Dwight Howard
Tale of the tape: The 27-year-old, 6’11”, 240 lb. Howard averages 17.0 points and 12.4 rebounds per 36 minutes this season, shooting 57.6% from the field with a 57.7% effective field goal percentage and a 19.5 PER, his lowest since the 2005-06 season. The Brooklyn Nets spent the better part of last season trying to acquire the game-changing center. Howard has struggled with a back injury since April 2012.
Contract: Howard is owed roughly $19.5 million this year and is an unrestricted free agent after this season.
Roundtable:
Justin DeFeo: Dwight Howard has been clamoring to be the focal point of an NBA team located in a major market, and if he was shipped to Brooklyn, he’d finally get that wish. Even with Joe Johnson and Deron Williams in tow, Howard would get all the post touches his fragile mind and heart could desire. But: is L.A. willing to deal him? Even with his wishy-washy stance on free agency, and his tendency to be whiny when things aren’t working out, I’d gamble on the Lakers keeping their center with hopes that the extra dollar signs and Los Angeles weather could keep him focused long-term. If they were to deal though, Brook Lopez is the kind of young, franchise center that could act as a centerpiece of a Dwight deal. Wait, have we covered this before?
Sandy Dover: This is very much a real possibility, even if the Lakers aren’t talking about it. Howard didn’t want to be in Los Angeles, and it’s even more apparent now that he can’t handle Kobe’s locker room leadership — Howard really just wants to laugh and dance, something that championship teams aren’t doing the vast majority of the time like he would prefer. Howard would fit appropriately with the Brooklyn Nets, since his pal D-Will has also spent some time sulking.
Mark Ginocchio: Sigh… yes, at the end of the day, if I was FORCED to decide, I would still trade Brook for Dwight. With that said, if the Lakers show even a chance of righting the ship, he’s not going anywhere. Considering they just won 2 in a row, they’re probably getting the ticker tape ready in La La Land, so no chance of this ever advancing.
Devin Kharpertian: I’ve been on record and I’ll say it again: unless the Brooklyn Nets are 100% convinced that Dwight Howard’s significant back injury can and will be a thing of the past, they should never discuss him again. Even if it is, I have little doubt that the Lakers have no interest in moving him.
Will Rausch: Dwight Howard? Should the Brooklyn Nets get Dwight Howard? I think the arguments against trading for Dwight, of which there are many, have been exhausted. So in lieu of any commentary, I present my answer translated into various languages. English – No. English- Hell no! Russian (for Prokhorov) – Nyet. Spanish (for Pau) – Noh. French (for Johan Petro)– non. Georgian (for Toko) – არარის. Bosnian (for Mirza) – Ne. German (for Dirk) – Nein. Italian (for Bargnani) – No.
Max Weisberg: This ship sailed long ago, once the Brooklyn Nets acquired Joe Johnson. Aside from the fact that many think that Brook Lopez is having a better year than Dwight Howard, it is highly unlikely — even though he is a free agent at season’s end — that Mitch Kupchak and the Lakers brain-trust admits their mistake by trading what they thought was their franchise center. It would be best for both teams to stay away from any type of discussion about a potential deal.
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