2020 NBA champion Dwight Howard has always griped about the Los Angeles Lakers breaking up their squad after winning in the Bubble. According to Howard, when his deal expired after getting the ring in Orlando, he did not get a contract extension offer from the Lakers, forcing him to go to Philly.
But during his recent conversation with Lakers team owner Jeanie Buss on Howard's Above The Rim With DH12 podcast, Dwight got to hear the complete story from the big boss herself.
"Oh no, that's not true," said Jeanie. "We made an offer. We did. It's all about the salary cap and the timing because you have to get accepted offers when you have the cap space; otherwise, it's like…they call it timing of how the contracts go."
Howard's agent might not have told the real story to him
While Jeanie's explanation was more technical, Dwight's wasn't. According to Howard, it was his agent who told him that the Lakers did not have anything for him. The center then revealed that his agent, Charles Briscoe, was involved in the fraud case that took millions from him and Chandler Parsons.
Given the circumstances surrounding D12's agent, Briscoe may not have told his client the real story. Because he trusted his agent's word that the Lakers had nothing for him, he took the offer from the Sixers and signed it. But if he had his way, Howard said he preferred to run it back with the Lakers. That was Jeanie's idea, too.
"I feel like when you win a championship, that's when you give the guys a chance to defend their title," she added. "And Rondo left, he got a deal somewhere. I don't know if we traded Danny Green or did he sign as a free agent. But once there was three or four guys not coming back, then it wasn't the same anyway."
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The Lakers signed Dwight back in 2021
While it was true that Rondo left to sign with the Atlanta Hawks, Green was traded to the Thunder to acquire Denis Schroder. Meanwhile, Jeanie was incorrect in saying that Javale McGee got a better offer elsewhere. Javale was traded so that the Lakers created cap space to sign Marc Gasol.
Although the Lakers appeared more formidable with the Spaniard and the German, injuries to both LeBron and AD resulted in a disappointing 42-40 season, ultimately making them a play-in team. They were up 2-1 in the first round against the Suns, but after Davis got hurt again, Phoenix won three in a row to knock out LA 4-2.
In fairness to the Purple and Gold, after Howard played out his one-year deal in Philly, they signed him to a $2.6 million veteran's minimum contract for the 2021-22 season. However, that Lakers team flopped with a 33-49 record and missed the playoffs altogether. That turned out to be Howard's last year in the league.
Related: “He’s never with the same girl twice. None of them over twenty-five” - Former Lakers head coach on Jerry Buss's promiscuous lifestyle
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