The Washington Wizards, who are in the market for a new center after trading Marcin Gortat to the LA Clippers, may have found his replacement in three-time Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard.
Howard, who was reportedly traded from the Charlotte Hornets to the Brooklyn Nets recently, is close to an agreement on a one-year deal, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Mannix (via Twitter).
Wizards, Dwight Howard are close to an agreement on a one-year deal, multiple sources familiar with the situation told @YahooSportsNBA. Sides expect to complete deal after Howard’s buyout goes through.
The Athletic’s Jared Weiss (via Twitter) reported earlier that Howard and the Wizards have agreed to deal after he accepted a buyout from the Nets, provided he clears waivers.
Dwight Howard has finalized a buyout with the Brooklyn Nets and will sign a 1-year deal for the tax MLE with the Washington Wizards once he clears waivers, league sources tell The Athletic.
The trade from Charlotte to Brooklyn will not become official until the end of the league’s annual moratorium on transactions at 12:01 a.m. July 6. Once this reported transaction has been cleared, the Nets and Howard must agree to terms of a buyout.
The Wizards is an attractive stop for Howard, who could jump right into the starting lineup according to The Washington Post‘s Candace Buckner:
The Wizards also can entice Howard with a starting job in the wake of trading Marcin Gortat to the Los Angeles Clippers for Austin Rivers, and the appealing position of playing for a playoff team alongside five-time all-star point guard John Wall. Also, Washington represents a potential place for Howard to sign a veteran minimum’s deal while cleaning up a sullied reputation ahead of next year’s free agency bonanza.
While Washington waits to make its move, the team continues to fill out its roster — agreeing to a one-year veteran minimum deal with Jeff Green on Tuesday and claiming second-year player Thomas Bryant off waivers Monday.
The eight-time All-Star, who would be playing for his fourth team in as many years, averaged 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds for the Hornets, his 14th in the league.
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