Is Dwight Howard on the Warriors? Looking at rumors of former NBA champion joining Steph Curry

Recent reports have indicated that there are expectations for Dwight Howard to have a meeting with the Golden State Warriors, adding to the speculation about the veteran center's potential return to the NBA.

According to NBA insider Shams Charania, the eight-time All-Star is scheduled to have a meeting with the Warriors this week. This comes as the Warriors are looking into adding an experienced backup center.

The Warriors have two open roster spots and two open two-way spots. However, the Warriors have not yet reached a verdict regarding Howard, and Kendra Andrews reported that the team is approaching Howard's situation as if it were simply another workout.

“I’m told that the Warriors are looking at this just as another workout, just another guy they’re bringing in to get a look at, as they’ve been doing for the past couple of months,” she said.

“They also bought in Kent Bazemore who used to be a member of the team. Juan Toscano-Anderson, who was a member of that 2022 title-winning team. … That doesn’t mean he is a member of the team. This is just another part of the process as they work to fill out the remaining roster spots,” she added.

Over the past few weeks, the Warriors have been conducting workouts with veterans who could occupy the team’s remaining roster spots. Players like Will Barton, Stanley Johnson and Derrick Favors have participated in these workouts.

Can Dwight Howard help the Warriors?

Howard last appeared on an NBA court with the LA Lakers in the 2021-22 season, where he notched averages of 6.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. He then played basketball in Taiwan.

To be serious contenders again, the Warriors should address the shortage in their frontcourt, especially in a conference that features bigs like Nikola Jokic and Anthony Davis.

The Warriors ranked ninth in rebounding last season, securing an average of 44.5 rebounds per game. In the playoffs, they improved to the second-best spot with 47.1 rpg.

Kevon Looney led the Warriors in rebounding last season, averaging 9.3 rpg. Draymond Green and Stephen Curry followed with averages of 7.2 and 6.1 rpg, respectively.

Their shot-blocking performance was among the weakest in the league, ranking sixth-worst by averaging only 3.9 blocks per game last season. Howard could certainly provide valuable assistance in this particular aspect of the game.

Despite having the extremely dependable Kevon Looney and Green and versatile forward Dario Šarić in their lineup, there is a potential need for additional support in the frontcourt.

The Warriors' acquisition of Chris Paul raises questions about who among Curry, Klay Thompson, Green, Andrew Wiggins and Looney might be moved to the bench or if it might even be Paul himself.