I just hate how the situation [his departure from Orlando] happened, just the way that it was perceived. I totally hated that.”
Scott Brooks was a candidate for the Rockets coaching job, but he wasn’t a favorite, according to Feigen, who writes in the same piece. Marc Stein of ESPN.com heard Brooks and Jeff Van Gundy were the two front-runners for the Houston gig shortly before Brooks took the Wizards job instead.
Van Gundy is the likely “starting point” for the Rockets’ coaching search, but owner Leslie Alexander wants to be certain that Van Gundy, who hasn’t been an NBA coach since parting ways with the Rockets in 2007, would update his offense, Feigen writes.
Jason Terry on Wednesday expressed high hopes of re-signing with the Rockets when he hits free agency this summer, and he reiterated his intention to play again next season despite having interviewed a few weeks ago for the head coaching job at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, notes Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston (Twitter link). The Rockets would consider re-signing Terry if they can’t otherwise fill the role he played for the team this year, Feigen writes within a slideshow, so that would indicate Terry isn’t a priority for Houston.

Rockets Get Permission To Interview Luke Walton

April 28th, 2016 at 9:00am CST by Chuck Myron

The Rockets have received permission from the Warriors to interview Golden State assistant coach Luke Walton for the head coaching job in Houston, sources told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link). Jeff Van Gundy appears to be the top target for the Rockets, who are out of the playoffs after Wednesday’s loss. Interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff will receive consideration for the formal head coaching job, and his players and bosses like him, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com, who nonetheless adds that the team didn’t win enough for Bickerstaff to feel comfortable about his position. The players have been aware of Bickerstaff’s temporary status and know the team intends to go after marquee names as it plays the field for a coach, The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

Golden State also gave the Lakers permission to interview Walton. He already spoke with Knicks president Phil Jackson, though both sides insisted that wasn’t an interview. Walton is reportedly expected to meet with Kings GM Vlade Divac. The 36-year-old Walton has a window to interview with suitors for the next few days as Golden State awaits its second-round playoff opponent.

Whoever coaches the Rockets next season will face a challenge to turn around a team that disappointed this year after a run to the Western Conference finals in 2015. James Harden and Dwight Howard “hated each other,” Wojnarowski tweets, though Howard is expected to opt out of his contract this summer, and the two have consistently praised each other publicly.

“Ultimately it’s his decision but, you know, obviously we love big fella here,” Harden said when asked about the specter of Howard’s free agency, according to The Vertical’s Michael Lee (Twitter link).

The chemistry between Harden and Howard is “cordially bad,” as one source described it to Watkins. Rockets owner Leslie Alexander and GM Daryl Morey anticipate that Harden will give input on the choice of the next coach, but Howard is not expected to influence the team’s decision, according to Watkins.

Coaching Rumors: Bickerstaff, Messina, McHale

April 27th, 2016 at 1:06pm CST by Chuck Myron

Interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff will be among the coaches the Rockets consider as they seek to formally name a head coach after the season, and he and his staff have the respect of the team’s players, writes Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com. Bickerstaff, who took over for the fired Kevin McHale once the team started 4-7, was unable to win at the rate most expected of the Rockets coming into the season, Watkins notes, suggesting that’ll be a stumbling block to the removal of his interim tag. Still, owner Leslie Alexander nonetheless praised Bickerstaff’s winning record of 37-34 during the regular season, and the playoff berth the Rockets snagged on the final night of the regular season was apparently a significant help to Bickerstaff’s chances. Alexander and GM Daryl Morey anticipate James Harden having a role in the team’s decision, though Dwight Howard, whom the Rockets expect to opt out, is unlikely to have a say, according to Watkins.

