The Los Angeles Lakers are currently fighting for the eight seed in Western Conference, and if the postseason were to start today, the Lakers will be on the outside looking in. Even though the team has played better as of late, there is still a lot of work left to do in order for them to make the playoffs.
If Los Angeles cannot crack into the top eight or if they fail to win a 17th NBA championship, there is a chance that star center Dwight Howard ends up leaving the team in free agency. Howard will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and he will have the freedom to sign with any team he desires.
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The Lakers will do whatever it takes to convince Howard to stay with them for the long-term, but Chris Broussard reports that Howard is intrigued by the Houston Rockets and the direction they are going.
Dwight Howard previously wanted a trade from the Orlando Magic to either the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers or Dallas Mavericks.
The Houston Rockets were involved in trade talks, but Howard appeared unwilling to commit long-term to the franchise.
But sources say Howard is aware that the Rockets have emerged as a more attract destination due to their acquisition of James Harden.
The Rockets have been trying to land a superstar player ever since Yao Ming retired due to injury and if they end up signing Howard, they will surely emerge as championship contenders. Houston has a great mix of talent and the team is certainly more athletic than the Lakers.
As of this point, the Lakers are currently 23-26 whereas the Rockets are above them in the standings with a 27-24 record. The Lakers know they need to improve themselves in order to keep Howard and without a championship this season, there is a strong possibility that Howard leaves the franchise.