Have the Houston Rockets and Dwight Howard Reached a Crossroad?

If the latest NBA rumors are true, things are not looking good for Clutch City or Dwight Howard.

Ever since their players only meeting last Tuesday, the Houston Rockets seem far from the team fans expected them to become this season and Dwight Howard is at the center of the storm.

After firing head coach Kevin McHale, the Rockets may be looking to make another surprising move this season. There is a possibility that Dwight Howard is on his way out of Houston.

According to Yibida.com, tension between him and James Harden is the reason behind Howard’s latest trade rumor. Last week USA Today reported that one of the Rockets’ key center pieces was not happy with Harden’s “style of play.” Which is understandable.

Last year’s self-proclaim MVP is not playing with the same intensity he showcased last season. In the first 14 games, it seems like Harden does not care about the team’s success.

Yeah, he had a few 40 plus games that resulted in victories, but it looks like he only cares about scoring. On a whole he hasn’t put any effort in on the defensive end. Worse the Rockets’ offense has been running through Harden more than ever.

And since McHale took the fall for the Rockets’ poor start to the season, it seems their relationship is more strained than ever.

If this rumor is true, it is no surprise that the Rockets would try to trade Howard before the deadline next February. Although Howard has made many statements about ending his career in Houston. He is scheduled to hit the free agency market this summer.

If Howard is no longer happy playing alongside Harden, then trading the eight time NBA All-Star is not a bad idea. Even though Howard is no longer the dominating center he once was with the Orlando Magic. The Rockets will still get some valuable assets in a trade.

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Also, with the rise of second year player Clint Capela, this will become a great opportunity for the former D-Leaguer. Not saying Capela will become better than Howard, but if he can produce for the Rockets like he did against the New York Knicks Saturday night, Houston will still be a good team.

Trading an unhappy Howard is better than watching him leave another team in distress like the Magic and Los Angeles Lakers. True or not, hopefully Howard and Harden can repair their relationship and get the Rockets back to championship contenders.

Even though the Rockets did not start out the way everyone thought, at 5-9 it is not too late for Houston to turn their season around. However, in the Western Conference, there is not a lot of room for mistakes.

Unfortunately if they cannot work out their differences, the Howard and Harden pair will go down as one of the most disappointing duos in league history.

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So get ready Rockets fans, this season might become the third installment of the Dwightmare. The once proud Superman who carried a team to the finals, is turning more into Lex Luthor with every franchise he demolishes.