It's true he would be in his prime 3 yes from now.were jumping the gun just a bit, lets let them negotiate and then see where that leads us. if he is seriously going to be a financial distraction here and not just posturing before his deal is up, well then we can tag him and think about working on a trade. got to pay somebody and he is only 25, if were looking at a 3 or 4 year rebuild he will still be in his prime in that time frame.
I can see situations where using the franchise tag creates animosity, and Howard's recent comments lead me to believe he may be the type that may harbor bad feelings, if he perceives himself as being underpaid.
Perhaps his statements were just snap reactions, and it has been completely overblown.