Dwight Howard Is Making Himself Look Really Bad By Being So Indecisive Right Now
There are a handful of different NBA teams that want to trade for Dwight Howard right now. The Houston Rockets are said to be interested. The Golden State Warriors would like to have him. The Los Angeles Lakers have thrown their hats into the ring and called the Orlando Magic about possibly landing the self-proclaimed “Superman” in a deal. Hell, the Atlanta Hawks even just traded all of their big contracts (Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams) away to get themselves into the mix. But, according to Howard, there is only one NBA team that he’ll sign a long-term deal with if the Magic decide to trade him. And, that team is…
Well, we’re not 100 percent sure. Howard hasn’t actually said. But, the consensus around the league (as of yesterday, at least…this situation is constantly changing!) seems to be that the Brooklyn Nets are the team Howard wants to play for next season and for many seasons to come. Regardless of whether they land Deron Williams or not in free agency, Howard appears to be attracted to the bright lights of New York City.
“There’s only one team on my list,” he told Yahoo! Sports recently, “and, if I don’t get traded there, I’ll play the season out and explore my free agency after that.”
Yahoo! Sports then talked to several league sources and confirmed that the Nets are that “one team.” Is that really Howard’s best play, though? Regardless of whether the Nets are still in play right now or not, Howard has done a ton of damage to his reputation overt the course of the last year or so by not definitively stating what he wants to do when he becomes a free agent. Does he want to stay in Orlando? Play for the Nets? Go win a title with Kobe Bryant? We have absolutely no idea, because he continues to be cryptic with reporters. That wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing under normal circumstances. But, he’s been so cryptic for so long now that no one knows what to believe anymore—and it’s making Howard look bad.
If he wants to go to the Nets (or the Mavericks, Hawks, or Lakers) and that’s the only team he’s willing to play for in the future, he needs to come out and say that now. Will it put whichever team he chooses at a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to making a deal with the Magic? Yes. Will it make some people out there unhappy with Howard? Yes. Will it ultimately detract other teams from trading for him? Yes. But, it’ll put an end to this wishy-washy attitude that Howard has had for the last year—and it’ll go a long way towards helping fans get over the negative feelings they have for him right now.
If you want to play for the [enter Howard's choice of team today], Dwight, just say it. And, let’s end all of this speculation as quickly as possible. It’s good for you and the game of basketball.
