Former Los Angeles Lakers star Dwight Howard recently expressed his desire to rejoin the franchise for the 2024-25 NBA season.
Dwight Howard makes plea to Lakers owner Jeannie Buss to re-sign him
Howard won a title with the Lakers in 2020 and was a pivotal piece to their championship puzzle. He revitalized his career after years of playing on underachieving teams and battling stigmas about his game.
The eight-time All-Star has played in China since 2022, but that has only allowed him to keep his new-and-improved frame in NBA game shape, and he thinks he’s capable of testing his strength in the world’s best basketball league once again while furthering the Lakers’ current NBA Finals pursuits.
Per Lakers All Day Everyday on X, Howard, who recently had Lakers owner Jeannie Buss on his podcast “Above the Rim with DH12, told her this point blank (h/t Sportskeeda’s John Ezekiel Herro):
“I’m in shape for basketball, so Jeanie give me one more chance,” Howard said.
Could Dwight Howard solve the Lakers’ need for help at center?
Los Angeles has a glaring need for help at the center position at the present. They are slated to start Anthony Davis at the five next season, but he remains firm in his stance on wanting to play power forward with a natural center next to him more often than not.
The Lakers also have true centers in Jaxson Hayes and Christian Koloko on their bench, as well as flex big man Christian Wood available to fill those duties. But adding a player like Howard who knows their system may not be a bad idea.
When last seen in the Association in 2021-22 — his third and final stint in L.A. to date — the three-time Defensive Player of the Year averaged 6.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks per game on 61.2 percent shooting from the field in 16.2 minutes of nightly action. His 36-minute numbers showed a player that averaged 13.8 PPG, 13.2 RPG and 1.3 BPG.
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Howard’s days of being a consistent double-double threat are likely far behind him, but given his experience, fitness, and drive to re-enter the league, it is well within reason to think he can replicate his productivity from his last NBA season next time out of given the chance.
Though a deal may not take shape, the 38-year-old has had his name float around in offseason free agency rumors, and could be a low-cost option for the Lakers to stash for a rainy day, or ingratiate into their second unit should young talents like Hayes and Koloko need more time to refine their games.
