NBA Free Agency: Could Dwight Howard, Magic Reunite?

Howard played for the Magic from 2004-12.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 3, 2022

NBA Free Agency: Could Dwight Howard, Magic Reunite? /

ORLANDO - This summer marks 10 years since the Orlando Magic traded Dwight Howard, but could the future Hall of Famer reunite with the team that drafted him No. 1 back in 2004?

Howard remains unsigned after the first few days of free agency, making the chances of him re-signing with the Los Angeles Lakers unlikely.

Since leaving the Magic, Howard has bounced around the league, playing for the Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, Philadelphia 76ers, and three separate stints with the Lakers. Howard has not played consecutive seasons for any team since the Rockets back in 2015-16, and it's likely that streak will continue this season.

So why not come back to where it all started?

The Magic re-signed big men Mo Bamba and Bol Bol this offseason, but the team failed to re-sign Robin Lopez, who joined the Cleveland Cavaliers. Howard would fit right into the role of a veteran mentor role that Lopez played last season. Having Howard on the team would certainly help No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero, as the pair are two of the four top overall picks in franchise history.

The Magic's average age is 23 years old, one of the youngest teams in the NBA, and having Howard bring that average up would help add some maturity to the squad.

Howard might be hesitant to join a team not expected to contend for the playoffs this upcoming season, but if contenders aren't calling him up, perhaps one final run with the team that he started with could be the nice bow Howard needs to put on his career.

Published Jul 3, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.