Los Angeles Lakers big man Dwight Howard has just come out with a rather definitive stance regarding his future with the Purple & Gold. The 34-year-old is now a free agent, and while Howard admitted that he wants to return to L.A. next term, he also claimed that it will come at a price.
Howard believes that he's proven that he deserves a more substantial deal than the veteran's minimum contract he signed last summer:
“I would love to come back and play for the Lakers again,” Howard said, via Alex Kennedy of BasketballNews.com. “Hopefully, this year, they give me a contract; that's the biggest thing. I don't want to play for free anymore. This year, it was like, ‘OK, I'll do whatever.' But I think I've earned… a contract.”
Howard earned just $2.6 million last year, and clearly, he's hoping for a much bigger payday this coming seasnon. He wasn't exactly the most important player on the Lakers squad, as they went all the way to win the championship last season, but what Howard is arguing here is that he's earned his way to a better deal.
The former eight-time All-Star has already been linked with several teams that appear to be interested in acquiring his services for next season, and with his recent statement here, the Lakers will apparently need to dig into their pockets if they want to keep Howard for the 2020-21 campaign. Otherwise, it is very much possible that Howard has already played his final game as a Laker.
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