Everybody has a backstory. In Dwight Howard’s case, it’s apparently not something he wishes to talk about in detail. For an eight-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year, that’s saying a lot. “I want to be in a situation where I have an opportunity to help a team win. That’s my only goal,” he said, which is all well and good. The sentiment has been a familiar one for him since he forced his way out of the Magic in 2012. His accompanying statement, however, says a lot more. “All I need is a real chance to and a clean slate where it’s not people talking about my past.”
Where Howard will be gunning for hardware is anybody’s guess at this point. It won’t be with the Hornets, who shipped him out to claim addition by subtraction; so intent were they to sever their ties with him that they happily welcomed erstwhile benchwarmer Timofey Mozgov (and a hefty 2019-20 price tag) in exchange. And it won’t be with the Nets, who, despite missing the playoffs for the third consecutive year, didn’t believe a future Hall of Famer who just normed 16 and 12 in his last stop was worth a roster spot.
For Howard, the good need is that the buyout gives him options. With the Nets footing most of his $23.8-million salary, he can latch on to a bona fide title contender without having to fuss over the zeros on his paycheck. The bad news is that the aforesaid bona fide title contender will have to view his contributions to be more than worth the baggage he brings with him. There’s a reason his prospective employer will be his fifth in four years; by all accounts, he was productive on the court but poison off it.
That said, Howard is a tantalizing talent who can make a difference. For example, he’s decidedly better than, say, JaVale McGee and Zabat Pachulia with the Warriors. He’s also a good fit on paper for the Celtics, who prefer to have Al Horford at the four spot and who would have the type of culture and leadership to rein him in. Until he finds a new home, though, the extent of the speculation will mirror the polarizing figure he cuts.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.
