After the successful acquisition of Anthony Davis this summer, the expectations for the Los Angeles Lakers have skyrocketed. From being one of the worst teams in the NBA, the tandem of Davis and LeBron James in Los Angeles is expected to turn the Lakers into a legitimate title contender in the deep Western Conference next season. The Lakers were in a similar situation seven years ago when they engaged in a blockbuster deal with the Orlando Magic to pair Dwight Howard with Kobe Bryant.
Though his lone season with the Lakers was filled with drama and frustrations, Howard still has some positive things to say about his former team. In an interview with Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times , Howard advised Davis that instead of thinking about the future, he should enjoy every moment he’s wearing the purple and gold.
“I would tell him to just enjoy the moment and enjoy this season,” Howard said, as quoted by Bleacher Report . “When I was here, unfortunately, things happened where we didn’t win, guys got hurt, but I enjoyed the city, I enjoyed the people and I had some really great relationships with people that came from being out here. So there were some positives. We just didn’t win that season, and that’s what happens when you play basketball. Things may look good, but injuries and other issues may happen and things might not work out, but I still had a good time in L.A.”
Lakers and Dwight Howard have “mutual interest” following Boogie’s ACL injury, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/jrikvybYOO
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 18, 2019
The Dwight Howard-Kobe Bryant pairing may have not worked out for the Lakers, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the same thing will happen with Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Though they failed to add a third superstar to their roster, the Lakers still managed to surround Davis and James with an incredible supporting cast during the 2019 NBA free agency period.
After Kawhi Leonard signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, the Lakers used their salary cap space to sign DeMarcus Cousins, Danny Green, Jared Dudley, Quinn Cook, Avery Bradley, and Troy Daniels. They also decided to bring back some of their own free agents, including Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Alex Caruso. Unfortunately, one of the Lakers’ newest acquisitions, Cousins, recently suffered a torn ACL.
Cousins’ injury is undeniably bad news for the Lakers, but it could open a path for a reunion with Dwight Howard. On Twitter, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Lakers have asked permission from the Memphis Grizzlies to speak to Howard. Charania revealed that there’s a mutual interest between both camps to make Howard the potential replacement to the injured Cousins.
