Three years ago, the Mike D'Antoni and Dwight Howard relationship did not work out. Maybe in Houston it will.
Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey appeared on SiriusXM Bleacher Report Radio and commented on the current situation involving Howard. Morey stressed that D'Antoni would “welcome back” the veteran center to Houston:
"He (D'Antoni) would welcome him (Dwight) back. We would welcome him back." — @dmorey tells me and @NoahCoslov on @br_radio.
— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) June 5, 2016
D'Antoni is the new Rockets head coach, while Howard will be an unrestricted free agent this summer if he chooses to opt out this summer. By all indications, the 30-year-old center will decline his player option for next season.
Both D'Antoni and Howard have a short, but tumultuous history together. Both were with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2012-13 campaign in what is widely considered to be the beginning of Howard's decline as the top center in the NBA. Simply put, Howard did not fit in to D'Antoni's uptempo offense which specializes in a pace-and-space style.
Even though Morey is leaving the door open for a return to Houston, Howard probably won't want to play for the Rockets next season. He not only doesn't have a good relationship with his own general manager, but he also experienced his worst season in terms of points per game and usage rate since his rookie year.
While Houston may welcome a return, Howard probably doesn't feel the same.
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