Shams Charania: Sources: Dwight Howard has cleared waivers and is signing his new Los Angeles Lakers contract now. Howard plans to wear No. 39 as a Laker next season.
Storyline: Dwight Howard to Lakers?
33 rumors in this storyline
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Stadium: Our NBA Insider @Shams Charania reports Dwight Howard will wear No. 39 next season in his return to the Lakers. First look:
Omari Sanfoka II: Grizzlies announce they have officially waived Dwight Howard
After completing a contract buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies, Dwight Howard will sign a non-guaranteed contract with the Los Angeles Lakers that comes with a clear message, league sources told ESPN: Disrupt this team — and you’ll be gone.
In meetings with Lakers management, coaches and teammates — including Anthony Davis — late this week, Howard sold himself as an eight-time All-Star who had hit “rock bottom,” in the words of one team source, and promised that he’d humbly accept the responsibility to rebound and block shots for the Lakers.
He showed the Lakers that his surgically repaired back was healthy and that he had lost 25 pounds to get into better condition, and ultimately the Lakers chose him over Joakim Noah, sources said.
When fate and circumstance intervene, the results can be quite interesting. For the LA Lakers and Dwight Howard to reconnect, the word interesting is probably an understatement. Howard reached an agreement on a contract buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday and will sign a one-year, non-guaranteed $2.6 million deal with the Lakers once he clears waivers, league sources told The Athletic.
After the Lakers and Briscoe were given permission to seek the opportunity by the Grizzlies, Howard and Kidd were able to connect in person, league sources told The Athletic. They discussed life, their playing days together, the possibility of Howard joining the Lakers. Howard’s message to Kidd and the Lakers was the same one he delivered to The Athletic in July from NBA summer league: He’s learned from the past several seasons, learned that, at age 33, he is simply one of the guys now. Howard believes he can contribute at a high level for any NBA team, but the eight-time All-Star also understands he has to focus on rebounding, defense, blocking shots, finishing around the rim and simply playing whenever he is asked. He has accepted it — as much as those in the basketball community have doubted his words.
The Lakers then began setting workouts for free agents, and Howard traveled from Atlanta to Los Angeles on Wednesday. His meeting and workout with the Lakers was set for Thursday, but Howard went to the Lakers’ facility in El Segundo, Calif., on Wednesday afternoon for his own training session. The Lakers were surprised to see him, sources said, and many key decision makers were in attendance.
The impromptu workout led to some informal dialogue among Howard and several Lakers officials, league sources said. “Dwight didn’t need to be here the day before the actual workout,” one source said, “but he was.” When Thursday arrived, Howard had a workout in which the Lakers believed he looked healthy and fit. “Amazing,” said a source present in the gym.
League sources said Howard had a convincing and emotional meeting with the players and Lakers officials, explaining how he had reached rock bottom a season ago and needed to find a new mindset in his life. On and off the floor. He was not the teammate he needed to be in playing for three teams in the past three years. He did not take the game seriously enough, he did not understand what was needed to turn the corner.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Howard came to meet Lakers after dropping 25 pounds; showed his back was healthy. Lakers want him to protect rim/rebound in limited role. There was sense Howard realized he hit “rock bottom” and had been humbled. Still they’ll judge him on actions, not words. He’s been warned.
Shams Charania: Dwight Howard’s agent, Charles Briscoe of Briscoe Sports Group, has completed buyout with Grizzlies officials, and Howard will sign with the Lakers once he clears waivers, sources tell @The Athletic @Stadium.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Dwight Howard’s deal with the Lakers will be non-guaranteed, league source tells ESPN. Howard had several meetings with Lakers officials, and they’ll give him a chance to show he’s made changes in how he conducts himself. Lakers players were involved in process.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Lakers are entering a Howard partnership with caution. For years, he’s talked about making changes in how he interacts with coaches and teammates. He’s still saying those things now, but the ability to cut him without cost keeps leverage with organization.
