Will Dwight Howard Return to the Lakers Next Season?

As the NBA season approaches, Dwight Howard has yet to sign with any team. The 18-year NBA veteran spent last season with the Los Angeles Lakers. After an offseason full of trades and free agent signing, will Dwight Howard return to the Lakers next season?

Likelihood of Bringing Howard Back?

Last season, the Lakers took a huge risk by assembling a team of aging veterans. The 2021 Lakers were the oldest team in the league last year, with an average age of 30 years old. Included in that group was 35-year-old Dwight Howard, on his third stint with the team. 

This season, the Lakers seem to be going in a different direction, a much younger direction. With the signings and trades they have made this offseason, it is hard to see where Howard fits in.

Howard’s former Lakers teammate Carmelo Anthony is in the same boat. He has yet to re-sign with the Lakers or any other team.

Offseason Recap

The Lakers kicked off the offseason with the signing of free agent Lonnie Walker IV. The 23-year-old former San Antonio Spurs guard was brought in to add consistent scoring to the Lakers bench.

The team then signed NBA veterans Juan Toscano-Anderson, Troy Brown Jr. and Thomas Bryant to one-year league minimum contracts. This trio are all considered veterans by league standards, but they are expected to bring youth and power back to the lineup.

LeBron James then signed a two-year $97.1 million contract extension.

And, just when it seemed the offseason could not get any more busy, the Lakers traded Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson to the Utah Jazz for veteran guard Patrick Beverley. Nearly two years after Dennis Schroder famously turned down the Lakers’ $84 million contract, he rejoined the team for just $2.6 million.

Career Highlights

With the 76th NBA season just one month away, it is crunch time for Dwight Howard to either re-sign with the Lakers or find another team. The Lakers seem to be a very unlikely option for Howard. If no one else picks him up, last season could have been his last dance in the NBA.

Regardless of how his career ends, it is important to look back at some of his career highlights. He is an Olympic gold medalist, five-time All-Defensive team and eight-time All-NBA team member. He has also won defensive player of the year three times and player of the month six times.

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Featured Image Credit Kevin C. Cox/ Getty Images

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