The Golden State Warriors may be bringing in a familiar face just prior to the start of training camp.
As reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Warriors are bringing in eight-time All-Star center Dwight Howard for a meeting next week. Golden State is seeking to sign a veteran big man, with their current tallest player being the 6-foot-10, 225-pound Dario Saric. Outside of Saric, all of the Warriors’ current players are under 6-foot-10 and they don’t feature a single tall, physical center. The 6-foot-9 Kevon Looney currently projects as the team’s starting center.
“Eight-time NBA All-Star Dwight Howard will meet with the Golden State Warriors next week, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium,” writes Charania. “The team has been exploring signing a reserve veteran big man, and now the 2020 Lakers championship center will visit with Warriors officials soon.”
The 6-foot-10, 265-pound Howard is arguably the Warriors’ best option on the free agency market. Not only is Howard one of the most accomplished players in the NBA, he’s a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, eight-time All-NBA selection and five-time All-Defensive selection. Perhaps most importantly, he’s proven he can fit in as a clear role player on a championship team, playing the role of backup center for the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers championship squad.
Although Howard didn’t play in the NBA during the 2022-23 season — his most recent season was with the Lakers during the 2021-22 campaign — he has kept in shape by playing overseas in Taiwan last season.
According to Jason Dumas of Bay Area’s Kron 4 News, Howard will work out for the Warriors on Tuesday and Wednesday while meeting with Golden State head coach Steve Kerr and general manager Mike Dunleavy.
“Source: Dwight Howard will arrive in the Bay on Monday,” writes Dumas. “He will workout on Tuesday & Wednesday. Also has meetings with Kerr & Dunleavy. Steve is most interested in Dwight’s mindset, acceptance of a role, and desire to be a good vet for the young guys. Meetings will be important.”