T-WOLVES LAND JUWAN HOWARD
The Minnesota Timberwolves acquired forward Juwan Howard from the Houston Rockets for guard Mike James and forward Justin Reed.
What does it give the Minnesota Timberwolves
A solid veteran big forward who at the very least can give the thin T-wolf frontcourt some depth. Minny superstar Kevin Garnett has very little help up front, and while Howard isn't exactly a savior, he will help. Several years ago Howard was actually seen as one of the NBA's rising stars, but he never quite stepped up and lived up to that hype. Regardless, Howard is a solid mid-range scorer who can also pull in some rebounds and score in the post. This deal also helps the Timberwolves clarify their guard situation, which was muddled last year. Look for Randy Foye to start at the point from now on.
What does it give the Houston Rockets
A (sometimes) high-scoring veteran guard who can help this team put up more points. He's not a pass-first point guard and he's a little too small for regular shooting guard duty, but James will likely start for the Rockets at one of the backcourt positions. He showed in 2005-06 with the Raptors that he can be a very effective perimeter point-getter, and the low-scoring Rockets need all the help they can get in that area. Howard had become somewhat of a spare part with the emergence of Chuck James, so this deal makes a lot of sense for Houston.
Fantasy impact
