Rockets Improve Dwight Howard Trade Offer, According To Report

The Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic have exchanged trade proposals in the past, but the two sides have apparently reconstructed their offers in order to make the trade more attractive to the Magic. And the Rockets recently decided to use their amnesty clause on Luis Scola to clear up extra cap room.

Now, according to a report by Mark Ford and Chad Stein, the Rockets are willing to take on a lot more salary from 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.

According to the report, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey is trying to juggle things around in order to be able to absorb salary along with taking on Howard. On Friday, the Rockets are expected to formally waive Scola and finalize their offer sheet to free agent point guard Jeremy Lin, of which the New York Knicks are expected to match.

In the proposed deal, the Rockets would likely take on at least three of Richardson, Davis, Duhon or Hedo Turkoglu. In return, according to the report, the Magic would get back Kevin Martin, Patrick Patterson, Marcus Morris and Chandler Parsons to make the salary-cap work and would give up the draft rights to Jeremy Lamb, Royce White and Terrence Jones.

For more on the Houston Rockets and their pursuit of Dwight Howard, visit The Dream Shake and SB Nation Houston. For more on the Orlando Magic visit Orlando Pinstriped Post and SB Nation Tampa Bay.