Cleveland Cavaliers: Should they take a risk on Dwight Howard?

After being traded to the Brooklyn Nets, Dwight Howard has been rumored to agree to a buyout deal. This means Howard will be back on the free agency market.

Dwight Howard has been going through a rough stretch in his career. Could the Cleveland Cavaliers help him bring back his glory days?

Since joining the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012, things have been going downhill. Howard played a few seasons in Houston, before being exiled from the team. Now, Howard will be playing for his third team in three years.

And, it most likely won’t even be Brooklyn. The once-feared center is on the verge of a buyout, most likely attempting to revive his career with a contender.

That said, Howard’s problems have mostly come off the court.

However, it isn’t because of him getting into any trouble with the law or anything. It’s just his presence in the locker room. Everytime Howard joins a new team he ends up being hated by the fanbase and his peers.

This is something that has troubled Howard since the day he joined the league.

Despite his off-court antics, Howard is still a once in a lifetime talent.

Sure, Howard is nowhere near his glory days. There was a time when Howard was the most dominant center in the league. In the 2009-10 season, Howard was averaging 18.3 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks.

More from King James Gospel

However, Howard is actually still a productive player.

For the last three seasons, Howard is averaging 14.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. Furthermore, Howard is shooting 59.6% from the floor. These numbers are very good for a player who has largely been forgotten about.

Does this mean the Cleveland Cavaliers should risk signing him?

The Cavaliers could certainly use a player with his skillset. The team would greatly benefit from having a defensive anchor down-low. Also, watching Howard play next to LeBron James would be an NBA fan’s dream.

James has never played with an elite center unless you want to count the aging Big Z as elite. At the same time, Howard hasn’t been “elite” the last few seasons himself. With James, that could change.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, who hare extremely tight on cap space, still have the team’s mid-level exception along with several other trade exceptions they’ve gained throughout the last few seasons.

Although, this dream may be six years too late. Not to mention, Howard will likely want a bigger contract than what the Cavaliers are able to offer. On top of all this, Howard is entering his 15th season and could be due for a significant dropoff.

Next: Cleveland Cavaliers: Top 30 all-time greatest players

This is why I don’t think signing Howard is worth the risk.