Dwight Howard would consider the Celtics
Last week, I asked the question whether or not the Boston Celtics could make a legitimate play for Dwight Howard in the trade-market. The Celtics certainly had the salaries in place to make it happen, and they also had the pieces if the Magic were willing to make a deal to free themselves for free agency next season. The biggest issue was Dwight Howard’s “list”. If Lebron James had “The Decision” a couple of seasons ago, Dwight Howard’s equivalent would be “The List” otherwise known as “The only teams that Dwight Howard would consider signing an extension with if he was traded there. Its the biggest obstacle to the Boston Celtics potentially acquiring Dwight Howard as the list included teams such as the Clippers, the Nets, the Mavericks and the Lakers. I’m not that smart, but even I can see that the Celtics weren’t on that list. Basically, acquiring Howard would be an attempt to win this year, and with Kevin Love off the market in terms of free agency, Howard leaving the Boston Celtics could have potentially crippled the Boston Celtics for years to come.
That was until the other day. It seems now that Dwight Howard has added the Celtics to his list.
And even though we don’t believe this is a team of his dreams, we do know that the Celts will have a great deal of money to throw at a free agent or two in the next offseason. And if Howard is still available — if the Magic don’t blink and move him before the March deadline — C’s president Danny Ainge will undoubtedly put in a call to Team Dwight.
The question is whether he’ll answer.
“Always. Always,” Howard told the Herald. “I’d always listen to a team like that.
“My thing is I want to win. It’s not something like I’m doing this for money. I win. I want to do it my way.”
The two biggest issues I see is that if the Celtics wait and think they are getting him in Free Agency, they are sadly mistaken. Dwight will go where Deron Williams goes and that is likely Dallas. If the Celtics want Howard, it will have to be a trade which arises the second issue. The trade itself. It would have to be a deal involving Kevin Garnett and Jermaine O’Neal. Yes, they are expiring contracts, but do the Magic really think they are players in free-agency next summer? That is highly unlikely.
