The Wizards don’t want Josh Howard back next year. Well, to be clear, they don’t want him back at $11.8 million, so there is no way rebuilding Washington is going to pick up his option for next year.
That doesn’t mean they wouldn’t mind having him in a Wizards uniform at a lower price. And Howard seems cool with that, as he described it to the Washington Post.
“I feel like I’m in a good place right here in Washington if they give me a shot. Great city, fans support. Another top-notch organization. Can’t beat it. And I’m close to home,” said Howard, a North Carolina native. The Wizards “gave me a fresh start. Being able to come to an organization that’s great, leaving another great one where I learned a lot. I’m hoping that I can still teach people what I learned there.”
Howard came east in the Caron Butler/Brendan Haywood deal that has sparked Dallas. Howard may have sparked Washington, but three games after the trade he injured his knee and had to shut it down for the season.
It will ultimately be about the money -- it is always about the money. ALWAYS. But if the dollars are close this summer, Howard might spend a season or three inside the beltway.