Charlotte Hornets' Mitch Kupchak explains why Dwight Howard had to go

Center Dwight Howard would have played so little for new Charlotte Hornets coach James Borrego that general manager Mitch Kupchak decided he had to get Howard off the roster.

That move was trading him Friday to the Brooklyn Nets for center Timofey Mozgov, two second-round draft picks and cash. The deal became official in the afternoon after the NBA’s moratorium on signings and trades became official.

Howard, an eight-time All-Star and potential Hall-of-Famer, played a single season for the Hornets following the trade with the Atlanta Hawks a year ago. With Borrego installing a system requiring quicker ball movement and a faster pace, Kupchak agreed Howard, 32 and a veteran of 14 NBA seasons, wouldn’t play much next season.

Howard has been a non-starter in only one of his 1,035 prior NBA games. Kupchak said asking him to come off the bench in limited minutes “would not have been good for us and that would not have been good for Dwight.”

Kupchak said he considered various alternatives, including waiving Howard and stretching the salary-cap implications of Howard’s remaining $23.5 million salary over several seasons, as allowed under NBA rules. However, Kupchak said decreasing the Hornets’ player payroll this coming season (by approximately $7.5 million) was worth taking on Mozgov’s guaranteed salary ($16.7 million) for the 2019-20 season.

“Every option was explored” once it was decided Howard had to go, Kupchak said.

The reduction in player payroll gave the Hornets the flexibility to sign second-round pick Devonte Graham (announced just after the trade), plus come to terms with former San Antonio Spurs star Tony Parker. A source confirmed Friday that Parker has agreed to leave the Spurs for the Hornets, after 17 seasons in San Antonio. ESPN reported Parker will sign a two-year, $10 million contract.

Parker will fill the Hornets’ stated need for a veteran behind Kemba Walker while Graham develops as an NBA point guard.

Kupchak signed Mozgov to the four-year, $64 million contract the Hornets inherited Friday. That was in the summer of 2016, when Kupchak was overseeing the Los Angeles Lakers’ basketball operation. The Lakers later traded Mozgov, along with guard D’Angelo Russell, to the Nets.

It’s questionable whether Mozgov, who has poor mobility, will fit in the style of play Borrego is installing. But unlike Howard, Mozgov has experience playing off the bench. He made 13 starts for the Nets last season in 31 game appearances.

“I know he’s a good teammate,” Kupchak said of Mozgov, who will be playing for his sixth team in nine NBA seasons. “If I thought Timofey was a bad kid and I thought his character wasn’t up to standards” the trade wouldn’t have been made.

Howard averaged 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds in his one season with the Hornets, but his presence didn’t translate to the playoffs, as then-general manager Rich Cho and then-coach Steve Clifford anticipated. Howard and guard Nic Batum struggled to collaborate effectively on offense and Howard’s constant post-ups were not particularly efficient (an average of 0.8 points per possession when Howard got the ball in the low block).

Howard has reportedly been discussing a buyout with the Nets that will make him a free agent. The Washington Post reported the Wizards have strong interest in signing him. The Wizards would be Howard’s fourth team in as many seasons.

This story was originally published July 6, 2018 at 2:04 PM with the headline "Charlotte Hornets' Mitch Kupchak explains why Dwight Howard had to go."