Dwight Howard to Lakers Proposal Given Stiff Opposition From ESPN Insider

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nick Meyer | Last updated Feb 12, 2025 11:49 AM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers woke up as the fourth place team in the NBA's Western Conference on Wednesday morning after a 132-113 win over the Utah Jazz on Monday at the Crypto.com Arena.

Excitement surrounding the Lakers' six game winning streak and trade acquisition of Luka Doncic has been tempered by the team's perceived lack of a center with Jaxson Hayes taking over from departed superstar Anthony Davis.

On Tuesday, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith took to the airwaves of the popular First Take morning show to float the possibility of the Lakers adding 2025 Naismith Hall of Fame nominee Dwight Howard, a former Laker, to the mix this season.

"I haven't seen him in a couple of years, I don't know how he's looking, but I find it hard to believe...All you need is someone to defend and rebound," host Stephen A. Smith said.

"Why not look at a Dwight Howard? Why not look at somebody off the scrap heap? He's always in shape. He never looks out of shape at all."

Fellow host Brian Windhorst added stiff opposition to Smith's proposal on the show in a clip that has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times.

"DeMarcus Cousins is playing in Mongolia, why don't you call him?" Windhorst said. "Dwight Howard's going into the Hall of Fame, because he's retired for so long. His last time playing was in Taiwan, are you being serious?" he asked Smith.

"I'm being serious only from this standpoint, you don't need anything from him. You just need a big body who can rebound, okay? I'm not telling you that the man is going to be what he once was," Smith concluded.

The Lakers nearly traded for Hornets center Mark Williams earlier this month before Williams' failed physical rendered it null and void.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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