The anonymous-sourced hits keep on coming for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Dwight Howard has been the center of much ado since he was traded to Hollywood last summer. Upon arriving, he wasn’t going to sign a new contract; he was going to reach free agency in 2013.
No one cared.
His future in Los Angeles was a formality. Alongside Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Steve Nash, Howard was going to help lead the Lakers toward title contention. They were going to rival the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder, maybe even beat them. These Lakers were going to be so incredible that Howard would have to wipe the drivel off his face as he rushed to sign on the dotted line in July.
Then reality set in. And boy, was reality a bitch.
Injuries, age, injuries, coaching changes, injuries, rumors, injuries and internal conflicts dominated the narrative in Los Angeles. Oh, and injuries too. Did I mention injuries? I did? Well yeah, injuries happened. People got hurt. And the Lakers barely made the playoffs as result.
When they finally did clinch a playoff spot, it meant virtually nothing. Kobe was nursing a ruptured Achilles (those damn injuries), leaving Dwight to lead the Lakers into battle against the San Antonio Spurs. Naturally, they were massacred.
San Antonio swept the Lakers in the first round and Howard was ejected in the final game, adding insult to injury. Those wounds may never have a chance to heal either, as Howard is reportedly leaning toward not re-siging with the Lakers.
According to ESPN.com’s Chris Broussard, Howard has no plans to re-sign with the Lakers and will instead head to the Houston Rockets or Dallas Mavericks, with the Golden State Warriors attempting to make a play as well.
Sources: Dwight Howard unlikely to re-sign with the Lakers. Dallas and Houston the favorites. Main issue w/Lakers is Mike D'Antoni's system
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) June 27, 2013
Golden State trying to get a visit with Dwight Howard too. Source says he'll likely meet with them.
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) June 27, 2013
Ouch. This comes after the Lakers posted a billboard (banner?) outside the Staples center, urging Dwight to stay, behavior that is hardly indicative of a franchise always in control. Players don’t flee from their clutches, they flock to Los Angeles to put on those purple and gold jerseys and contend for championships. Why would Howard be any different?
Per Broussard, he’s not happy with Mike D’Antonio and playing with Kobe was taxing. Should he leave, those will likely be the driving forces behind his departure.
Photo via Lakers Instagram account.
Nothing is definitive at the moment, of course. Howard doesn’t hit free agency until July 1, and even after that, it will likely be at least a few days before he reaches his long-awaited (and hopefully not nationally televised) decision. And if the 2013 NBA draft taught us anything, it’s that we know nothing until it goes down.
This could be one of those situations. Howard cold wind up re-signing with the Lakers. This could all be a fallacious smokescreen, employed with the goal of derailing Los Angeles’ pursuit.
Or it could be true. One-hundred percent true. Howard could leave, and join James Harden in Houston or Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas. Sign-and-trade/Lakers willing, he could even wind up with Golden State if all went according to plan.
Right now, it doesn’t matter. Not that I’m discrediting Broussard’s sources, but none of this matters right now. Any of it. Reports are all circumstantial and deserve to be doubted as much as they are accepted at fact. At present, they’re essentially worthless.
All that matters is the ultimate decision, the one that Howard has yet to make, no matter what anyone else says. Soon enough, he’ll have made it, and the Lakers may find themselves one All-Star lighter as a result. Or they may be prepared to enter the future, clad with Superman. Again, we just don’t know. None of us.
Eventually, we will. Until then, as we wade through all of the speculative nonsense that is floating around out there, all we can do is wait. Just like the Lakers and every other interested team. We’re all waiting on Howard.
Your move, Dwight.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
