Dwight Howard Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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.

Mavs Rumors: Nowitzki, Parsons, Howard, D-Will

April 26th, 2016 at 2:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

Dirk Nowitzki said today that he definitely won’t retire, notes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com (on Twitter), and the German-born star dismissed the idea he won’t be back with the team next year, calling it “crazy talk,” according to Mavs radio play-by-play announcer Chuck Cooperstein (Twitter link). Still, Nowitzki has on multiple occasions included the caveat that the Mavs have to avoid rebuilding in order for him to remain committed to the franchise, and coach Rick Carlisle expressed a level of uncertainty about Nowitzki’s future in Dallas. The power forward, who turns 38 in June, has a player option worth about $8.692MM for next season.

See more from Dallas in the wake of the Mavs’ playoff elimination Monday:

Chandler Parsons made a public recruiting pitch to Dwight Howard today, as MacMahon relays (ESPN Now link). The Mavs don’t want to pay Howard the max, as MacMahon reported previously, but Parsons is fond of the idea of again pairing with his one-time Rockets teammate. “I think he can still dominate the game,” Parsons said. “I think he can still be a great player in this league. And I think he’s going to leave Houston, so why not come here?”
Parsons, who like Howard is expected to opt out and hit free agency this summer, also gave further indication that he prefers to stay in Dallas, according to MacMahon (ESPN Now link). “Dallas is home to me,” Parsons said. “I loved it here. I came here to be a great player and to win a lot of games, and I’ve yet to do that here. So I feel that I have a lot of unfinished business here that I’d love to continue and grow into the player that I saw myself being when I signed here. The quicker we can get that done allows me to start recruiting and doing that whole thing.”
Deron Williams doesn’t know what he’ll do with his player option worth slightly more than $5.621MM for next season, but he said today that he’d love to be back with the Mavs next season whether he opts in or out, tweets Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. Carlisle said he wants the same outcome, MacMahon adds (Twitter link).
Raymond Felton‘s contract is up at season’s end and, unlike Williams, he doesn’t have an option to decide on, but he said he plans to move into a house in Dallas and would like to re-sign, as Sneed also passes along (on Twitter). Felton has spent the last two seasons with the Mavs.

Rockets Notes: McHale, Howard, Van Gundy

April 23rd, 2016 at 9:01pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Former Rockets coach Kevin McHale believes Dwight Howard, who is poised to be a free agent at the end of the season, may have lost a step on the offensive end, as Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle passes along. “If you throw it down to him on a steady diet, the poor guy just can’t get down low and move any more,” McHale said on SiriusXM Radio. ” I think that back bothered him, his hips are tight from that and he just wasn’t the same player. He’s worked hard on it. The kid does work hard on his physical conditioning and trying to get healthy and stuff. But he is not what he used to be down there in the low post.”

Here’s more out of Houston:

Jeff Van Gundy appears to be the Rockets‘ top target to be their coach next season, but he is unwilling to talk to the team while a coach remains under contract, a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Houston has J.B. Bickerstaff under contract through the end of this season and the team is currently down 2-1 to the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs.
The Rockets have dealt with chemistry issues during their disappointing season, but the players weren’t confrontational with each other, which was likely due to the their personality types, writes Michael Lee of The Vertical. James Harden has received criticism for not taking a greater leadership role, but his teammates don’t see validity in those claims. “You just see him trying to get better, trying to make this team better,” Trevor Ariza said. “He continues to come to work every day. Plays the same way. Plays hard every day. Puts in extra work.”