Dwight Howard can become free agent in 2016

Dwight Howard's four-year, $88 million maximum contract agreement with the Houston Rockets will include an early termination option after the 2015-16 season and a 15 percent trade kicker, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Howard, a seven-time All-NBA center, committed to signing with the the Rockets on Friday, leaving the Los Angeles Lakers after a tumultuous season. The luring of Howard to Houston makes the Rockets legitimate Western Conference championship contenders, and they could be NBA title contenders with further supplements to what's become a rapidly improving roster.

The New Orleans Pelicans have expressed interest in making a deal for Rockets backup center Omer Asik, multiple league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The early termination clause – or opt-out – could make Howard a free agent again in '16, allowing him to re-sign a five-year, maximum contract deal with the Rockets or change teams again. In the event Howard is traded during the duration of this contract, he will be paid 15 percent of the remaining money left on his deal through the kicker.

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