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 Grizzlieswaived 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.
August 24th, 2019 at 11:59am CST by marksuleymanov
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 BryantandSteve 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?
AUGUST 23: Dwight Howard and the Grizzlies have completed the buyout of his contract. The move will allow Howard to officially sign with the Lakers once he clears waivers.
Memphis had no intention of bringing Howard to training camp, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com (Twitter link), so allowing him to move on was best for the franchise.
Memphis made out well financially as a result of their experience with Howard. The big man was scheduled to make $5.6MM this upcoming season, but he agreed to give up nearly $2.6MM as a part of the buyout arrangement.
Earlier in the summer, Memphis acquired Howard in exchange for C.J. Miles, who is making $8.7MM for the 2019/20 season. The trade netted the team over $3MM in savings, which brings the franchise’s total savings in the series of moves to roughly $5.6MM.
The Grizzlies have the option to keep Howard’s remaining $3MM on their books this year or use the stretch provision, as Bobby Marks of ESPN.com tweets. Memphis is approximately $7.4MM below the luxury tax line.
The Grizzlies gave Howard and representatives permission to seek out a deal. Once that happened, the big man met with Lakers assistant coach Jason Kidd, with whom Howard played during USA Basketball activities in 2007. The two have a solid relationship and mutual respect for each other from their time in the NBA together, Charania writes in a full-length piece.
In the past, Howard wanted an expanded role on the teams he’d played for. Now, he would be fine with simply rebounding, defending and staying in his lane. Howard has reportedly made these kind of declarations before with no actions to follow up his words. However, Kidd was convinced that Howard had sincerely shifted his mindset.
Next came getting on the same page with Lakers’ stakeholders, from James and Davis to ownership and front office members, Charania writes. Howard then got the green light for the workout with the team, which went well — “amazing” was what one source told Charania about Howard’s performance.
Here’s more on Howard’s path back to the Lakers:
Charania hears that Dwight actually arrived at the Lakers’ training facility the day before his scheduled workout, showcasing initiative which impressed the team’s brass.
Howard was convincing during an emotional meeting with Lakers’ players and staff, explaining how he had hit rock bottom and understood what he needed to do to remain in the league.
Davis, who was one of the players with whom Howard met, prefers to play alongside a true center during the course of the NBA season, a source tells Charania. Davis is comfortable playing the five during the playoffs but his preference is part of the reason the Lakers were targeting centers to begin with after DeMarcus Cousins went down.
By multiple accounts, Howard is fully healthy and truly motivated. Charania writes that Howard treated his workout with the Lakers like a post-college player participating in a pre-draft workout.
Howard doesn’t feel a need to start at the five but he will compete for it along with JaVale McGee. He’s willing to play any amount of minutes the team needs of him with a source close to Howard telling Charania that “Dwight is ready. He can’t wait.”
Dwight Howard is returning to the Lakers. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), Howard and the Grizzlies are finalizing a buyout and the center will latch on with Los Angeles once that it complete.
Howard had several meetings with the Lakers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com (Twitterlinks). Howard came in after dropping 25 pounds and showcased his that back was healthy. Woj hears that the Lakers got the sense that Howard had hit “rock bottom” and it had humbled him. While the Lakers are signing the center, they are proceeding with caution, as the deal is non-guaranteed.
The team wants him to come in and serve in a rim protecting/rebounding role. Several Lakers players were involved in the decision to bring Howard to the club.
The Lakers considered several options to fill the void DeMarcus Cousins‘ injury created. Joakim Noah also worked out for L.A. and the franchise believes that Noah and Howard could each help the team.
Howard’s deal will pay him the veteran’s minimum, which will be worth approximately $2.6MM. Again, it’s non-guaranteed.
Dwight Howard and Joakim Noah both worked out for the Lakers Thursday and “left impressions that they could be helpful to the team,” tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Marreese Speights, who is also being considered for a roster spot, will hold his workout today.
L.A. is scrambling to find a replacement for free agent addition DeMarcus Cousins, who suffered a torn ACL last week. No timetable has been established for Cousins’ recovery, but it’s possible he will miss the entire season.
Howard is still under contract with the Grizzlies, but they have no plans to keep him on the roster after acquiring him from the Wizards this summer in a trade to cut salary. Memphis granted permission for Howard to audition for a role with the Lakers.
