NBA Rumors Round-Up

NBA Rumors: Dwight Howard Out for Awhile?

Dwight Howard may miss extended time, Jacque Vaughn is on the hot seat and more NBA rumors.

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Check out the biggest rumors of the day in our NBA Rumor Round-Up. For more rumors and news, check out Basketball Insiders’ headlines, which are constantly being updated.

Dwight Howard Out Again?

Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard will get a second opinion on his injured right knee and could miss extended time, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

As the Rockets embarked on a two-game Eastern Conference trip to Boston and Detroit on Thursday, Howard traveled elsewhere to get further evaluation on his swollen knee, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

via Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports

Earlier this season, Howard was sidelined for 11 games with a strained knee. Now, it appears that same knee will keep him out for a significant time once again.

Wojnarowski didn’t provide a timetable for Howard’s return, but said that Howard could “miss extended time.” He has a buildup of fluid in his knee, and is seeking a second opinion before making any decisions.

That’s a tough blow for the Rockets, who currently sit at 32-14. This season, Howard has averaged 16.3 points, 11 rebounds and 1.4 blocks.

Howard wasn’t selected as an All-Star on Thursday, missing out on the festivities for the first time since he entered his prime as a player. Wojnarowski adds that this injury will likely keep him from getting into the game as an injury replacement as well (although it already seemed he was a long shot, as Portland’s Damian Lillard and Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins are viewed as the bigger snubs in the West). The last All-Star game that didn’t include Howard was in 2006.

Vaughn On the Hot Seat

https://twitter.com/MagicInsider/status/560999027140222978

This isn’t a shock, as the Magic have failed to live up to expectations this season.

The organization wanted to emerge as a playoff team this year, as they felt their young players were ready to take the next step in their development and the addition of veterans like Channing Frye, Ben Gordon, Willie Green and Luke Ridnour would help.

However, that hasn’t happened, as Orlando still sits near the bottom of the NBA standings at 15-34. They are lottery-bound once again, and Vaughn continues to struggle as a head coach.

Earlier this week, I tweeted about how Rob Hennigan and Vaughn view some of Orlando’s players very differently and suggested that the Magic may part ways with Vaughn rather than the players currently in Vaughn’s doghouse.

That remains true. A number of players have had issues with Vaughn with this season, and his rotations have been questioned by many including league insiders, media and fans.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Vaughn fired midseason and, if it doesn’t happen now, an exit this summer seems inevitable.

Bucks Sign Martin for Remainder of Season

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed forward/center Kenyon Martin for the remainder of the 2014-15 season, General Manager John Hammond announced today.

via Bucks press release

Once the team got rid of Nate Wolters (a young guard who seemed part of their future) to bring in Martin, it seemed clear that they were going to keep him for the remainder of the season.

The Bucks view Martin as an excellent leader and veteran presence on a young team that’s trying to stay in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Martin and Jason Kidd played together back when they two were on the New Jersey Nets, so there’s trust and chemistry between the player and coach as well.

Martin has appeared in eight games for the Bucks this season and averaged 1.3 points and 1.1 rebounds in 5.9 minutes per game. Martin signed his initial 10-day contract with the Bucks on Jan. 9, and was signed to a second 10-day deal on Jan. 19.

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