Lakers Rumors: Grizzlies would have no problem buying out Dwight Howard

Recent Lakers rumors are that the Memphis Grizzlies would have no problem buying out Dwight Howard.

After the injury to DeMarcus Cousins, there have been plenty of Lakers rumors about who the team will be going after to replace him.

Even though it is August and the rush of free agency is over, there are still some well-known names that are available. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers will be holding workouts for some of these players.

One of the players that has been granted permission to work out is Dwight Howard. Of all the names mentioned in the report, Howard has been linked to the Lakers the most so far.

While his first go-around with the Lakers didn’t go so well, Howard is open to a reunion with the Lakers, and the franchise appears to be too. Of the players available, Howard is arguably the best one.

Howard was unable to play much last season with the Washington Wizards due to injuries, but he was pretty productive when he did. In nine games, Howard averaged 12.8 points and 9.2 rebounds in 25.8 minutes per game.

Since last season was a very small sample size, going back another year when he was with the Hornets might be a better indication that Howard still can play. In the 2017-18 season, Howard averaged 16.6 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game.

With Howard coming off an injury-plagued season, the Lakers will obviously want to see what he can do in his workouts. However, if he is healthy, he would be an excellent backup for the Lakers, and might even be able to give JaVale McGee a run for his money as a starter.

Since Howard is still under contract with the Grizzlies, they would obviously have to buy him out before the Lakers could sign him. However, in the report from Wojnarowski, that doesn’t seem like it will be an issue.

As the Lakers go through the individual workouts with players, we will have to see who stands out the most. If he is healthy, Howard could be the guy for the Lakers.