See more coaching news from around the NBA:

The Lakers will give Spurs assistant Ettore Messina strong consideration for their coaching vacancy if they can’t land Warriors assistant Luke Walton, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears (Twitter links). L.A. has asked for and received permission from San Antonio to interview Messina, a one-time Lakers assistant, according to USA Today’s Sam Amick.
Multiple people have told Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee that McHale isn’t fond of California, casting doubt on the idea that he’d take the Kings coaching job, though Jones cautions that he isn’t entirely sure whether McHale indeed holds a low opinion of the location (Twitter link). The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported last week that McHale was on the fence about whether to interview for the gig, though Stein wrote more recently that McHale and the Kings have had exploratory talks.
A close friendship with new GM Scott Layden, the potential of Minnesota’s roster and a belief that Glen Taylor is committed to winning are reasons Tom Thibodeau cited to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune as he spoke about his decision to become coach and president of basketball operations for the Timberwolves. Thibodeau said that having the dual coach/executive title the Wolves gave him wasn’t a make-or-break element to the deal. “It wasn’t an absolute must, but I’m glad it has worked out that way,” Thibodeau said. “I just wanted to make sure I had a voice. The person I’m with, I trust Scott. He has great integrity. He’s a great worker and he has great experience.”

Magic, Bucks, Blazers, Hornets In Lead For Howard?

April 27th, 2016 at 11:44am CST by Chuck Myron

The Magic, Bucks, Trail Blazers and Hornets are the favorites for Dwight Howard in free agency this summer, as Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com writes within a broader piece on the Rockets, Howard’s current team. Houston has long expected Howard to turn down his $23.282MM player option for next season in search of a max deal that would pay him about $30MM next season, and Howard and fellow Rockets star James Harden have a chemistry that one team source described to Watkins as “cordially bad.”

Howard would prefer to re-sign with the Rockets but would entertain the idea of returning to the Magic, his first NBA team, as Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher heard. Howard told Bucks play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson he wanted the Rockets to trade him to Milwaukee at the February deadline this year, Johnson said. The Hornets and Rockets had exploratory trade talks about Howard before the deadline, and Howard played under Charlotte head coach Steve Clifford when he was an assistant. This is the first reported link between Howard and Portland this year.

The 30-year-old former All-Star is known for indecisiveness regarding contract matters in the past, so it would be no shock if this list of front-runners undergoes drastic changes between now and July, when he can sign a contract with a new team. Howard was a client of agent Dan Fegan during his split with the Magic and one-year Lakers tenure, but earlier this year he dropped Fegan in favor of Perry Rogers, Shaquille O’Neal’s rep.

Chandler Parsons publicly campaigned Tuesday for Howard to join him on the Mavericks, but the Mavericks don’t want to give Howard a deal approaching the max, and Dirk Nowitzki, who’s spoken openly about potential free agents in the past, declined comment when asked about the possibility of Howard in Dallas, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com.

The Magic are in line to have no shortage of cap room this summer, with enough flexibility to sign two max free agents. Portland doesn’t have quite that much but still has more than enough flexibility to afford a max contract for Howard, even with Damian Lillard‘s max extension kicking in. The Bucks would likely have to perform some cap gymnastics to accommodate Howard, since they already have close to $62MM in guaranteed salary committed against a projected $92MM cap. Charlotte only has about $46MM on the books, but that doesn’t include any money for soon-to-be free agents Al Jefferson, whom Howard would likely replace if he were to sign with the Hornets, or Nicolas Batum.

Regardless, it appears Howard would face a difficult atmosphere if he were to return to Houston next season. One source close to the Rockets told Watkins that Howard lost the respect of his teammates, though a Rockets player who spoke with Watkins offered a dissenting view. Harden and Howard have spoken about their on-court issues and Harden paid for Howard’s birthday dinner earlier this season, but the high-scoring guard feels Howard is too distracted and doesn’t demand the ball enough, according to Watkins. Howard doesn’t feel Harden respects him and solicits the opinions of former teammates about what he can do to fix that, as Watkins details.

What’s your best guess as to where Howard ends up? Leave a comment to share your idea.