Boston Celtics Must Steer Clear of Dwight Howard at Trade Deadline

With the trade deadline less than 48 hours away, rumors are swirling quickly and the Boston Celtics are undoubtedly in the thick of the swarm. While it remains to be seen whether general manager Danny Ainge will pull the trigger on Boston’s stockpiled assets and draft picks and commit to a deal of immense proportions, there is one player who the Celtics must resist the urge to acquire, Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard.

Although the eight-time All-Star has posted averages of 14.6 points and 12.0 rebounds per game, good for third in the NBA, while ranking just outside of the top ten in the league with 1.5 blocks per game, adding an aging Howard to the mix would cause more harm than good for Boston.

First comes Howard’s contract situation. With a player option looming at the conclusion of this season, the 6’11” rim protector has already made it known that he plans to opt out after this season and test free agency.

Acquiring Howard would likely cost the Celtics at least two-first rounders from their boatload of selections in next year’s draft (Bleacher Report’s Vytis Lasaitis exclaims that the Celtics own 2016 first-rounder and the Dallas Mavericks’ 2016 first-rounder would likely be offered up in a potential deal). Unless Ainge is willing to ink the Atlanta native to a contract, which could potentially cost as much as $30 million per year under the new salary cap, these picks would simply be wasted on a half-year rental.

While the notion that Howard’s offensive capabilities in the post would bolster Boston into contention for the Eastern Conference title, the fact of the matter is that with the likes of Jared Sullinger and Tyler Zeller banging in the post as of late, adding another low-post threat is not a necessity for the Celtics.

Currently, Boston ranks sixth in the NBA with 44.5 points in the paint per game. With Sullinger and Zeller having proven their ability to successfully initiate the pick-and-roll offense with Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley, while adding value in simple post-up situations on the block as well. Acquiring Howard might stunt the growth that the Celtics’ frontcourt has made throughout the season. Howard’s offensive game is predicated off of pick-and-roll finishes and low-post maneuvers. He has failed to develop any resemblance of an outside game, a skill that is heavily utilized under head coach Brad Stevens.

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Furthermore, Howard continues to rely on a supply of athleticism. His 30-year-old body is deteriorating by the day.

In addition to age, Howard’s injury history could become an issue as well. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year has suffered through lower back stiffness and a left ankle sprain in 2016 after missing 41 games to injury in 2014-15. Also, with the amount of miles that he has accumulated on his tires, expect more injuries to follow as he reaches the twilight of his career.

Even if Howard remains healthy, there is always the possibility of him being unable to achieve chemistry with Stevens. If he is traded at the deadline, Howard will have played for four different teams in just four seasons, having essentially forced himself out of both Orlando and Los Angeles because of his distaste for the situation he was subjected to and his inability to remain humble and combat adversity.

Next: Boston Celtics: All-Star Break Grades

If Howard were to be traded to Boston and his minutes took a dip from the 32.3 minutes he averages per game in Houston or the Celtics underwent a losing streak, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see his level of content in Beantown disappear.

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