The Golden State Warriors could be adding yet another veteran to their core this offseason.
Three-time Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard completed his two-day interview process with the Warriors on Wednesday and is set to work out with Draymond Green and Chris Paul in Los Angeles on Thursday, per Jason Dumas of KRON4 News.
Golden State’s veteran players “have signed off on the idea of bringing Dwight into the fold,” according to Dumas, and the Warriors could make a decision on whether or not to sign him as soon as Wednesday.
Green seemingly confirmed the news via X, formerly known as Twitter:
The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater first reported last week that Howard would be visiting with the Warriors as the franchise has been “exploring signing a reserve veteran big man” this offseason.
However, ESPN’s Kendra Andrews reported on NBA Today on Monday that Howard was considered “just another workout” for the Warriors and that there was no guarantee he would be signed.
“While this has brought up a lot of conversation externally I’m told that the Warriors are looking at this just as another workout, just another guy they are bringing in to get a look at,” Andrews said. “They want to bring in a veteran, they want to bring in a big man. By bringing him into San Francisco this week, that doesn’t mean he is a member of the team. This is just another part of the process as they look to fill out the remaining roster spots.”
Despite Andrews’ report, it seems likely that Howard will find himself in the Bay Area, especially with Golden State’s veterans signing off on the addition.
While Howard isn’t the same player he once was, he can still be a valuable rim protector for the Warriors in a bench role behind Green and Kevon Looney. He likely won’t get much playing time, though he can be productive in the event of an injury or foul trouble.
The Warriors are already going to have to experiment with the lineup following the addition of Paul in a trade with the Washington Wizards that shipped Jordan Poole out of the Bay Area, but Howard shouldn’t have too much of an impact in that regard.
Howard was out of the NBA during the 2022-23 season, but he remained in good shape while playing in Taiwan’s T1 league. He averaged 23.2 points in 20 games for the Taoyuan Leopards.
The 37-year-old last played in the NBA during the 2021-22 campaign as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. He primarily played a depth role for the Purple and Gold, averaging 6.2 points and 5.9 rebounds in 60 games while shooting 61.2 percent from the floor.
The Warriors are hoping to bounce back from a disappointing 2022-23 campaign and win another NBA title with their core of Curry, Green and Klay Thompson. They’ll be hoping Howard can contribute in any way possible.