Dwight Howard Leaves Lakers, Agrees to Reported 1-Year, $2.6M 76ers Contract

The Philadelphia 76ers and center Dwight Howard reached an agreement on a one-year deal on Friday, which his agent, Charles Briscoe, confirmed to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. 

Bobby Marks of ESPN reported the deal is for the veteran minimum exception of $2.6 million.

Howard put together a resurgent season with the Los Angeles Lakers by carving out an important bench role with the NBA champions. He averaged 7.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks while playing 18.9 minutes per game in 69 regular-season appearances.

The 34-year-old remained a key asset during the Lakers' playoff run, and the end result was the first championship of his 16-year career.

"Don't ever give up on your dreams," Howard said. "You can f--king do it. I swear, just keep fighting. I swear to God, don't ever give up on yourself. Look at this s--t. I'm sorry for cursing to all the kids out there. Bro listen, don't ever give up on yourself. You're already a champion."

The 2004 first overall draft pick has built a terrific resume. It includes eight All-Star appearances, five All-NBA first-team selections and three Defensive Player of the Year Awards with six different organizations, including two stints with the Lakers.

It is notable the 76ers signed Howard after his 2019-20 campaign.

After all, he was able to carve out a secondary role on a Lakers team with other superstars and thrive for stretches when defenders collapsed on LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He will be in a similar situation with Philadelphia since Ben Simmons attracts so much attention and can facilitate for teammates such as new additions Danny Green and Seth Curry.

Howard also provides an insurance policy behind Joel Embiid since the latter has dealt with injuries throughout his career. 

The 6'10", 265-pound big man will not carry Philadelphia like he did the Orlando Magic in his prime, but he should be a productive player for his new team.