Dwight Howard came into last season hoping to replicate the magic from his second stint with the Los Angeles Lakers. That year, he won his first career title and played a pivotal role in L.A.’s march through the playoffs.
Unfortunately, the Lakers were extremely underwhelming last season, and Howard wasn’t able to do much to change that.
In 2021-22, Howard averaged 6.2 points on 61.2 percent shooting from the field. He also chipped in 5.9 rebounds per game. Solid numbers for a backup center in the NBA, but also nothing game-changing
The Lakers’ offseason acquisition of Thomas Bryant has rendered Howard expendable, meaning he will need to play elsewhere come 2022-23. As it turns out, there is one squad with a desire to bring Howard in ahead of the 2022-23 NBA season.
“I reached out to Dwight directly and I’ll tell you that there is mutual interest between him and the Brooklyn Nets,” reported Bally Sports' Brandon Robinson:
The Nets are in a weird place right now. They may trade Kevin Durant. They may trade Kyrie Irving. Or they may keep both.
Whichever option they choose will ultimately have very different impacts on the team’s fortunes, which in turn have a drastic effect on Howard’s potential worth to the organization. If the Nets do decide to keep both their stars and contend for a title, Howard would slot nicely into the spot left behind by Andre Drummond.
Howard has been honest on his Lakers future up to this point. He sees the writing on the wall. The Nets could offer him a reprieve, but it’s unclear whether they will or not.
He does possess some valuable skills. Will he get the opportunity to showcase them in 2022-23?
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