Dwight Howard will be one of the players to watch this NBA offseason and several teams are ready to give him a chance. One club in dire need of a center is the Golden State Warriors, a club that makes perfect sense for the 6-foot-11 center if he is looking for better playing time and a new challenge.
Unfortunately, it appears Howard prefers to return to the Los Angeles Lakers fold for the 2020-21 NBA season with hopes of winning another NBA title. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the eight-time NBA All-Star has an interest in returning the Hollywood and the same holds for the Lakers.
However, that may still depend on how much the Lakers can afford for Howard. After agreeing to a veteran's minimum, it is unlikely that the Lakers can do the same for the coming season. Los Angeles does have the mid-level and bi-annual exception they could use on Howard, something that most feel he deserves.
Lakers and Warriors reportedly are among the teams with interest in Dwight Howard.https://t.co/TnU3Dvcvj4 pic.twitter.com/6HNzLfmvaT — Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) October 16, 2020
However, Howard will have to go through a bit of a challenge with the Lakers likely to take in another big man. That guy is DeMarcus Cousins - the same guy Howard replace and someone who ironically last played for the Warriors. After suffering an ACL tear, Boogie is expected to be re-evaluated this offseason. If all goes well, he could be in the mix for the purple and gold next season.
So if these fall through, the odd man in the mix would be JaVale McGee. The 32-year-old was not utilized in the final two rounds of the playoffs with Davis doing well at center. A possible scenario could see the Lakers trade McGee to teams who would be interested. But a straight trade is unlikely to prosper, meaning Rob Pelinka and Frank Vogel will have to add some players to the pot.
McGee suited up for the Warriors from 2016-18 and was part of two championship clubs. Unfortunately, his presence was hardly felt although the case now may be different. But it remains that Howard is the target of the Dubs.
Unless something goes wrong in the Lakers manpower buildup, Howard is unlikely to want to move to the Bay Area. But the idea of being a starter and being the missing piece for Steve Kerr could tempt the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
This would mean extensive playing time for Howard, something that could be risky. He found a way to stay healthy last season but that was mostly because of sparse minutes. In the regular season, he normed only 18.9 minutes in 69 games and 15.7 minutes in the playoffs. If he joins the Warriors, he is bound to get larger minutes which in turn could raise the risk of him getting injured once more like in previous years.
