NBA Trade Rumors: Houston Rockets Parting Ways With Dwight Howard, Ty Lawson?
Ty Lawson and Dwight Howard are continuously being mentioned in numerous trade rumors, but the Houston Rockets might be forced to keep both players until after the 2015-16 NBA season.
Lawson, who was acquired in a deal with Denver Nuggets last summer, has not made an impact in Houston this season. The Rockets have yet to figure out a way to make him co-exist with superstar guard James Harden.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, Lawson's representatives are looking for ways to move Lawson out of Houston because of lack of playing time and undesirable production this year. In 26 games, Lawson posted just 5.9 points and 4.2 assists in 25.2 minutes -- far from his averages of 15.2 points and 9.6 assists in 35.5 minutes last season.
However, Ken Berger of CBS Sports reported on Tuesday that the Rockets are doing their best to find a trade partner, but they do not have a lot of options at this point.
Berger pointed out that the Rockets have done a good job finding deals before, but Lawson's case is different because the trade market for the former North Carolina standout is "minimal," which could force the Rockets to hold onto the veteran playmaker.
Sources also told Berger that there are teams who believe that the Rockets will eventually waive Lawson, but some league executives are also convinced that Rockets general manager Daryl Morey will keep the 28-year-old point guard and use him as a trade chip before the deadline in February.
On the other hand, Howard was also mentioned in recent trade rumors, as previous reports indicated that he is unhappy in Houston because he is playing second fiddle to Harden.
Howard has already denied that he is asking for a trade, but reports revealed that he could still be dealt before the deadline. He could become an unrestricted free agent after the 2015-16 NBA season and the Rockets could lose him without getting anything in return. But for Berger, the Rockets should just keep Howard this season.
"Houston is better off holding onto Howard," Berger noted. "Even at 31, with an ever-growing injury history, Howard would appear to be a sure bet to opt out after the season and reap the rewards of nearly a billion dollars in new money flooding the player compensation pool."
Howard, who signed a four-year deal worth $87.59 million with Rockets before the 2013-14 NBA season, is averaging 13.0 points and 11.7 rebounds on top of 1.7 blocks and 1.0 steals in 31.6 minutes this season.
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