Ramona Shelburne: Dwight also met some Lakers players in this process. He convinced everyone that he’s genuine in wanting to play the role the Lakers need. And if not, he’ll be waived.
David Aldridge: The question with Dwight on the Lakers will be the same one it’s been for the last 5-6 years. He can still rebound and block shots with anyone, and occasionally score on the block, and thus could help any team. But will he be satisfied doing just those things?
Dwight Howard headed to the Lakers
Shams Charania: Dwight Howard is on his way back to the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
Shams Charania: Dwight Howard is finalizing contract buyout with Memphis and plans to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers as free agent, league sources tell @The Athletic @Stadium.
Howard-to-Lakers unlikely
Windhorst thinks the Lakers are doing their proper due diligence, but says Howard coming back to the Purple and Gold is probably not going to happen. “I don’t think it’s a very likely marriage,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s SportsCenter. “I think the Lakers right now are doing their due diligence on players, on available centers. Joakim Noah’s another guy they’ve looked at. “Dwight Howard has been on four different teams in the last four years. The Lakers are in need of somebody who can be healthy and give them minutes and that doesn’t fit who Dwight Howard or Joakim Noah are at this point of their careers.
“But I understand why the Lakers have those names on the list. I think this is unlikely. I believe the Lakers coaches want a younger, more active player at this point in their careers.”
Ramona Shelburne: As @VeniceMase and I discussed the other day on @ESPNLosAngeles … Dwight may have left town on bad terms with some in LA. But he always had a good relationship with Jeanie Buss. Remember, Jeanie and Phil tweeting at him during the recruiting process.
So does the Lakers’ recent affinity for Howard actually make sense? Should they really be after the eight-time All-Star? Are there not better options out there? According to one anonymous NBA executive who spoke to HoopsHype, the low-risk, high-reward nature of such a deal, one that would be worth the veteran minimum if it does happen, would make it a worthwhile gamble for Los Angeles. “Personal baggage aside, I would sign him,” the executive said. “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.”
A second league exec polled by HoopsHype shared the same sentiment: “I think it’s worth the risk for them. If it doesn’t work out, they can cut bait.”
NBA Insider @ShamsCharania breaks down the Lakers beginning pursuit of Dwight Howard and the factors of motivation and health for the 8-time All-Star.
Shams Charania: The Grizzlies are granting the Los Angeles Lakers permission to speak with Dwight Howard, league sources tell @The Athletic @Stadium.
Ramona Shelburne: As @VeniceMase and I discussed the other day on @ESPNLosAngeles … Dwight Howard may have left town on bad terms with some in LA. But he always had a good relationship with Jeanie Buss. Remember, Jeanie and Phil tweeting at him during the recruiting process.
ShowtimeForum: “By all accounts @Dwight Howard is motivated right now and he wants to be a part of a potential #Lakers team. He’s excited about the prospects of joining @LeBron James & @Anthony Davis and doing really whatever is asked of him.” 🎥 @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/gjDRguwxmb
Shams Charania: The Lakers are expected to request permission soon to speak to Dwight Howard and there’s mutual interest between the eight-time All-Star and L.A. in wake of DeMarcus Cousins’ torn ACL, league sources tell @The Athletic @Stadium.
Lakers interested in Dwight Howard?
Rohan Nadkarni: A name I’m hearing the Lakers are seriously interested in after the Boogie Cousins injury: Dwight Howard. The Grizzlies haven’t bought him out yet, but he’s not expected to play in Memphis this season. Javale McGee is the only other center on LA’s roster.
August 6, 2020 | 5:30 pm EDT Update
August 6, 2020 | 4:52 pm EDT Update
Jason Jones: Kings beat the Pelicans, 140-135 for their first win in the bubble after 3 losses. Bogi career-high 35 pts, Fox 30 pts, 10 asts. 140 pts are a season high.
Oleh Kosel: Alvin Gentry on the Pelicans loss to the Kings: “They shot the ball extremely well. We were never into them though…We basically gave up a 50-point quarter.” Then the head coach laments the defense in the second half.
