Since DeMarcus Cousins suffered a torn ACL in his left knee, general manager Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers have been evaluating their replacement options.
As the free agency market has dried up at this point of the 2019 NBA offseason, the Lakers do not have many options.
One potential name that has been consistently linked with Los Angeles is Dwight Howard, who is expected to be bought out by the Memphis Grizzlies at some point.
With ‘mutual interest’ between Howard and the Lakers, the Grizzlies granted them permission to speak to him now, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic:
The Grizzlies are granting the Los Angeles Lakers permission to speak with Dwight Howard, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 18, 2019
And for Howard, he reportedly is ‘excited’ about a potential second stint with the Lakers now, according to Stadium:
“By all accounts, Dwight Howard is motivated right now and he wants to be a part of a potential Lakers team. I’m told he’s excited about the prospects of joining LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and really doing whatever’s asked of him.”
After what happened during the 2012-13 NBA season with Howard, the idea of him returning is a difficult one. At 33-years-old, he has played for four different teams in six seasons and the potential locker room/off-the-court issues may not be worth dealing with at this stage of his career.
However, considering the circumstances, the Lakers do need to evaluate all of their options — including Howard. With only Davis and JaVale McGee as the only centers on the roster, the former wants to play power forward.
Along with Howard, Joakim Noah, Kenneth Faried, Nene, Amir Johnson, Zaza Pachulia, Marcin Gortat, and Salah Mejiri could be options for Los Angeles in free agency.
As the Lakers look to recover from Cousins’ latest injury, it will be interesting to see which path they ultimately take. While Howard is the most talented out of the group, there are other factors that should be considered before signing.