Dwight Howard Completely Shuts Down Idea of Lakers Return

It appears the 2020 champ has moved on from the idea of a fourth stint with L.A.

Apr 8, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA: Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (39) dunks the ball in the second half of the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Former Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard appears to have moved on from the idea of a fourth stint with L.A.

TMZ Sports apparently cornered the 6-foot-10 future Hall of Famer getting off a plane at LAX and asked him about his playing future.

#Lakers fans hoping for a #DwightHoward reunion can uncross their fingers and let out their breaths ... the former #NBA superstar tells #TMZSports there's simply no chance he re-signs with Los Angeles.

Full #exclusive HERE: https://t.co/QXj5ZxNEZN pic.twitter.com/d75NKmopCf

— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) March 21, 2025

"I'm always ready," Howard allowed, "but there's more to life than basketball."

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Given that Howard has not found an interested NBA team since reaching free agency in the summer of 2022, this reaction feels a bit like a "You can't fire me because I quit!" kind of deal.

In fairness, the 39-year-old does seem to at least have some self-awareness when it comes to his current status in the league free agent hierarchy.

"Lakers not calling me, brother," Howard continued.

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After the Lakers traded away 10-time All-Star center Anthony Davis to acquire five-time All-NBA First Team guard Luka Doncic, who's six years Davis' junior and better than Davis ever was, the team was looking fairly light at the center position.

Sharpshooting reserve power forward/center Christian Wood, still recuperating from an offseason injury, was waived by L.A. and remains a man without a team as the playoffs approach. Jaxson Hayes became the club's de facto starting center after a trade to acquire rim-rolling 23-year-old big man Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets was rescinded.

It was thought that Howard could potentially be a free agent fit for L.A., a team on which he starred in 2012-13 and served as a solid backup en route to the title in 2019-20. The eight-time All-Star spent what appears to have been his final NBA season with L.A. in 2021-22.

Instead of bringing in Howard, the Lakers signed 31-year-old free agent center Alex Len, who has been so anemic that it seems likely one of the club's two two-way center signings, Christian Koloko, and Trey Jemison II, could be promoted to a standard roster contract to back up Hayes.

Howard was bullish on the post-Doncic trade Lakers' championship chances, even without him, earlier this month.

Tbh it looks like the Lakeshow might win that chip 🏆

— Dwight Howard (@DwightHoward) March 6, 2025

Most recently, Howard played for Taoyuan Taiwan Beer Leopards in 2022-23. He was a T1 League All-Star, a T1 League All-Defensive First Teamer, and an All-T1 League First Teamer for his efforts.

The 43-26 Lakers are currently the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference, although just 5.5 games separate the No. 2-seeded Houston Rockets from the No. 8-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves as of this writing, so anything can happen with regards to L.A.'s playoff seeding.

Across 1,242 career regular season NBA contests, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year posted averages of 15.7 points on 58.7 percent shooting from the field and 56.7 percent shooting from the foul line, 11.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 1.3 assists.

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For the latest Los Angeles Lakers news and notes, stay glued to Los Angeles Lakers On SI.