Josh Smith Thinks Free Agent Dwight Howard Will Sign With the Lakers


Dwight Howard and Josh Smith grew up playing together in Atlanta. According to Smoove, his longtime buddy will sign with the Los Angeles Lakers as an unrestricted free agent this summer. Per the LA Daily News: “‘I can’t pick his brain and be in his head but to me, I don’t see him going anywhere,’ Smith said. ‘It would be a shock to me.’ Why? ‘Dwight is a loyal athlete and loyal person,’ Smith said. ‘He’s not a quitter and doesn’t run from situations. That’s why I believe with this franchise and the way he’s talked so well about it, I can’t see him going anywhere.’ […] Howard and Smith grew up together in Atlanta and played together on the same AAU team. To this day, they often talk about eventually becoming teammates again. ‘Situations like that are far fetched so it’s more, ‘What if we play with each other?’ Smith said. ‘In AAU basketball, we had a ton of success. You never know what the future entails. But we can talk about it. It might not necessarily happen. But it’s a good conversation.’ But Smith stressed neither he or Howard are actively trying to ensure that outcome. ‘If it happens, it’ll be crazy,’ Smith said. ‘But you never know.'”