"You ever patch up with Anthony Davis?" - NBA fans roast Dwight Howard for campaigning to reunite with Lakers amid LA's trade rumors

Dwight Howard has suited up for the Los Angeles Lakers on three separate stints and won a ring with the LA franchise in the 2020 NBA bubble. However, "Superman" clearly does not seem to have had enough of the LA lovin' and has publicly stated his intent to return to the Lakers - yet again.

After Anthony Davis publicly stated his feelings about the Lakers' needing a center to improve their roster, Dwight Howard took to X and tweeted out how it isn't "that hard" to find a center, alluding to his own availability as a free agent.

This has sparked considerable debate amongst the NBA fan base with a considerable chunk believing there is no harm in giving Howard another shot, while others have completely ridiculed the idea of a reunion in LA. A fan even referred to the courtside altercation between AD and Dwight, stating that Howard might not get consideration from the Lakers unless the beef had been patched up for good.

Some of the other polarising tweets about the prospect of Dwight Howard re-joining the Lakers include:

"I'm getting DH on phone 10-20 mins a night" remarked a fan supporting the idea of Dwight re-signing with the Lakers as a role player.

"Nobody want you bro just keep going on podcasts talking about the good ol days" stated a fan about how Dwight may be an unwanted commodity in the NBA.

"You could really help, the politics is trash" remarked a fan, hinting at how internal politics within the Lakers is stopping Dwight Howard from re-signing with the team.

"Ain't serious about playing" stated a fan, questioning whether the former DPOY can still play as he has been inactive on court for a while since his stint at Taiwan.

While "Superman" has never been shy of backing himself up, it does appear that the confidence in his abilities isn't unanimous amongst fans. With Dwight Howard now 39 years old and having not been involved in competitive basketball for over a year, the chances of the Lakers offering him another deal might be slim. However, with AD having name-dropped him while talking about needing a center, it may not entirely be ruled out.

Dwight Howard averaged 6.2 points and 5.9 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per game during his last stint with the Lakers

Albeit over two years ago, Howard's last stint at the NBA did enough to demonstrate that he could still do a job under the right circumstances. He remains a shadow of his All-NBA prime, but had reasonable success as a back-up center for the Lakers.

Los Angeles Lakers v Golden State Warriors - Source: Getty

However, for a Lakers roster that badly requires a jolt of energy and youth, Howard just might not be the solution at this point. A move to sign a big who can make an impact immediately while also offering an option with future flexibility is ideally what the Lakers could do with.

The fact that head coach JJ Redick also likes to implement elaborate attacking sets that prioritize off-ball movement is also likely to factor in any decision the Lakers make towards resolving their gap at the center spot.

The fact that Dwight's team finished last in the Taiwanese league despite him racking up numbers also weighs against the credentials of the former DPOY to make a meaningful contribution in the NBA. Have we seen the last of Dwight Howard in the NBA despite his public calls to be signed up to the league for one more chance?