He would gracefully loft fade-aways, forcefully block oncoming shots, carry the Rockets, carry himself with dignity, and swivel-hip defenders into the third row, but this is a new one. Hakeem Olajuwon doing the limbo.

	Hakeem's numbers are way, way down, but he might want to play on next year anyway.

Or maybe that's Hakeem Olajuwon in limbo. His so-called final season, intentionally minus the Farewell Tour feel, may ultimately just end up being his final season in Houston and not a forever; it's too soon to know for sure. But this is definitely a difficult goodbye of some kind, if only to the proud warrior's stature. It's not too soon to know that.

The Rockets had relied on the guard-oriented offense last season, when leading scorer Steve Francis was a rookie, and not just any rookie, and No. 2 scorer Cuttino Mobley was in his second campaign, but there was also the disclaimer. Olajuwon was gone for long stretches, limited to just 44 games because of a hernia that required surgery early in the season and a respiratory problem that kept him on the injured list the final four weeks. He couldn't contribute like he wanted.

This season, he is feeling healthy and, more importantly, looking spry at times. But he's also feeling left out. You don't mind that so much with a lot of other guys, or at least accept that it's part of the sports evolutionary process, but the Dream is different. Did you know that the translation of Olajuwon is "always being on top"?

What's a franchise in transition to do. The Rockets are already making admirable steps to the future by properly capitalizing on the misfortune of others -- the Grizzlies drafting Francis, then being pressured into trading him; Maurice Taylor not finding the free-agent riches he expected in the summer of 2000, then signing in Houston for the cut-rate special of $2.25 million for one season -- but they can't truly get there with Olajuwon. It's a financial thing in this case.

The Rockets can get under the salary cap in a big way after this season and will be a desirable locale for free agents, including the expected re-signing of Taylor, naturally for Mo money. Joining a team on the rise, with a coach everyone should be so fortunate to play for, and living in a warm-weather city (just try not to be there for the Humidity Festival, with extended runs every summer) is a very attractive package. Even tons of great restaurants (there's this Cajun/seafood place on one of the main drags, part of a chain but not at all like Denny's....)

	“	There's a lot of excuses about maybe I'm old, but that's not true. I'm fit. I'm healthy. ”
		— Olajuwon

But one of the reasons they will have the spending power is because Olajuwon will be off the books, a free agent himself after 17 seasons, two championships, one MVP, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, one Olympic gold medal and 12 all-star appearances.

Everyone has seen this on the calendar for some time, so there are no problems. What's changed is Olajuwon's thinking about retirement, if ever so slightly, and the comfort level with his role on the team.

In the summer and then into training camp, he was talking like this would be the end of his career, another tribute in that he would have spent the entire career with one organization, and even longer than that in one place since he also played for the University of Houston of Phi Slama Jama fame. Not long before the start of the regular season, the Houston Chronicle posed him in front of a sunset for a theme picture, and he said there would be no need for an official announcement, only that he didn't want one of those Farewell Tours like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had, getting 29 rocking chairs or some other ready-for-retirement gift.

Then came this week.

"If the Rockets won't use my talent this year, somebody else is going to use it next year," he told the Chronicle. "They say I'm too old, but you have to think next year I'll be older, but I'll produce more."

Next year. It won't be in Houston because he understands the Rockets need the cap room and don't want to re-sign him, so there won't be any messy breakups, with the respective sides either looking like they are a) throwing a legend on the street, or b) looking for any work, hat in hand. That means the "where" becomes as pressing as the "if," with a great deal of the answer likely depending on the contract he wants.

And then there's the role. Would he go somewhere as a backup for the chance to win a championship? Or is it only worthwhile with a more prominent job? In other words, would it be different than modern-day Houston?

That has been far more difficult than preparing to say goodbye to the only NBA team he has known. Because, um, he's 37 years old and starting all the games again and averaging about 26 minutes per, but, well, the offense still seems to be built around the guards. That's been the tough part.

"I'm enjoying this style, but you can't go away from the post completely," Olajuwon said. "That's not winning basketball. If you don't use it this year, then that's motivation for next year to get someone [else] to use it.

"There's a lot of excuses about maybe I'm old, but that's not true. I'm fit. I'm healthy. The other teams know that because they double- and triple-team me when I get the ball."

Breaking up is hard to do, especially with these subjects involved, everyone trying to make it a parting befitting all the professionalism that came before. Trying to find that Olajuwon graceful fade one more time.

Scott Howard-Cooper covers the NBA for the Sacramento Bee and is a new regular contributor to ESPN.com.