Dwight Howard’s destination next season still a puzzle – NBA Update
When Dwight Howard forced his way out of Orlando to Los Angeles this off season, there weren’t many people who believed that a long term contract with the Lakers was not guaranteed.
However three and half months after the trade, the ‘Superman’ still doesn’t want to reveal his planned destination. All Dwight says is that he knows where he wants to sign.
In a wide-ranging conversation with T.J. Simers of the L.A. Times recently, the centre gave an unclear response to the question of free agency. This is what Simers reported on the issue;
“Howard will be a free agent at the end of this season. I ask him if he knows now where he will be playing next year, and he says, “I know.”
I suggest that means the Lakers because he could not know of any other opportunity at this time. But I still make a pitch for the Clippers, figuring he might want to play for the best team in town.
He laughs, and when I suggest that some opine that if this season falls apart it will persuade him to leave, he says that’s not the case.
He says the Lakers are all about championships, and “what’s not to like about L.A.?”
Despite the vague answer, there is little chance that Howard would want to sign with any team other than the Lakers.
For starters, he would get the maximum financial value with his current team in the form of a five year contract – with any other team; the maximum contract would be about 20 million dollar short. Secondly, the Lakers might portray
a disastrous picture at the moment, but this franchise is all about winning championships, and still has a champion player in Kobe Bryant, not to mention a supreme point guard in Steve Nash, who is as desperate as Howard, perhaps more, to win the NBA title.
Plus, Howard is also considered as a player who will take the franchise into the future, as a centre piece.
At some point this season, the Lakers will get going, and when they do, there won’t be many teams capable enough to challenge them.
Leaving the Lakers after the season, even if they do not win a championship, would be foolish on Howard’s part.
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