No Rockets fan would argue the benefit a trade for Magic center Dwight Howard would bring the Houston franchise, but for all the wheeling and dealing it will take to make such a move a reality - and Tuesday's Chase Budinger trade was just the very start of necessary steps - is it worth it if Howard isn't a long term answer?
The Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen speculates that Howard won't be a Rocket for long, if at all:
Undoubtedly, the chances of signing Howard long-term are not great. David Aldridge reported that a source told him there is no chance Howard would sign after next season. I was told in March, about 10 days after the deadline, that Howard wants a bigger stage than Houston offers. He can wait a season and head to Brooklyn and immediately be the greatest center the Nets have ever had (something he cannot be with the Rockets or Lakers.)
Which leads to the next question - Now armed with three first-round picks in the teens, would the Rockets be wiser to engineer a deal for either another player with a better chance of staying in Houston or a Top five or ten pick for a future star?
For more on the Dwight Howard rumors and the Houston Rockets, check out The Dream Shake and SB Nation's NBA page.