Noah remains unsigned after averaging 7.1 PPG and 5.7 RPG in 42 games for the Grizzlies last season. Speights spent the past season playing in China.
Signing Howard, who previously played for the Lakers, would come with risk. The 33-year-old has been jettisoned by several teams since he was in Los Angeles playing alongside Kobe Bryant. The big man had tiffs with Bryant and he clashed with James Harden in Houston. The Hawks traded him a year after inking him to a $70MM+ deal and the Hornets felt comfortable cutting ties with him after just one season as well.
Howard remains under contract with the Grizzlies, where he landed after the Wizards traded him away this offseason. Memphis is allowing the center to participate in workouts with Los Angeles.
The former defensive player of the year still has the talent to contribute to what LeBron James & Co. hope is their first of many championship runs in Los Angeles. Here’s more from the Lakers and their pursuit of big man:
One rival executive tells Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report that he wouldn’t take the risk with Howard if he was running the Lakers. “He brings drama,” the executive said. ‘Why risk anything this year?”
Pincus (in the same piece) wonders if Kenneth Faried would be a good option for the Lakers. The scribe cautions that Faried’s height (6’8″) may be problematic for Los Angeles, as the team will be battling the likes of Rudy Gobert and Nikola Jokic.
Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times argues that Howard isn’t the villain that fans are making him out to be. Lakers fans, in particular, may remember Howard’s tenure with the team as a disappointment. However, Andrew Bynum—the main asset they surrendered in the 2012 Howard trade—failed to live up to any expectations after being traded and acquiring Howard prevented the franchise from offering Bynum a long-term deal.
Another NBA free agent, Marcin Gortat, could also come in for a look, Wojnarowski adds. The Lakers want to evaluate the physical condition and mindset of each player as they seek to replace DeMarcus Cousins.
Cousins suffered a torn ACL this month after he signed a one-year contract with the Lakers. Cousins could miss the entire season.
The Grizzlies had already granted the Lakers permission to meet with Howard. Memphis acquired him from the Wizards this offseason but he’s not part of their plans. The Grizzlies could make a trade or reach a buyout on his $5.6MM contract if the Lakers want him.
Noah averaged 7.1 PPG and 5.7 RPG in 41 games for Memphis last season after his woeful stint with the Knicks. He hasn’t drawn much attention on the free agent market, though he reportedly was being very selective about his next NBA destination.
Speights, who played in China last season, worked out in front of numerous NBA executives last month in Las Vegas.
Gortat was waived by the Clippers at the trade deadline last season and didn’t get picked up.
The Lakers currently have 14 players with guaranteed deals.
NBA training camps are still six weeks away, and opening night won’t arrive for more than two months, but an injury to a key player already has the Lakers considering ways to address their roster.
Since DeMarcus Cousins went down with a torn ACL last week, the Lakers have expressed some interest in veteran center Dwight Howard. Although Howard remains under contract with the Grizzlies, he’s viewed as a strong candidate for a buyout, and Memphis has reportedly granted permission to the Lakers to talk to the big man and his reps.
Howard isn’t the only veteran center who might be interested in joining the Lakers. When he first reported L.A.’s interest in a possible reunion with Howard, Shams Charania of The Athletic also mentionedJoakim Noah. While Charania didn’t explicitly identify Noah as a player the Lakers are targeting, he probably wasn’t just speculating when he threw his name out there — the former Defensive Player of the Year may also be on the Lakers’ radar.
Of course, a free agent signing isn’t an absolute necessity for the Lakers. For now, the team only projects to have one opening on its 15-man regular season roster, and the front office may prefer to keep that spot open in the hopes of landing a player later in the season in a trade or on the buyout market. Until then, the Lakers could lean more heavily on JaVale McGee while also playing Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma, or other forwards at the five.
Still, Davis is reportedly averse to spending much time at center, and Kuzma, LeBron James, and the club’s other forwards are probably too undersized to bang down low with the NBA’s top big men. Biting the bullet and filling that 15th roster spot with a center right away might be the best path for the Lakers — especially since the team could theoretically open another roster slot by waiving Cousins if he’s ruled out for the entire season.
As the Lakers mull their options, we want to get your two cents. Is a reunion with Howard the right play for the team, given how poorly their union went in 2012/13? Should the Lakers target another free agent? Or should the club be content to hold steady for now, perhaps asking Davis to play a few more minutes in the middle?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!
