Brew Hoop Roundtable: Should the Bucks sign Dwight Howard?

The Bucks face several important questions heading into what figures to be an entertaining summer. We knew that. You knew that. But what good is bottling up those questions when you can talk it out with your basketball bros?

That's the goal in what will be a recurring series of posts throughout this offseason. Several members of the Brew Hoop crew will get together to bounce questions off of each other, no matter how big or small the topic is. Ideally, these discussions will provide several angles to each question that give us an overall solid starting point for future discussions. We also encourage any of you to send your questions along that you want to see get discussed. This should be a fun exercise, and we're looking forward to talking about all things Bucks this summer.

First up on the docket: that Dwight Howard guy. There have been a couple rumors linking the Bucks to the free agent center, and we've already covered it in a podcast and notes post, but we figured we'd get the whole gang together one more (last?) time and discuss how we felt about a potential deal. Feel free to jump into the comments to join the discussion.

Dwight Howard on the Bucks. What are your thoughts?

Mitchell Maurer: I want to like the idea of Howard replacing Monroe in the frontcourt. And I don't think that Howard's reputation as a "chemistry killer" is entirely deserved. He would improve rebounding, rim protection, and fits better with the core. But is the interest mutual? Is he on the decline? Will his body hold up? How many touches does he want on offense, and how many would he actually get? So many questions.

Eric Buenning: I think this largely would depend on the contract for me. Howard will command big money, but if the deal is two, maybe three years? You can talk me into it. Howard may be on the decline a bit, but he's still pretty dang good in areas the Bucks could benefit from (even if he takes a shot or two away from "the core"). Giannis, Middleton, Parker, and Howard sounds like fun, even if there is some noticeable risk. I'm interested in what the subsequent returns for Monroe would yield, but that's a separate topic. I feel it's worth noting that I think going after Howard wouldn't/shouldn't be priority #1 this summer, too.

Eric Nehm: I have to say the reaction to Dwight Howard rumors has fascinated me. The Bucks haven't been mentioned in the biggest basketball rumors my entire life. Big ticket free agent? Talented player available on the trade market? HA! Milwaukee does not have a chance to add them to their roster. The Bucks have just happily overpaid the scraps left on the market after the major players in free agency signed the best players. Now, the Bucks are constantly connected to the biggest names available on the free agent and trade markets and it's evidence that Jason Kidd is completely incapable as a general manager. Wild times to be a Bucks fan. With that being said, despite the mess the Bucks have at center, signing Dwight Howard for two years and up to $50 million would be a fantastic move because Howard is quite good on the floor. A commitment much longer or much more expensive would probably be enough to scare me away though.

Frank Madden: The fact that a large chunk of Bucks Nation would go ballistic over a Howard signing is probably reason enough for me to hope the Bucks don't bother pursuing him. Seriously, just the thought of having to referee comment section debates over whether he's a locker room killer or just a harmless goofball is enough to stress me out. As for what I actually think of Dwight Howard the basketball player? Well, I think he would be worth gambling on for the right price (two years, $40-50 million? Sure, whatever), but I think that price is lower (or perhaps more importantly, shorter) than what he'll actually sign for. Which is too bad, because even if he's not the player he was, he's still a dominant paint presence who puts up the kind of numbers (13.7 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 1.6 bpg, 62% shooting) that we'd dream of getting from a Bucks' big. But if Dwight isn't worth the hassle and Moose is gone one way or another, who would you guys like to see the Bucks pursue? Is there a scenario where you'd be fine with Henson and Plumlee as the Bucks' two main big man options?

Eric B: I don't think there's anything wrong with a veteran center, even if their price is a little unsavory. Tyson Chandler and Robin Lopez seem like perfectly fine guys to target in a swap with Monroe, but those are hard to execute and take more than a few clicks on the trade machine. I'll refrain from the second part of your question and save my opinion for a later date.