Dwight Howard finally decides to join Lakers, donate checks to charity

The Lakers have been waiting to hear if Dwight Howard will join the team in Orlando. He’s finally said he will.

Dwight Howard was one of the first NBA players to loudly voice concerns about heading to Walt Disney World for the season re-start. He talked about his discomfort with the idea of how heading into the bubble could distract from the ongoing fight for racial justice and against police brutality but he was also navigating a delicate family situation.

The Lakers have been waiting to hear what Howard would decide and last night he announced that he intended to join the team in Orlando. As an added twist, Shams Charania reported that Howard would donate all of his game checks for the remainder of the season to his charity, Breathe Again.

How important is Dwight Howard to the Lakers title hopes?

Howard missed just one game during the regular season, averaging just under 20 minutes per game. His absence would have put a much greater load on Anthony Davis and JaVale McGee, a scenario the Lakers are probably thrilled to avoid. Howard had been a very important presence in Los Angeles’ lineup, shooting 73.2 percent from the field and averaging more blocks per minute than he had in any season since his first stint with the Lakers back in 2012-13.

Howard played extremely well next to LeBron James — Los Angeles outscored opponents by 8.7 points per 100 possessions when they were on the floor together and nearly half (43) of his assisted baskets (116) came from LeBron.

It’s hard to tell exactly how big his role will be in the playoffs. In a normal year, the rotation would tighten, particularly with so many potential playoff opponents who don’t use a traditional big man. But with the interrupted season and chemistry and conditioning a concern for almost every team, depth may be more important than ever. Regardless, the Lakers have to be excited to have more choices as they figure out how to attack mismatches and build their lineups.