The Los Angeles Lakers have officially added former All-Star center Dwight Howard, signing the veteran to a one-year, $2.6 million non-guaranteed deal, according to The Athletic and Stadium’s Shams Charania.
In a corresponding move, the Lakers waived forward Aric Holman to create the necessary roster space to add Howard.
According to Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times, Howard will be the first player in franchise history to don a #39 jersey.
This will mark Howard’s second stint with the Lakers, who was traded to Los Angeles back in the summer of 2012, but didn’t mesh with Kobe Bryant, and was considered a bust during his short stint with the team.
Howard, 33, only made 9 appearances last season for the Washington Wizards and underwent an L4-L5 lumbar microdiscectomy last November and didn’t return for the remainder of the season.
Howard has been on a sharp decline over the past few years, and his reputation for being a headache has not helped him stick with the number of teams that have signed him over time.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers have communicated to Howard that if he causes any issues in the locker room he will be released.