Dwight Howard Will Reportedly Return To The Lakers After Getting Bought Out By Memphis


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Dwight Howard is returning to Los Angeles. According to a report by Shams Charania of The Athletic, Howard, who famously forced a trade from the Orlando Magic to the Lakers during the 2012 offseason and spent one tumultuous year in L.A., will don the purple and gold for the second time in his career.

The report was confirmed by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who says that Howard will get a non-guaranteed deal with the franchise.

The Lakers were in the market for a center following presumed starter DeMarcus Cousins tearing his ACL during an offseason workout. Rumblings started to swirl that Howard was a potential option, along with free agent big man Joakim Noah and Marreese Speights, who played in China last season. The trio were brought in over the last two days for workouts, according to reports.

Howard missed most of last season following surgery to correct a nerve issue. He suited up in nine games for the Washington Wizards, averaging 12.8 points and 9.2 rebounds in 25.6 minutes per game, and was traded to the Grizzlies during the offseason for C.J. Miles. It was expected that Howard would head elsewhere following a trade or a buyout, and despite his less-than-stellar year with the organization, that place will be the Lakers.

It stands to reason that Howard can be a productive player in limited minutes if he focuses on protecting the rim, rebounding, and acting as a lethal role man on pick-and-rolls with LeBron James. But as is always the case when Howard heads to a new city, time will ultimately tell if he’s able to get the job done.

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