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Los Angeles Clippers: Please, stay far away from Dwight Howard

By Jason Reed

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 02: Dwight Howard #21 of the Washington Wizards reacts after a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half at Capital One Arena on November 2, 2018 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 02: Dwight Howard #21 of the Washington Wizards reacts after a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half at Capital One Arena on November 2, 2018 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /
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The Los Angeles Clippers should be looking to add more depth at the center position but should still stay far away from Dwight Howard.

The Los Angeles Clippers are a completely new team and are one of, if not the, favorites to win the NBA Championship next season. The season may still be over three months from starting but it is impossible to ignore the roster that the Clippers have built.

The playoffs are all about building a solid 7-8 man rotation that is built to last. Los Angeles has just that with two superstars, elite defenders and literally the best sixth man in the league in Lou Williams.

To get through the regular season NBA teams need to build deeper rosters, which is where the Clippers still have work to do. They do not need much but the front office should be looking to add at least one more center to the roster.

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Ivica Zubac and Montrezl Harrell appear to be the two options at center but Zubac is still unproven in the playoffs and Harrell may end up logging more times at power forward than center.

There is not much left on the market aside from lesser pieces, most of which are veteran minimum options. One popular name has emerged in Dwight Howard, who was recently released by the Washington Wizards and shared that he is open to playing for the Clippers.

Howard’s big name, likely small cost and the fact that he will have a small role might intrigue some fans. On paper, this is a signing that could have decent upside while not providing much of a risk.

Howard is still 33 after all (which is absolutely crazy, it feels like he is close to 40) and has averaged a double-double in every season of his career outside of last season, which he played only nine games in.

The numbers might not seem all that bad but Howard does bring negative connotations with him wherever he goes. There are things that go deeper than the box score and turmoil has consistently followed Howard and there is a reason why his stock is so low despite putting up Hall of Fame numbers.

The potential headache is just not worth the limited upside that Howard would have on the Clippers. Even if he gets decent playing time he is going to play third or fourth fiddle in the offense, which likely will cause more harm than good.

I usually am the last to use off-court things like this as a definitive reason to go against signing a player but with Howard, it has happened too often to be a coincidence.

Next. Clippers have the three keys to winning a title. dark

The Los Angeles Clippers have something potentially great with their new-look roster and with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George both having the option to leave after two years, the front office cannot even risk any dysfunction in the locker room.

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