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The Brooklyn Nets are just about set going into the new season with the preseason now in full swing, but there are still some smaller roster moves that can still happen.
With the center position being manned by Nic Claxton and not much else, the Nets could use some more help there, and Dwight Howard is somebody available in free agency.
Although we’re very close to the start of the season, the former Lakers big man has been linked to the Nets by Bally Sports’ Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson.
“Dwight Howard’s name is still buzzing amongst Brooklyn Nets brass, I’m told,” he reported in September.
However, Howard might not want to sign with Brooklyn if it means he’ll be playing with a limited role. Speaking on the “All the Smoke” podcast, Howard talked about how getting ready for a season just to barely play might not be worth it for him at this stage in his career.
Howard is Considering Retirement
At 36 years old, Howard is very much in the twilight of his career and his days of playing 35 minutes a night are long behind him. Despite that, he believes he could still play a big role on a team, and perhaps even start.
“I wanna play, but at the same there’s like no teams that really wanna allow me to play,” Howard said, as transcribed by Bleacher Report. “That’s how I’ve been feeling from the last situation with the Lakers. I felt like I did enough to help them win a championship to really deserve a spot on the team and a chance to start and get big minutes, and it didn’t happen.”
Howard would more than likely not be starting on the Nets if he did sign, especially considering him and Claxton sport pretty much the same skill set at this point, and Claxton might even have an edge in athleticism.
If he doesn’t get that chance to play, he said he might end up retiring.
“So after that I was like, ‘Man, I don’t wanna have to bust my [butt] for another whole summer, train three-a-days, go on a crazy diet, do all this s**t and then get back to a team and sit on the bench or not get to really help somebody win.’ … And it’s been like, ‘Damn, do I wanna just call it quits and do some other stuff or go back at it and show people I still got it,'” he said.
Will the Nets Make a Move?
As it stands right now, the Nets are going into the season with Claxton as the team’s only true center, but the plan is to use Ben Simmons there a bit to help alleviate that problem.
That might be a solution for the regular season, but it’s tough to imagine Simmons matching up against somebody like Joel Embiid in the playoffs, so they might have to get another big body there. Howard would fit that bill, but if he’s wanted to take on a big role, the Nets won’t be his best option.
Despite the reported interest in Howard, there doesn’t seem to be anything imminent on the horizon between the big man and the Nets, but things can change in a hurry.
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