The Grizzlies are granting the Lakers permission to meet with eight-time All-Star center Dwight Howard, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Both Howard and the Lakers have mutual interest on a deal, as Charania reported earlier on Sunday, with the team scanning the free-agent market for veteran centers in the wake of DeMarcus Cousins‘ ACL tear. Howard is currently under contract with Memphis, who traded for his services in a deal with the Wizards back in July for swingman C.J. Miles.
“I want to be whatever a team needs me to be,” Howard told Charania in an interview last month. “I’ve played in every situation so far. I used to really hate how Draymond (Green) plays, but what I noticed watching him during these playoffs was that he does everything for the team.
“He’s everywhere. He’ll get a tech, he’ll take a charge, he’ll be everywhere on defense. He’s talking. He does everything. It doesn’t show up in the stat sheet, but it shows up in the mind of everyone watching. I want to be that person.”
The Lakers requesting a meeting with Howard is only being described as “due diligence”, a team source told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.
Howard, 33, appeared in 75 games during a tumultuous season with the team back in 2012/13, averaging 17.1 points, 12.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per contest. He only saw action in nine games with Washington last season, missing most of the campaign with various back, glute and hamstring injuries.
Why sign Dwight when you can sign a guy like Faried?
Because Dwight is better when he’s healthy. Noah might be better than both of them though
should have kept brooke lopez.
Dwight was better back when he won all of his defensive POY awards. Faried played well with the Rockets, but his defense is probably even worse than Kuzma’s. The Lakers don’t need two bigs on their team that are such defensive liabilities.
Howard does not project as a defensive liability.
I agree that they should take a look at Faried… I don’t necessarily agree with harden-westbrook that Faried is really a big defensive liability… in fact I think the intensity in which he plays could benefit a team like the Lakers at both ends of the floor. The issue might be that Faried is a little bit undersized to be a true 5 on a team featuring such a big 3/4 (LeBron and Davis) but at the same time their size could help make up for what Faried may lack. As a Celtics fan I don’t really care what the Lakers do… but I am kind of a fan of Faried and hope he gets another legit shot in the league especially where he played so well down the stretch after the trade to the Rockets last season.
Bring in another injury prone washed up diva sounds like a great plan
I’m okay with it.
-A Grizz Fan
Works for me lol
they just need him to be a decent defense player and a pick and roll player
Let’s just hope it doesn’t take him 5 years to understand when someone tells him something. *cough Kobe calling him soft and claiming he finally understands what he means this year*
I would even prefer trying to work out a deal with Denver for Bol Bol or taking a flyer on Tyler Zeller – anybody but another player whose time has come and gone.
Idiot is referring to James^^
Sadly enough they will soon realize that LeBron’s decline last season was just the beginning, which will almost certainly influence Anthony Davis when he decides to opt out next summer and test the free agent market. If AD chooses to go to an actual contender in 2020 it will be an unmitigated disaster for the Lakers, who will still be on the hook for $80M and two more years of disappointment for all their fans.
But it would be so awesome to see that, cause imma warriors fan;)
Having LeBron James is not a worst case scenario lol
The guy that averaged 28/8/8 is declining ? Damn.
Excitingly looking forward to that crash
He isn’t talking about James. Maybe you think he was refereeing James. He prefers Bol. I do, too. Otherwise, sure James too would love to have Bol, if that’s what you think. Why don’t they trade Kuzma for Ayton? Their team is still going to be in the same position. You said that King James time has come and gone but you still think they’re better with Dwight. That’s absurd.
Kuzma…and who else for Ayton??
Simple Fan confuses me. Who is that “another player” (besides Howard) that OCT refers to if not James?– James who OCT is always going on about. Avery Bradley? (Some people are more realistically concerned with AB, but AB is not a famous lightening rod.)
Not sure who the “you” at the end is. James is not done, due to demonstrated unnatural healing powers. Howard is a good and necessary add, along with Noah or Faried or a few others. Ayton is unlikely to be available.
Healthy, DH is better than anyone else available at Center. Hes paid regardless. He’d be playing for a contract beyond this year, that is the motivation.
What’s that even mean they’ve given the Lakers permission to talk to him? Like it can’t really be a contract issue so what? the Lakers want to “talk to him” to see if he has a good attitude or what? Like at this point you kind of know what you’re getting with Howard and if you want to take on his $ and attitude questions thats fine… and he may be able to provide some quality minutes… but I’m not sure what exactly they’ll get out of “talking to him” that they can’t already see from his play and what he is at this stage of his career…
He’s under contract so they have to ask permission. Otherwise it’s another fine for talking about theoretical possibilities.
Two sides that deserve each other. Would add to the LA Laker drama.