NBA Rumors: Should Teams Max Out Dwight Howard Or Hassan Whiteside?

Jan 3, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) attempts to drive the ball around Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside (21) during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) attempts to drive the ball around Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside (21) during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
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Mar 5, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) reacts to a foul call against the Chicago Bulls during the first quarter at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 5, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) reacts to a foul call against the Chicago Bulls during the first quarter at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Dwight Doesn’t Deserve A Max Contract

Even though Dwight is “only” 30, he’s an old 30. He came to the NBA out of high school as has more NBA miles on his body than most 30-year-olds. Will he hold up over the course of his new max deal?

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And do you want to be paying Dwight close to $30 million per year, which is estimated what he could be in line for under the new salary cap?

It’s a difficult situation, for sure. And it probably depends on each team, whether or not they’re willing to pay Dwight that much money. Apart from financial concerns, Dwight has battled back and knee issues over the last two seasons.

He hasn’t had that one “big” blow, that cost him to miss the majority of the season, but he’s probably at a higher risk than most considering that he’s had lingering issues on that front in the past.

On top of all that, Dwight is coming off his lowest point and rebound output in his career since his rookie season. Is that a cause for concern, or is that more to do with the Rockets not involving him in the offense? If nothing else, it’s something to think about before throwing him a boatload of millions.

Next: Why Hassan Deserves A Max