For the umpteenth time, Dwight Howard is once again dragged into the NBA trade rumor mill.

Howard’s name had been tied to previous trade rumors in the past months, and on each occasion, he has managed to douse water on speculations on his playing career plans.

This time, however, it may not be within his power to shun trade talks with word that the Houston Rockets are the ones initiating talks for a possible trade deal involving the 6-foot-11 center, via ESPN.

Howard made it clear that he wanted to work things out with Houston. In fact, his handler Dan Fegan made it clear that it was not Howard who wanted a trade.

"What I can say, with 100 percent certainty, is that Dwight has not and has never asked the Rockets for a trade. And neither have I," Fegan was quoted saying via ESPN.

For his part, Howard cleared the air, saying that he never asked for a trade.

Though there may be some sense to that, the alleged talks could be more than that.

One is the current struggles that the Rockets are undergoing in what has been an erratic season thus far. Despite having Howard and James Harden, the team has been underachieving. Nothing caps this more than the sudden firing of Kevin Mchale in the early part of the season.

On Howard’s end, he has not exactly been performing at the level he has been known for. He has played second fiddle to Harden and has hardly been the same guy who was a force with the Orland Magic.

Aside from the struggles of the team and Howard, there is the future to think about.

Howard is expected to opt out of his contract after this season to become a free agent. Though it doesn’t necessarily follow that he wants out of Houston, it is more about seeking a max contract with salary caps expected to flicker in the offseason.

There are still risks involved, and general manager Daryl Morey is apparently aware. The thought of seeing Howard walk without getting anything in exchange looms and is seen as one of the reasons why the Rockets are discussing a possible deal right now, as reported by Yahoo Sports.

Either way, it is about looking out for the future of the ballclub, and the Rockets are not about to rely on what Howard may be saying now. Everyone knows what happened with the Los Angeles Lakers, so with a broken season, dealing with a future and potential problem right now seems to be the best course of action.