Recent Los Angeles Lakers rumors involve Dwight Howard, and rival executives think signing him would be a good idea.
There have been a lot of Los Angeles Lakers rumors in recent days following the devastating news about DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins, who signed with the Lakers a few weeks ago in free agency, tore his ACL last week while working out.
It is another tough blow for Cousins, who suffered an Achilles tear in Jan. 2018 and then tore his quad in the first round of the playoffs. It will be another tumultuous road for Cousins to get back on the court.
ACL injuries usually take months to recover from. There is a chance we don’t see Cousins in a Lakers uniform this season. As a result, the Lakers are going to be without one of their top free-agent signings this upcoming season.
While Cousins isn’t the top flight center he was just about 19 months ago, he was still going to be an integral part of the Lakers’ rotation. Without him, JaVale McGee is the only true center remaining on the roster.
Kyle Kuzma has said that he is ready to play more minutes at the center spot. Anthony Davis is also capable of playing center but prefers power forward.
Last season the Lakers tried small-ball lineups and it was a disaster, so Kuzma should not be relied upon for heavy minutes in the middle. Davis is arguably a more dominant player at center, but if he is not comfortable playing there, the Lakers will have to monitor his minutes there.
Bringing in another center seems inevitable. One player that could help fill the void is Dwight Howard.
Howard is still under contract with the Memphis Grizzlies, but a buyout has been expected. As a result, the fit of Howard joining the Lakers has been discussed.
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Howard left a bad taste in people’s mouths the last time he played with the purple and gold. He was expected to be the next great center to suit up for the Lakers. Instead, he and Kobe Bryant mixed as well as oil and water. Howard left the Lakers in free agency to join the Houston Rockets.
They say that time heals all wounds and that may have been the case here. If Howard becomes a free agent, multiple anonymous general managers believe the Lakers signing him would be a good idea.
"“Personal baggage aside, I would sign him,” one executive told HoopsHype. “He’s clearly the best player available if he’s healthy. We’ve heard the same song from him for years [as far as changing]. But for the minimum? Why not? If it doesn’t work, they move on.”"
Minimum deals are low risk, high reward contracts for teams. As another anonymous executive said, it is worth the risk and if things don’t work out, they can cut bait without much issue.
The Lakers will need to eventually add another center. Howard would be a solid option, bringing some experience to their roster.
He is still a capable rebounder and rim protector, giving the Lakers multiple options that can anchor the back end of their defense, something that was an issue for the team last season.