Dwight Howard: Listing the Odds Of Where He Will Land

Dallas Mavericks

Apr 15, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) takes the court to face the Memphis Grizzlies at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Mavericks will be about $23 million under the cap next year and have expressed interest in signing both Dwight Howard and Chris Paul.

And the Mavericks’ star player is on board with the idea.

Dirk Nowitzki has indicated his willingness to take a significant pay cut to try to “woo” one or both of the free agents to Dallas. All the reasons that Dwight would be willing to go Houston for purely money reasons apply to Dallas as well, as they are both in the income tax-free state of Texas.

The main difference between Houston and Dallas would be the surrounding cast of players. The Mavericks have an average age of almost 29 and Nowitzki would be 35 at the start of the next season. While there are certainly age similarities between the Lakers and Mavericks, it is undeniable that Dallas would offer better chances of playoff success with Kobe Bryant being an uncertainty for the next season.

Howard could serve as the perfect complement to an aging Nowitzki and take some pressure off his shoulders going forward. I still give the edge to Houston however because of their youth, though.

Probability: 25 percent