NBA Rumors: Dwight Howard Reveals Why He Chose Wizards Over Warriors In Free Agency
After being waived by the Brooklyn Nets, Dwight Howard received interest from various NBA teams who wanted to boost their frontcourt. One of the teams who called Howard in free agency was the reigning NBA champions, Golden State Warriors. Joining the Warriors would have given Howard the easiest path in winning his first NBA championship title.
Unfortunately, instead of taking his talent to Golden State, Dwight Howard decided to sign a two-year, $10.9 million deal to team up with John Wall in the Washington Wizards. According to NBC Sports Washington, Howard admitted that he also gave the Warriors strong consideration to be his next destination in free agency. However, his mindset immediately changed when Wall sent him a message on Instagram, asking him to join the Wizards.
“Shoutout to John for reaching out to me and asking me about joining this team,” Howard said. “No lie, when I saw the message on Instagram, I really got so happy. I was like ‘John just DM’d me, oh man this is crazy!’ After that, I really just started to put on my thinking cap. I just thought about all the possibilities. I was like ‘man, this could be the best spot for me.'”
Dwight Howard revealed that John Wall didn’t need to do a strong free agency to convince him to sign with the Wizards. Howard appreciated Wall’s effort to reach him out when he became an unrestricted free agent. He also said that he is excited for the opportunity to play on a team having a guy like Wall as a point guard.
Dwight Howard on Hall of Fame Chances, 'My Resume Speaks for Itself' https://t.co/xPxTTD7DhI
— TMZ (@TMZ) July 25, 2018
Dwight Howard’s decision to choose the Wizards over the Warriors is somewhat unexpected. But what is more surprising is seeing John Wall becoming an active free agent recruiter for the Wizards. The Wizards obviously need to make a huge upgrade on their roster, especially now that LeBron James is playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. Howard will be a great addition to the Wizards on both ends of the floor. In 81 games he played last season, Howard averaged 16.6 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks on 55.5 percent shooting from the field.
As of now, the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Toronto Raptors are the top three teams who are expected to compete for the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference next season. However, if Howard builds a good chemistry with John Wall and Bradley Beal, it will not be a surprise if the Wizards become one of the favorite teams to dethrone the Cleveland Cavaliers as Eastern Conference Champions.
