Sixers Rumors: Dwight Howard, Lakers Reunion Viewed as ‘Inevitable’

When the 2020 NBA free agency market opened up, veteran big man Dwight Howard announced on Twitter he was returning to the Los Angeles Lakers for another season. Unfortunately, Howard jumped the gun on his own report.

While there were discussions between Howard’s representatives and the Lakers’ front office about a potential return, an offer never came for Howard. Moments later, his tweet was deleted.

Roughly about an hour later, it was reported that Dwight Howard was signing with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers lured Howard into Philly with a veteran’s minimum contract. Many dubbed Howard as the best big man to back up Joel Embiid in the 26-year-old’s five-year career.

While Howard couldn’t do much to help the Sixers in the second-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks, the veteran center still brought a lot to the table for Philly. In 69 games, Howard averaged seven points while draining 58-percent of his field-goal attempts coming off the bench. He also collected 8.5 rebounds per game and nearly averaged one block per game. 

In addition to his on-court contributions, Howard’s championship experience and veteran leadership was a major plus for the Sixers’ locker room. While the 76ers could certainly benefit from bringing Howard back into the mix for next year, all signs are beginning to point to his 76ers stint as one and done.

According to a report from the Los Angeles Times on Sunday, Howard is eyeing a third stint with the Lakers for next year. Veteran NBA Insider Marc Stein also reported on Monday that a reunion between Howard and the Lakers is regarded as “inevitable” around the NBA.

Seeing a notable name linked to the Lakers is nothing new. These days, any player that’s worth paying attention to will more than likely get mixed in with the LeBron James-led Lakers. However, the Howard rumors make sense.

Despite the big man saying it would “be a dream come true” to return to the Sixers next year, the reality is he never wanted to leave the Lake Show. Howard might consider returning to Philly again if the Lakers show interest elsewhere, but if Los Angeles is ready to bring him back, there really isn’t any reason to believe he wouldn’t give it another shot out West.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.