Dwight Howard will wear No. 39 with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Shams Charania of the Athletic and Stadium.
Howard is signing his one-year, non-guaranteed contract with the Lakers on Monday.
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.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 26, 2019
Dwight Howard will back up JaVale McGee on the Lakers. The former superstar big man is said to be on a very short leash with the Purple and Gold, who can cut Howard the second he becomes a distraction in the locker room.
Since his prime days with the Orlando Magic ended, Howard has played for the Lakers, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards. Last season with the Wizards, Howard played in just nine games. He underwent a lumbar microdiscectomy in November, the second back surgery he’s had in his NBA career.
Howard, who has reportedly lost 20 to 25 pounds since his latest surgery, put up 12.8 points and 9.2 rebounds with Washington in 2018-19.
This is a low risk, high reward move for the Lakers, who were in need of another big man after losing DeMarcus Cousins to an ACL tear.
Howard averaged 17.1 points and 12.4 rebounds in 76 regular season games with the Lakers back in 2012-13, all while shooting 57.8 percent from the field. The future Hall of Famer will have a limited role in Los Angeles this time around.
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