For once, a controversy involving Dwight Howard may not actually be about Dwight Howard. A New York Knicks blog has leaked footage of off camera banter between Howard and ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, in which Smith tells Howard the Knicks were considering dealing Iman Shumpert.
According to Smith, Knicks owner James Dolan wanted to trade the flat-topped guard because he didn't "want to work out in summer league." Smith told Howard that he said to Dolan, "'Trade who? You better hold on to that boy. You better not lose Iman Shumpert.' That boy can play."
An apparently surprised Howard responded "He [Shumpert] can come here [Houston]." Howard continued to lay out a fictional scenario that's a bit tough to hear, but sounded like "[Brandon] Jennings can play the one, Shump two, Harden three."
Soon after the brief Shumpert chat, Howard and Smith went into their on camera talk about Dwight's move to the Rockets.
Shumpert tore his ACL in the 2012 playoffs, and missed about half the 2012-2013 season before returning for a game in England against the Detroit Pistons. In 45 games Shumpert scored 6.8 points per game, and averaged three rebounds, 1.7 assists and one steal. Shumpert is known primarily for his lockdown perimeter defense, but he also knocked down 40 percent of his 3-pointers last year, up from 31 percent as a rookie.
Howard recently signed a max contract with the Houston, and his dreams of a Jennings, Shumpert, Harden backcourt are just that-fantasy. There is not enough money to go around for all that talent-in addition, the Rockets have two promising young point guards in Jeremy Lin and Patrick Beverley.
That lineup would also squeeze out Chandler Parsons, who enjoyed a stellar sophomore season in which he averaged 15.5 points a night to go with 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
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