Dwight Howard's response to Lakers needing a center after failed Mark Williams trade

02/09/2025 01:12 PM

Immediately after the NBA trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers were under the belief they had snagged a talented big-man replacement for Anthony Davis following the Luka Doncic trade. However, things were not as they seemed, and the Lakers’ trade with the Charlotte Hornets involving Mark Williams has since been rescinded.

Rescinded trades are a rare sight in the NBA, but according to reports, the Lakers stunningly opted to back out of the deal, which would have sent Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, an unprotected first-round pick, and a first-round pick swap to Charlotte, after Williams failed a physical. Since the trade deadline has passed, the Lakers had to either accept the initial terms of the deal or completely reverse course; they chose to do the latter even though the team now has a sizable hole at center.

Some jokingly suggested the Lakers sign Dwight Howard, who served as a key piece to the team’s 2020 NBA Championship. Howard, 39, doesn’t seem eager to pick up any calls if they would happen to come, though.

“Too bad I'm a podcaster now,” Howard posted on X, formerly Twitter. He also posted that the Lakers should consider DeMarcus Cousins or Jahlil Okafor, who are both several years younger than Howard.

Too bad I'm a podcaster now https://t.co/Xir8bit424pic.twitter.com/GORcTaCKtb

— Dwight Howard (@DwightHoward) February 9, 2025

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 draft, Howard played 18 seasons in the NBA, including three with the Lakers. His first stint was tumultuous, as his relationship with co-star Kobe Bryant was publicly strained and led him to leave the team after just a single season.

Near the end of his career, Howard, who had bounced around the NBA in years prior, experienced a resurgence with the Lakers after signing with the team on a non-guaranteed contract in 2019. He filled a much-needed position as the Lakers’ backup center, and in the playoffs, he started seven games and helped Los Angeles win its first championship in a decade.

Howard spent his final year in the NBA with the Lakers, although his third stint with the team proved to be a failure as the team missed the postseason and Howard was not signed to an NBA roster following the season. He played one year in Taiwan with the Taoyuan Leopards of the T1 League afterward.

With Howard not being a likely option nowadays, the Lakers will probably turn to the likes of Mo Bamba, who like Williams, has one of the longest standing reaches in the NBA and would theoretically serve as a sufficient lob target for Doncic and James.

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