The Los Angeles Lakers are in need of another center following DeMarcus Cousins' recent ACL injury, and rumors are swirling that former Lakers big man Dwight Howard is the leading candidate.
According to Rohan Nadkarni of Sports Illustrated, the Lakers are "seriously interested" in Howard, who is expected to be bought out by the Memphis Grizzlies in the near future. The Grizz have already granted Howard's representatives permission to speak with other teams that may be interested in signing him.
ESPN's Roman Shelburne reports that the Lakers' interest in the 33-year old veteran is more "due diligence" at this point, but the door is certainly open for a reunion.
Howard spent just one season with the Lakers in 2012-13, when he averaged 17.1 points, 12.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game while being selected to the All-Star team. He left the team in order to join the Houston Rockets that summer and has bounced around the league since then, including a nine-game stint with the Washington Wizards last season. Prior to that, he appeared in 81 games for the Charlotte Hornets, where he posted 16.6 points, 12.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per night.
In addition to Howard, the Lakers are reportedly interested in Joakim Noah, according to multiple reports.