The last time Dwight Howard was a free agent, in 2013, the perennial All-Star center was considered a franchise cornerstone and one of the NBA's best players.
Howard is likely to opt out of his contract with Houston and become a free agent again this summer, and the aura around him has changed, to say the least.
Howard will likely still command a max contract on the open market, but that market will not be as large as it was three years ago.
The 30-year-old big man might be seeing the writing on the wall, and while many title-free players on the downslope of their career aim to land with a contender, Howard is reportedly aiming to join the New York Knicks.
According to ESPN's Ian Begley: "Some of Howard's friends have let it be known recently that the center would be interested in coming to New York as a free agent if he opts out of his current contract."
Houston shopped Howard, who is expected to opt-out of his deal, around the trade deadline — Howard even told Bucks broadcaster Gus Johnson that he was interested in joining Milwaukee — but no deal was made.
The Knicks, despite having a massive pile of cash to offer free agents, have struggled to attract top NBA talent in recent years to play with Carmelo Anthony, who has said he's interested in participating in New York's free agent recruitment process more this summer.
Howard seems to bring drama everywhere he goes. The Knicks are in a perpetual state of dysfunction. These two should not, under any circumstances, get together.
But when it's last call at Club Free Agency, and each party has struck out too many times to count, you know their eyes will meet.
Could Howard and the Knicks work? Could their shortcomings cancel each other out? Don't be ridiculous, they're both toxic — but that's what makes this pairing a perfect match.
