The rumors surrounding Dwight Howard are heating up again, as the former All-Star may be up for trade. The Cleveland Cavaliers though, should stay clear.
Cavaliers GM David Griffin isn’t afraid to make a big, league-shaking move. From the firing of David Blatt a few weeks ago to the trades he made to acquire J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Timofey Mozgov last January, Griffin is always ready to do what he believes is best for the team.
Recently, Griffin had some interesting comments, via Brian Windhorst of ESPN:
"“But I can also tell you that we have been very clear from the beginning that there’s no such thing as untouchables.” Griffin said. “You’re either all the way in or all the way out in this process, and we believe our guys are all the way in. If it remains that way, then we are going to try and augment the group at the bottom and try to get some additional depth, and that’s what we’ll do. We’re not going to be afraid to do what needs to be done if something more significant comes along.”"
The “untouchables” don’t exist statement must be taken with a grain of salt, as Cleveland isn’t trading LeBron James anytime soon. The psyche of Griffin is an interesting one though and it leads to believe that the Cavs may be active in trade discussions as the deadline approaches.
As one big name may be available on the trading block though, Griffin would be wise to stay away.
Rockets have engaged teams about Dwight Howard, per league sources, but the asking price has been steep. HOU not just looking to dump him.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) February 3, 2016
Let’s clear something up here before we continue. Cleveland haven’t been linked nor are they seemingly looking to trade for Howard. The Cavs are not a team that he has been linked to. With the Cavaliers history of making big and sometimes head shaking moves though, it’s worth to at least think about the prospect of the eight-time All-Star wearing the Wine and Gold.
Despite Mannix’s report, Calvin Watkins and Marc Stein of ESPN have been getting the opposite vibe. “The Houston Rockets are approaching the upcoming trade deadline with the intent to keep center Dwight Howard for the rest of the season, according to sources familiar with the team’s plans.”
As mixed signals are being sent throughout the league, the Cavaliers signal on the issue should be very straight.
Stay away from Howard.
This is no knock on Howard. The 30-year old, despite some poor games, questions about his fit and his seriousness on the court and his seemingly never improving offensive game, is still a dominant center when he wants to be. Howard is averaging 14.4 points and 11.8 rebounds per game this season, as the Rockets are stumbling through a tumultuous season.
The Cavs are still sorting through some of their own issues at the moment, though, as the team is adjusting to what coach Tyronn Lue demands. Cleveland’s isolation-heavy offense in the fourth quarter is still showing up way too much and the squad is now dealing with some frequent defensive breakdowns. Not to mention that the Cavaliers are making significant strides in how to use the Big 3 of James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love for the first time since the trio formed.
Cleveland is first in the Eastern Conference with a 35-13 record but with the craziness amount of attention and criticism the team has withstood, you would think they are more suited for the lottery rather than a deep playoff push. The Cavs are not doomed. They are not in a dark place. They do not need to acquire another superstar either.
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Howard also wouldn’t fit in Cleveland. It has taken the Cavs about a season and a half to find the magic formula for how to use Love effectively. Rumors have stated that Howard is uncomfortable playing second fiddle to James Harden in Houston. So how would he feel playing third or fourth fiddle in Cleveland? (Note: if the Cavs were to acquire Howard, it would probably be at the expense of Love. That doesn’t mean Howard would struggle with fitting into the offense though.)
Once again, the Cavs are not looking or are involved with Howard rumors. When taking everything into consideration, it should stay that way.