The Washington Wizards are set to bring aboard a major addition in the frontcourt with the expected signing of former All-Star center Dwight Howard after he was officially bought out of the final year of his three-year, $72 million deal by the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.
It had been originally reported that Howard would be inking a one-year deal to join the Wizards, but Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN revealed that it is actually a two-year, $11 million deal with a player option for the second year.
Brooklyn finalized buyout with Dwight Howard, clearing way for him to sign 2-year, $11M deal with Washington, league sources tell ESPN. Deal includes player option.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 6, 2018
Howard has a chance to be a huge contributor for the Wizards alongside their All-Star backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal. Washington hasn't fielded a frontcourt player of the 32-year-old's caliber in quite some time.
Howard is still a highly dependable player are coming off a productive campaign where he averaged a double-double with 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds along with 1.6 blocks in 81 games played. He will have a chance to etch out a role as one of Washington's top-scoring options while being a major presence as a legitimate rim protector that could help the Wizards make headway in the Eastern Conference.
Washington has struggled to break through in the East over the years, failing to move further than the Eastern Conference semifinals. They regressed this past season, grabbing one of the final playoff spots only to fall short in the first round against the Toronto Raptors in six games.
The addition of Howard should help make Washington one of the more formidable teams in the conference alongside the likes of the Raptors, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and Indiana Pacers. This signing could prove to be highly beneficial for the Wizards next season in their quest to contend.
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