- Dwight Howard will be a role player with the Lakers for the first time in his career if everything goes as planned. New coach Frank Vogel spoke of his plans for the veteran player, who signed with Los Angeles after passing through waivers, to Spectrum SportNet (hat tip to the Sporting News). “He’s going to serve a different role,” Vogel said. “It’s going to be more of a role-player type of role, as opposed to being the lead. He understands that. He’s excited about playing that type of role on this team and what we can accomplish as a group.”
An ACL injury to DeMarcus Cousins created an opening for a big man on the Lakers‘ roster which has been — at least temporarily — filled by Dwight Howard.
The veteran center, who has bounced around the league, returned to the Lakers on a one-year, non-guaranteed deal after he was waived by the Grizzlies. At 33 years old, coming off an injury-riddled season that saw him appear in just nine games, it’s clear that Howard is no longer the player who once made eight straight All-Star teams.
However, after meeting with the Lakers and striking an emotional chord, the mercurial center could aid L.A.’s quest for a championship, something he wasn’t able to do in his first stint with the purple and gold.
“I’m definitely confident he can the play we’ve laid out for him. He’s coming to the Lakers at a very different time in his career,” new Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said on Access SportsNet (Twitter link). “[The] first time he was here, he was on top of the NBA mountain and was a bonafide superstar. Things have changed, he’s later in his career now, he’s a different person [and] has a different mindset.”
Over the last four seasons, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year has suited up for four different teams (Rockets, Hawks, Hornets and Wizards). That does not include him being waived by both the Nets and Grizzlies following trades.
As Vogel mentioned, Howard is no longer the player who averaged 22.1 PPG and 14.1 RPG while anchoring the Magic’s defense. However, Vogel is confident that Howard can adjust to being a role player who helps the organization reach its ultimate goal.
“We feel really good about where he’s at as a person,” Vogel said. “He’s gonna serve a different role. It’s gonna be more of a role player type of role as opposed to being the lead and he understands that.”
The Mavericks have claimed rookie forward Aric Holman off waivers, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Holman was released earlier this week when the Lakers needed to create a spot on their 20-man roster for Dwight Howard.
Holman, 22, went undrafted out of Mississippi State this spring after averaging 9.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG and 1.6 BPG with a .473/.429/.701 shooting line in his senior year. He quickly caught on with the Lakers, joining the team for Summer League and later signing an Exhibit 10 contract.
Holman averaged 4.5 PPG and 3.8 RPG in 15.8 MPG in four appearances with the Lakers in Las Vegas in July, but was the odd man out when Howard came aboard. The club chose to keep camp invitees Devontae Cacok, Jordan Caroline, and Demetrius Jackson over Holman.
The Mavericks had 18 players under contract before claiming Holman, giving them flexibility to give the undrafted rookie a look. Barring another transaction, the youngster figures to attend training camp with Dallas this fall. Since the team already has 15 players on guaranteed contracts, he’s a long shot to make the Mavs’ regular season roster.
A warrant has been issued by the Mobile, Alabama police department for DeMarcus Cousins‘ arrest on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge, a spokesperson confirmed to A.J. Perez of USA Today. According to Perez, the Mobile municipal court website lists a third-degree harassing communications charge against the Lakers center.
As we detailed on Tuesday, the charge is related to an alleged threat that Cousins made against his ex-girlfriend, who didn’t allow their seven-year-old son to attend Cousins’ wedding. TMZ obtained court documents and a police report filed by Cousins’ ex, claiming that he threatened to “put a bullet through [her] f—ing head.” TMZ’s report also included an audio recording of the alleged threat.
In addition to being the subject of a police investigation, Cousins is also facing scrutiny from his team and the NBA. The Lakers and the league both announced on Tuesday that they’re investigating the allegations against Cousins, who is expected to miss most or all of the 2019/20 season due to a torn ACL.
Defense attorney Mary Kristen Galanos, who is not involved in the case, tells Perez that the warrant is standard procedure in a misdemeanor case. Cousins’ attorney will likely set up time for Cousins to turn himself into police, and he’d subsequently be processed and released.
Per USA Today’s report, the charge is a Class A misdemeanor, which carries a maximum sentence of up to one year in jail.
- With the NBA investigating allegations that Lakers center DeMarcus Cousins threatened his ex-girlfriend, legal expert Michael McCann of Sports Illustrated takes a deep dive into the situation, exploring what factors the league will consider and how the investigation will proceed.
Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma has signed with CAA Basketball for his on- and off-court representation, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). According to Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times (via Twitter), Leon Rose will be Kuzma’s new primary agent.
Kuzma parted ways with agents Mark Bartelstein and Zach Kurtin of Priority Sports and Entertainment last month, with Ganguli tweeting at the time that the young forward had “an eye toward growing his business interests.”
Rose will add Kuzma to his impressive – and lengthy – list of NBA clients, which includes a handful of players on maximum-salary contracts: Karl-Anthony Towns, Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Joel Embiid. Kuzma’s former teammate Lonzo Ball reportedly signed with Rose earlier this year as well.
