Having been sent from Washington to Memphis in a trade for C.J. Miles, veteran center Dwight Howard is a member of the Grizzlies for now. However, the club is expected to waive or trade him at some point. After he was limited to just nine games in 2018/19 for health reasons, it’s not clear what the next step will be for Howard, but the eight-time All-Star tells Shams Charania of The Athletic that he has adjusted his mindset and is prepared to do whatever it takes to help his next team win.
“I don’t have an ego — it’s dead,” Howard said. “It had to die for me to be who I am. Sometimes when you want to become who you want to be, you have to die within yourself. Once you learn that you have to give up yourself for the team, that’s when things flourish.”
According to Charania, several NBA teams have said that they’re intrigued by Howard, who says he has been fully cleared after last year’s injury issues. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year claims he has lost 25 pounds since the end of the season, and one executive who saw him recently said he appears to be in his best shape in years, per Charania.
It remains to be seen whether Howard will get an opportunity to choose his next team on the free agent market, but if he does, he has one clear priority, he tells Charania: “Winning. Winning. Winning. I want to win. Nothing else. Just win.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- According to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link), there has been talk in Las Vegas about the possibility of moving back the start of Summer League in future years. Postponing the start date until after the end of the July moratorium would help address the problem of having traded 2019 draftees tied up in deals that can’t be made official until after Summer League is underway.
- Spain announced its preliminary roster for the 2019 FIBA World Cup this week, as Sportando relays, and the group includes a number of familiar names. The 16-man list, which will be cut down to 12 for the competition, features Marc Gasol, Ricky Rubio, Willy Hernangomez, Juan Hernangomez, and former NBA players like Rudy Fernandez and Victor Claver.
- The BIG3 announced on Wednesday that Baron Davis, Bonzi Wells, Lamar Odom, and Jermaine O’Neal are being “deactivated” for the 2019 season. The league cited the need to “maximize competition, protect the health of players, and to raise the level of the professionalism of the BIG3.”
The problem for Dwight would be where the hell does he fit in the NBA? Who has a need for a C?
Knicks? They seem short of big men.
Yes exactly. That’s why he lost 25 pounds. So he be a little more agile laterally on the pick-and-roll stuff. Now if only he could add a 18 foot jump shot LOL.
His rebounding and shot-blocking have always been there so that’s a plus but his next contract has got to have “games played” conditions don’t they? Guy is always hurt. Washington wasted money last year.
As funny as it is, The Rockets would be the best fit for him. They have virtually nobody after Capella.
He would also be a great fit on the Heat. At the moment they have Olynik and Leonard, which is fine for spacing. Nether have the defense that Howard brings in the paint. Be a great backup and mentor for Bam.
They have Bam Adebayo. They don’t need Dwight.
So much for Lamar Odom’s “comeback”…can’t even last more than one game in the Big3 before being pretty much kicked out lol
I’m still kind of lost on why those guys were deactivated. I want to know specifics. What the hell did those guys do that was so detrimental?
It’s a nice way of saying they were cut. Not good enough. Their playing days are over. It’s nice to get a shot at making a comeback… that’s the cool part.
They’re washed and will be replaced with better players.
They basically got cut from the league.
Congrats, Dwight. At 33 years old you finally became an adult.
That’s actually pretty young, so he is way above average at that, most people take longer, right?