Brandon Rahbar: Dennis Schroder is still with family after the birth of his baby. There isn’t yet a timetable for his return. If he tests negative every day out of the Bubble, he’ll need to quarantine for 4 days when he returns. OKC’s last game is in 8 days. Plenty of time before playoffs.
Bradley Beal: It’s getting SPICY!!!!!!!!!!
August 6, 2020 | 3:58 pm EDT Update
Oleh Kosel: Pelicans dropping to 1-3 in bubble & play-in hopes slipping away – blew 16-point lead vs Jazz – foot-stomped by Clippers – beat mediocre Grizzlies – outplayed by more spirited Kings Don’t think front office won’t consider subpar Orlando results. They’ll react to certain facets.
Jamie Hudson: Nuggets Injury Report vs. Blazers today: Troy Daniels (right hip; tightness) and Jamal Murray (left hamstring; tightness) are questionable. Will Barton (right knee; soreness), Gary Harris (right hip; muscle strain) and Paul Millsap (rest) are out.
August 6, 2020 | 3:20 pm EDT Update
Tim Reynolds: The initial reads on all tests performed on Jimmy Butler’s foot/ankle have not revealed any major issues, source says. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said pregame today that Butler is in rest and recovery mode.
Jason Jones: Career-high 33 points for Bogi
August 6, 2020 | 2:24 pm EDT Update
That will hinge on a couple of primary factors: which treatment option Simmons decides on, and how his body responds to the treatment. While Simmons’ general durability and recovery from a recent back injury are encouraging factors, it’s hard to say what the timetable looks like until the specifics are hammered down. Surgery is usually not recommended for first-time injuries of this nature, but even conservative treatment plans can last in the neighborhood of six weeks.
Brown, who sat down for dinner with Simmons on Wednesday evening inside the bubble, recalled the work Simmons put in to get ready for the Orlando restart in the first place. One word to sum up Simmons’ mood? “There is clearly disappointment. I don’t know if anyone really understood what he did to get ready to play basketball again. He really invested time,” Brown said. “It’s monotonous, some of the smaller things he had to do…I think the uncertainty of what really is it right now is obviously there. But he’s a great teammate, and his teammates care about him.”
Few could have imagined the red-hot start that both the Indiana Pacers and Phoenix Suns have gotten off to in the NBA bubble with 3-0 records. For Pacers forward T.J. Warren, the setting in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, suits him perfectly: all basketball, all the time. Never mind the fact that he’s facing his former team that traded him to Indiana last summer for cash considerations. Warren says he just wants to hoop.
“Even with all that in the past, I was always self-motivated,” Warren told ESPN by phone Wednesday. “Never allowed nobody to put a limit on my talent. No matter what the political stuff was or anything from high school, college to the NBA, you always face adversity, but I feel like it’s how you respond, how you rise to the occasion and I feel like me, personally, I just always feel like I’m able to adapt and respond in a positive way with my game.
Booker nailed a buzzer-beating, turnaround jumper over Paul George to cap a 35-point performance in a 117-115 win over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. Even as impressive as he has been, Booker still finds the time to chat regularly with his old teammate as they’re looking forward to the clash. “We still communicate. We still talk a lot,” Booker said of Warren. “This relationship, that’s for life. It’s a respectful relationship. I’m happy the situation that he’s in and the opportunity that he’s getting and the way he’s performing.”
August 6, 2020 | 1:36 pm EDT Update
Chase Hughes: Jerome Robinson on life in the bubble: “I’m the best fisherman here. I grew up fishing.” Robinson is from North Carolina.
August 6, 2020 | 1:10 pm EDT Update
August 6, 2020 | 12:21 pm EDT Update
Jim Boylen a keeper?
But as the Sun-Times learned this week, even if Karnisovas didn’t like what he would have seen from Boylen he would likely be handcuffed from making a change. According to several sources, there is strong growing momentum that financial concerns the Reinsdorfs have about the 2020-21 NBA season will keep Boylen in his current seat, as well as most of the coaching staff.
