NBA Rumors: Lakers Likely To Part With Howard After Current NBA Season

Dwight Howard’s tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers holds no promise with the 6-foot-11 big man likely to be among the available free agents in the offseason. Howard has been reduced to a backup role with Anthony Davis being the main man.

Given as well the fact that Howard is bound to seek higher pay, the consensus is that the 34-year-old center is likely to explore opportunities with other teams. Some clubs could make use of Howard though there are a lot of questions in the air.

It remains that the eight-time NBA All-Star could be a starter for any team despite his age. But there are concerns about how he can blend in well with other players and stay healthy. The past years have seen him struggle with injuries. But with lesser playing time with the Lakers, Howard has been able to stay abreast. It could be a different scenario if he plays for other teams needing him to play extended minutes.

Howard hardly saw action in the Lakers’ series with the Houston Rockets although that could change against the Denver Nuggets. Los Angeles needs to find a way to check Nikola Jokic and Howard is likely to be one of the players assigned to that alongside JaVale McGee. This would depend on what head coach Frank Vogel has planned for the surging Nuggets, CBS Sports reported.

"He [Jokic] can hurt you at the 3-point line, in the pocket playing the 4-on-3 game, in the post, and obviously with his passing. They understand his abilities up there, passing the basketball, and do a great job speed-cutting through the lane. They make it very difficult to guard," Vogel said.

Hence, it could be a different story for Howard in the Western Conference semifinals. But beyond that, his tenure raises a big question mark. So far, he has done a good job off the bench with 7.5 points and 7.3 rebounds in 18.9minutes of action. At his age, those are good numbers. But his salary raises questions.

Heavy.com revealed that Howard may not see much action for the rest of this NBA season. Further, he is seen by many as on his way out. So the better question now is which club could take a chance on him in the free-agent market if he does not return to Los Angeles next NBA season.