Kuzma, who was the last player removed from Team USA’s World Cup squad due to a minor left ankle injury, will become eligible for a rookie scale extension next July. If he doesn’t sign a new deal during the 2020 offseason, he’d be on track to reach restricted free agency during the summer of 2021.
3:15pm: The NBA is investigating the allegations against Cousins, NBA spokesman Mike Bass confirmed in a statement (Twitter link via Youngmisuk).
1:45pm: DeMarcus Cousins‘ offseason is going from bad to worse, as the injured Lakers center is being accused of threatening his ex-girlfriend after she didn’t allow their seven-year-old son to attend Cousins’ wedding, according to a TMZ report.
TMZ obtained court documents and a police report filed by Cousins’ ex, Christy West, claiming that he threatened to “put a bullet through [her] f—ing head.” TMZ’s report also includes an audio recording of the alleged threat, which reportedly occurred last Friday — West is “adamant” that the voice on the phone call is Cousins’.
According to TMZ, West has filed court documents in Alabama seeking a restraining order against Cousins, claiming that he has choked her before as well. A police spokesperson in Mobile, Alabama tells TMZ that they’ve opened an investigation into her allegations.
The latest news on Cousins comes less than two weeks after word broke that he has suffered a torn ACL that will sideline him for most or all of the 2019/20 season. The four-time All-Star has faced questions about his temperament and demeanor throughout his NBA career, and has increasingly had to battle health issues within the last two years. This offseason’s developments won’t help alleviate those concerns on either front.
If the NBA investigates the allegations against Cousins and determines that they’re credible, the league could take action against the big man, fining and/or suspending him. Should Cousins be suspended, he’d have to serve that ban after being medically cleared to return from his ACL tear.
The Lakers have issued the following statement of their own, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com (Twitter link):
“We are aware of the allegation involving DeMarcus Cousins and, of course, take this claim seriously. We are in the process of gathering information and will reserve further comment at this time.”
6:23pm: The Lakers have issued a press release to announce the signing, Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The club also confirmed that Aric Holman has been waived.
4:46pm: After clearing waivers, Dwight Howard is officially signing his contract with the Lakers, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
It’s a $2,564,753 veteran’s minimum deal, but Howard’s contract doesn’t have any salary protection, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). He’ll earn $14,490 for every day he’s on the roster, with the clock starting on October 21.
An Exhibit 9 clause will likely be inserted into Howard’s summer contract, in which the team would only be on the hook for $6K if Howard is injured and waived before the regular season, Marks adds (Twitter link).
The Grizzlies waived Howard after reaching a buyout agreement with the veteran center last week. Howard pledged to sign with the Lakers prior to the buyout.
Howard had several meetings with the Lakers, who noted that he had lost weight. Howard also demonstrated that his back was healthy after he only played nine games with the Wizards last season.
The Lakers will have to make a corresponding move, since they already have a full 20-man training camp roster.
The Lakers are waiving forward Aric Holman to open up a roster spot for Dwight Howard, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets.
The Lakers had a full 20-man training camp roster prior to the addition of Howard and needed to make a corresponding move.
Holman was signed to an Exhibit 10 deal last month. He went undrafted and spent his college days at Mississippi State. The power forward blocked at least two shots in 61 of his 124 collegiate games. He averaged 9.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG and 1.6 BPG with a .473/.429/.701 shooting line in his senior year.
He averaged 4.5 PPG and 3.8 RPG in 15.8 MPG in four appearances with the Lakers in the Las Vegas summer league.
Dwight Howard, after a tumultuous recent existence in the NBA, is set to return to the place to which the origins of his decline can arguably be attributed. After being officially waived the Grizzlies on Saturday, Howard is expected to join the Lakers on a non-guaranteed deal after he clears waivers.
The eight-time All-Star has bounced around the NBA the past four years, suiting up for the Rockets, Hawks, Hornets and Wizards since the 2015/16 season. After being one of the NBA’s elite players his first eight seasons with the Magic, Howard has not made an All-Star team since 2014 and has been saddled with the worrisome reputation in regards to his style of play and demeanor.
As we detailed on Friday, Howard showed up to the Lakers’ facility a day before his scheduled meeting. He reportedly struck an emotional chord with Lakers brass, showing his awareness that he’s “hit rock bottom” in his career and is motivated to prove his doubters wrong. It was also noted that Howard showed up in great shape and is considered to be past the back injuries that have hampered him in recent years.
Howard originally joined the Lakers for the 2012/13 season as part of a blockbuster trade. He teamed with Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash in hopes of forming a super-team in a chase for a title. However, injuries, an adversarial relationship with Bryant, and an uncertain future (given he was headed for free agency) clouded his tenure in L.A.
After DeMarcus Cousins‘ recent injury, the Lakers developed a need for a veteran big man who can rebound and defend the paint. A former three-time Defensive Player of the Year, Howard certainly has the track record to fill that void. However, the question is whether or not he can stay healthy and not become a distraction.
How do you see Howard’s return to the Lakers shaking out? Can he adjust to a reduced role and prove himself as a capable NBA player? Can the 33-year-old stay healthy for a full season after suiting up for just nine games last season? Is there any chance that Howard can recapture his past All-Star form? If he makes the team, what should his role be?
Share your thoughts in the comments down below!