The Golden State Warriors will meet with Dwight Howard next week about the possibility of the big man signing as a veteran-minimum backup center, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The Athletic’s Anthony Slater says the Warriors have brought in “a ton” of veteran big men for workouts the last few weeks, and that Howard represents the highest upside and is a “real option.”
Slater adds that whether the Warriors move on the 37-year-old Howard will “depend on his mindset” in meetings with the decision makers. In other words, will he accept playing what could be a small role? Will be a be a positive veteran presence in the locker room?
The Warriors know they need to get bigger. Steve Kerr loves to play small but there’s no getting around having to potentially go through Nikola Jokic and/or Anthony Davis in the playoffs. Memphis is a killer on the glass with Steven Adams. The Warriors fight an uphill rebounding battle every night. That wears you down over time.
Kevon Looney punches above his weight as admirably, and effectively, as any center in the league, but he’s only 6-foot-9. Lineups with Draymond Green at center close most games, and he’s 6-foot-7. Howard could serve, if nothing else, as regular-season innings eater in the hopes that Looney and Green can be as fresh as possible for the playoffs.
And maybe Howard can help beyond that. He was a big part of the Lakers’ title in 2020. He’s been playing in Taiwan after two final seasons with the Sixers and Lakers, and the last we saw of him in the NBA wasn’t anything memorable, but the defensive size and offensive rebounding potential may still play. If he has the right mindset, it’s a chance for the Warriors to take an essentially risk-free, non-guaranteed flyer on a guy who might really be able to fill a meaningful backup role.
