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Dwight Howard is finalizing a takeover with the Memphis Grizzlies, and once completed, he plans to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. This decision represents one of the most surprising returns in the history of the NBA. Howard became extremely unpopular with Lakers fans after leaving the team to join the Houston Rockets in 2013. His only season in Los Angeles raised huge expectations, but ended with a first. broom tower at the hands of San Antonio Spurs.
Now, Howard will try to win back those same fans, but it will not be an easy task. Here are the five most important things to know about this move for the Lakers.
The transaction is not guaranteed
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers do not guarantee Howard's contract. This not only forces Howard to behave, but also gives the team crucial flexibility. They currently have 14 players under guaranteed contracts, which means from a functional point of view that they still have a place for the lineup for the regular season.
This place was reserved for Andre Iguodala, but once the DeMarcus Cousins fell, it seemed certain that the Lakers would use it for a tall man. They eventually signed Howard, but with an unsecured contract, they can release him without financial repercussions if Iguodala became available unexpectedly before the season. If Howard prove himself at training camp and at the beginning of the season, they could look elsewhere for a spot in the lineup in case Iguodala becomes available, but given the general reluctance of the team to give up players with salaries guaranteed, the structure of this agreement provides for at least one potential alternative while protecting them in case Howard does not live up to their expectations.
Howard played well in good health
Howard only played nine games with the Washington Wizards last season because of an injury, but he played very well with the Charlotte Hornets in the 2017-18 season. He averaged 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds per game, but more importantly he played 81 games. This does not guarantee his health for this season, but Howard has generally been a fairly durable player. The Lakers count on him to stay healthy, and fortunately for them, Wojnarowski also reported that Howard lost 25 pounds and his chronically injured back is in good health.
The Lakers give him a big role
This trust is based on building their current list. The Lakers signed Cousins and JaVale McGee with the hope that everyone will play about half of the available minutes at the center. McGee played 22.3 minutes per game last year, while the Cousins played 25.7 minutes, exactly 48 minutes. Without Cousins, the Lakers must complete more than half of the minutes of the game at this position.
Pushing McGee is not really an option. He had not been a full-time starter since the 2011-12 season before joining the Lakers last summer, and his effectiveness was diminished when he was asked to play more than 20 -25 minutes per night Anthony Davis will probably assume some of the center's workload, but he has repeatedly said that he prefers power transfer. The Lakers have respected this and, Davis' contract expiring after the season, they may have to continue to do so to ensure an extension. This means that Howard is being signed to play a real role. He is not going to be the 15th man on the bench. He will be a real contributor for this team.
Howard claims that he put his past Lakers behind him
Howard and Kobe Bryant did not see each other as teammates in the 2012-13 season. Despite Bryant's retirement, his approval still makes sense in Los Angeles. In addition to the reverence that fans are still reserving for him, his former agent, Rob Pelinka, is now the general manager of the team. Bryant once called Howard Soft during a match and did not comment on their experience together since.
But in an interview with Kristine Leahy of Fox Sports 1 earlier in the off season, Howard actually thanked Bryant for saying so.
There will naturally be fans upset about this move after everything that happened last time it was in Los Angeles, but according to Wojnarowski, "there was sense Howard realized that he had hit the bottom and that he had been humiliated. "If this is true, there is no reason to believe that Howard can not help this team.
Howard is a footnote in the story of LeBron James
LeBron James worked hard to surround the best possible talent during his career in the NBA, but despite that, he has encountered an impressive number of # 1 choices over the course of his career. Howard will be the eighth to play with James in the NBA.
These players, in chronological order, are Shaquille O. Neal (1992), Joe Smith (1995), Howard (2004), Andrew Bogut (2005), Greg Oden (2007), Derrick Rose (2008), Kyrie. Irving (2011) and Anthony Davis (2012). Of these players, only Davis and Irving were in their prime. The others joined James in their thirties or after serious injuries. It's an impressive collection of names, but in terms of current talent, all that that proves is that big names gravitate around James in their final years.
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