He thinks he's the franchise player.
http://thelab.bleacherreport.com/would-you-pay-dwight-howard-31-million/
Howard—an eight-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year—is about to enter free agency and based on his resume should be one of the most coveted players on the market, right after Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant.
He won't be.
"I wouldn't sign him," said an executive with a Western Conference playoff team, expressing a view that's more common than one might expect.
"A gamble," said a veteran Eastern Conference general manager.
It's not that Howard is a health risk, though he's had his share of injuries.
It's not that his skills and athleticism have eroded. He's still a dominant defender when engaged.
It's just that Howard isn't always engaged, or serious enough or accepting of his limitations.
Howard views himself as a primary scorer and a franchise star, while the rest of the NBA views him as a third option who should focus on defense.
That disconnect, and Howard's ingrained reputation as court jester, make his free agency uniquely complex. He won't be the biggest star on the market. He might be the most fascinating, and the riskiest.
Some team will sign Howard this month, for many millions of dollars, banking on the belief that the grinning, dunking, shot-blocking 6'11" behemoth can be a key player on a contender.
