Houston Rockets going hard after Dwight Howard dream

Rockets GM Daryl Morey is going all-in. He is pushing his chips in and trying to win the bracelet. Or in this case, the ring.

To win titles in the NBA you need to have a franchise anchor, a true superstar. Since 1980, one team has won a title without at least one of those kinds of players (2004 Pistons, and they had really good players). From Magic and Bird through Shaq up to LeBron James, you want a title you need a superstar.

Morey is going all out to get one in Dwight Howard. Even if it is just a one-year rental.

With the Nets out of the picture (for now), the Rockets are making their move to get Howard by being able to send Orlando picks, young players and to take back some terrible contracts from the Magic. On Friday the Rockets are expected to amnesty Luis Scola, clearing out more cap space. Chad Ford at ESPN lays out the offer the Rockets can then make the Magic.

Sources told ESPN.com that the Rockets, should they go ahead with their widely reported plans to release starting power forward Luis Scola via the NBA’s amnesty clause, are prepared to absorb the contracts of Jason Richardson, Glen Davis and Chris Duhon — in addition to sending Orlando multiple future first-round picks and recent draftees — to give the Magic an opportunity to wipe their payroll virtually clean for their post-Howard rebuilding effort….

Sources say that the Rockets would have to send Kevin Martin, Patrick Patterson, Marcus Morris and Chandler Parsons to the Magic from their current roster to make the salary-cap math work, as well the draft rights to Jeremy Lamb, Royce White and Terrence Jones, all selected in last month’s first round.

The Rockets, in addition, would also have to waive a handful of players with non-guaranteed contracts (Shaun Livingston, Courtney Fortson, Josh Harrellson, Jerome Jordan, Jon Leuer, Diamon Simpson and Greg Smith) to clear sufficient cap space. But Houston, sources say, is also offering multiple first-round picks to the Magic, including a potential lottery pick acquired this week from Toronto in the Kyle Lowry deal.

All of that to get Howard, who has said he would not re-sign in Houston and would become a free agent. It likely is a rent-a-Howard situation.

And it’s a good move — the Rockets have been stuck in the NBA’s safe and comfortable middle ground and need to get out of it. If they get Howard and keep him, they have their star and can build around him. If they fall short or if he comes then leaves, they struggle for a couple years but get high draft picks (not the middle of the road ones they had) and they get a star that way. Either way, they break out of their rut.

The one thing that could throw a kink in the plans is Omer Asik.

The Rockets have committed to a four-year, $25 million offer sheet to Asik, one that has not yet been given him but will be soon. (To say they would extend and offer then not would have huge repercussions with agents who don’t want to deal with a team that won’t keep its word.) The Rockets are expected to sign Jeremy Lin to an offer sheet Friday, which the Knicks will match over the weekend.

Then they will do the Asik sheet, and the Bulls may or may not match. Coach Tom Thibodeau has pushed to keep him and the entire roster together. The Bulls are high on young Asik. But owner Jerry Reinsdorf doesn’t want to be a regular tax payer and next summer they will have to extend or reach a new deal with Taj Gibson. And it’s a no brainer, if you have to choose between Asik and Gibson, Taj wins. So the Bulls could let Asik go to Chicago.

But clearly the Rockets don’t really want him anymore. They have set their targets on Dwight Howard and are doing everything they can to make an offer the Magic will take.

That will not happen over the weekend, reports are the Magic want to sit on it, but the Rockets are making their push.