This Summer in Free Agency: Dwight Howard

After an awkward interview on Inside the NBA on TNT and with the Rockets signing Mike D'Antoni as their head coach, it is almost certain that Dwight will be heading somewhere else this off-season. It seemed like he was a lost piece in the disastrous Rockets season this year. He has the capability of taking over games, but people often point out his fun-loving, childish nature as a problem from him to be a dominant center.

Him and James Harden cannot play together which was quite evident this year and it even got to a point where they both wanted the other to get traded. Harden had been awful this year, laughed at for his defense and confused at times on offense. But Dwight couldn't get a good opportunity to show what he he is capable of, so here is a list of my top 3 destinations for where Howard could land this off-season. Please keep in mind that this list has nothing to do with what Durant has been offered, but where he has shown interest and where he can thrive:

• Portland Trailblazers
• Orlando Magic
• Boston Celtics

1.) Portland Trailblazers

The Blazers are on the rise. After putting up a good fight against the defending champions Golden State Warriors, Dwight might be the missing piece for this team to claim a title. Damian Lillard and C.J McCollum are lights-out scorers and can go off on any given night, but they move the ball around well and Dwight can find some success with the All-Star back-court. And even though Mason Plumlee is doing a great job as of now, Dwight can make an immediate impact for a good couple of years. 

2.) Orlando Magic 

Why not go to the team that got you to where you are? Dwight was one of the most dominant big men in all of basketball in his Orlando days. He led his team to the 2009 NBA Finals where they fell to the Lakers and even claimed 3 Defensive Player of the Year honors. The team right now is very young with some promising talent, but no real superstar. This could either be attractive to Dwight since he will get most of the shot attempts, or it will be overlooked since they aren't a championship contender as of now. 

3.) Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics are definitely showing a lot of promise for the near future. With All-Star point guard Isiah Thomas, the 3rd overall pick in this years draft (via Brooklyn), and many more key pieces, all that is missing is a big presence down low. Howard fits the mold perfectly, adding a lot more size and scoring in the low post. The current big man unit for this team is Tyler Zeller and Kelly Olynck, but both of them lack on either side of the ball (Olynck struggles on defense and Zeller isn't a polished offensive player). With Dwight, and the draft pick alongside the current Celtics roster, they could be a team to watch next year.