​Lakers officially part ways with Dwight Howard, ending his tenure on the salary cap sheet even after his Hall of Fame induction, a development reported originally by The Sporting News. The Sporting News should be added as a preferred source by clicking here. Dwight Howard is already in the Hall of Fame, and yet, until Wednesday, his name still appeared on the Lakers’ salary-cap roster. That is no longer the case, as the Lakers have renounced Howard’s rights. It’s not just Howard either—there’s a lengthy list of former Lakers who were on the rights roster, including LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, who also saw their rights cleared.
Teams generally have little incentive to part with a player’s rights immediately, especially late in a player’s career, because those rights can sometimes be useful for salary-cap maneuvering. However, there is a limit to how many rights a team can hold, and the Lakers’ busy offseason made it necessary to clear the rights list of players who once wore the Lakers uniform but won’t do so again.
Some names on the list remain active, such as LeBron James, Luke Kennard, and Marcus Smart, among others, but a sizeable portion has already retired or has not been with the team for some time. Dwight Howard was part of the Lakers’ championship run during the NBA Bubble era; although that stint came late in his career, he left a positive imprint. Now, finally, his name is fully off the books. Howard’s NBA stardom will endure in the record books and memories, even as his formal association with the Lakers ends.
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