NBA News Roundup, Sunday, August 18th: Dwight Howard could replace DeMarcus Cousins in L.A., another Team USA withdrawal and more
The 2019-20 NBA season is a little over two months away, and plenty could still happen in the weeks leading up to one of the most keenly anticipated campaigns in recent history. The Los Angeles Lakers are on the search for a new center after losing DeMarcus Cousins for the foreseeable future, while the likes of the LA Clippers and Houston Rockets remain open to further solidify potential championship-winning rosters.
Elsewhere, teams such as the Oklahoma City Thunder and Washington Wizards may be willing to trade some of their biggest assets, and a number of notable free agents remain up for grabs.
So, with plenty going on around the NBA, here are all the latest news and rumors you need to know for August 18th.
Dwight Howard could replace DeMarcus Cousins for the Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers have been left with just one center following the injury to DeMarcus Cousins, and the franchise is expected to pursue another big ahead of the new season. The likes of Joakim Noah and Kenneth Faried have been linked with the Lakers over the past few days, although Rohan Nadkarni of Sports Illustrated is reporting that LA could bring back a former player in Dwight Howard.
Howard is coming off an injury-hit season with the Washington Wizards. Injuries restricted the 33-year-old to just nine outings, during which he averaged 12.8 points and 9.2 rebounds in 25.6 minutes per game.
The former All-Star joined the Lakers back in 2012 but left just a year later after becoming frustrated with his role on the team. During his lone season in LA, Howard averaged 17.1 points,12.4 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game.