KC Johnson: Regarding Jim Boylen, @NBCSChicago has reported all offseason that Arturas Karnisovas has worked to empower him and his staff and wrote on July 21 about how a first-year head coach would be a tough sell to ownership. Nothing has changed. nbcsports.com/chicago/bulls/…
At 6-foot-5 with a 6-9 wingspan and 225 pounds, he could grow into what the Hawks need defensively at the two-guard position next to Trae Young. The problem is getting him to buy all the way in on that end of the floor. There are several skeptics who worry about Edwards’ effort and willingness to fully commit to giving his best effort defensively. From what I’ve been told, his work ethic is definitely a big question mark for many people in the league, including some in Atlanta’s organization.
This is where things get a little interesting for the Hawks. There are some folks inside the organization who firmly believe Ball is the best prospect in this draft class, and it’s not close, and there are others who are against taking him because of the fit with Young. Particularly, the defensive end of the floor scares them because they aren’t good on that end. From what I’ve heard, he’s not a total cross off for the Hawks, but a lot more evaluation and talks are going to have to happen to get everyone in agreement for him to be the choice.
August 6, 2020 | 10:55 am EDT Update
Damian Lillard: Jrue Holiday is the best defender in the league
Damian Lillard on Jrue Holiday: He’s to me the best defender in the league. Like, out of the guards. I think he’s the best defender.
Damian Lillard on Carmelo Anthony: To be who he is as a basketball player… He’s the coolest dude ever. I didn’t know what to expect when he came. But like everything that I heard about him, I don’t understand how people could speak on his name the way they do now that I’ve been around. And I think I’m a great judge of character too.
Damian Lillard on high school basketball: The other thing that makes it sad is the level of complacency because you’ve been told like you’re gonna make it and you’re gonna be a draft pick and you know, you don’t got to earn nothing. You don’t feel like you gotta work for nothing. And it’s sad when it’s time for them to make the NBA and they don’t make it. Like, either they don’t get drafted. Or they get drafted and they ain’t built to survive where everybody’s good. You know what I’m saying? Like, you’re talented and you, you know, you got all these gifts, but everybody got that. You know, I mean, like, if you if you’re 20 years old, or 19 or whatever, and you think you either come in here and just do whatever you want against Chris Paul, Pat Bev… Like if you think you bout to come in here and have your way, you don’t get embarrassed. You know, I’m saying like… Don’t nobody care about the hype. I don’t care what your agent told you. I don’t care what your manager, whoever is the person had been handling you since 10th grade… I don’t care what they told you. Once you get up here, you got to do it. And if you’re not prepared for it or mentally build for it, you’re not gonna make it. And that’s where you see a lot of these dudes. They get here and they don’t stick because they’re not built to make it here. And a lot of that has to do with the culture of high school basketball.
Former G League player Aaron Craft retiring
Ohio State alum Aaron Craft is officially focusing on medicine, he announced via a post on his personal Twitter account. “The new chapter has begun!” he wrote, “Excited, a little nervous, and extremely grateful to start a journey I’ve thought about for so long. I’ve always liked our home white jerseys!” From the beginning of the 2019-20 season prior to the coronavirus pandemic, he revealed his intentions to retire as a player after being accepted to the medical school at Ohio State University.
Statement from ESPN senior writer Jackie MacMullan: About three weeks ago during a discussion on the podcast The Hoop Collective, I misspoke when I expressed my opinion regarding the business practices of the Indiana Pacers, and inferred that Larry Bird had been frustrated during his time as team president. It was a careless remark, based solely on my opinion, and therefore should have never been said. Larry Bird never expressed those feelings to me, and I apologize to both Larry and team owner Herb Simon for poor choice of my words.
JD Shaw: Magic forward Aaron Gordon was diagnosed with a strained left hamstring following his MRI, team says. He is doubtful to play on Friday against the Sixers.
