Dwight Howard will be returning to the Los Angeles Lakers this upcoming season after agreeing on a non-guaranteed deal. He reportedly had several meetings and workouts with the Purple and Gold before both sides decided to reunite.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Lakers players were also involved in assessing Howard and his fit with what they are trying to do in Los Angeles.
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 (@wojespn) August 23, 2019
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne added that Howard indeed met with some of his soon-to-be teammates to prove that he's willing to do anything to help them win a championship.
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. https://t.co/39EkPqvrUj
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) August 23, 2019
Meanwhile, according to Shams Charania of the Athletic, Anthony Davis, Rajon Rondo and JaVale McGee spent time with Howard in the team's practice facility to determine if they could trust him.
The Howard deal is a low-risk, potentially high reward move for the Lakers, as Dwight is still capable of producing decent numbers when healthy. Although he played only nine games for the Washington Wizards last season, he managed to average 12.8 points and 9.2 rebounds.
The Lakers will expect Howard to fill in the role left by injured center DeMarcus Cousins. He will likely serve as a backup for McGee, but that should give him an ample amount of time to prove himself to the team and to the fans once again.