NBA Trade Rumors: Houston Rockets In On Dwight Howard And Then Not In

Just a ton of stuff to discuss as the trade market heats up. Not all of it affects the Rockets, but a lot of it is at least tangentially related to the hometown hoopsters.

• First, foremost and what will probably grip the rumor mill until the 3 p.m. deadline Thursday is Dwight Howard. What do we know? Well, he has either refused to NOT exercise his opt-out, which made the Magic convinced they want to trade him, or he told the team he WOULD get rid of that opt-out and stick around for the 2012-2013 season. Does that mean all these trades are off? I have NO FREAKIN' IDEA. The Dwight Howard situation is the most confusing one in the entire NBA. I am officially confused.
• Yes, that report above did say the Rockets were in on Howard, if indeed the Magic intend to trade him. Except, now it appears they don't want to trade him at all. Which means Houston won't actually have a shot. Which is probably a good thing, as this FanPost over at The Dream Shake shows.
• Oh, and in a recurring theme lately with Rockets trade rumors, one springs up in the morning only to be shot down again in the afternoon. As in, Carmelo Anthony expresses his distain for the Knicks in the morning and Mike D'Antoni resigned in the afternoon. No 'Melo trade now, but that may mean the Rockets get a lottery pick from the Knicks. So there's some good news.
• The Rockets also seem to be discussing Courtney Lee with lots of people around the league, but are asking too much for him. How much is too much, I wonder?
• It also appears that the Lakers are about to acquire Michael Beasley in a three-team deal with Minnesota and Portland. What does that mean for Houston? Does another front-court player make it easier or harder for the Rockets to make a Pau Gasol trade work? I guess Luis Scola doesn't make sense if they already have Beasley.

We'll be watching the rumors right up until the deadline, so check back at this StoryStream for updates throughout the day. For league-wide rumors, check out the SB Nation NBA StoryStream. For more news on all things Rockets, check out The Dream Shake.