Lakers resign superstar center Dwight Howard
April 7th, 2013
Following the Lakers' victory over the Clippers tonight, Dwight Howard sat down with Lakers management and decided that he wanted to stay in LA. The 2 parties worked out a new contract, and it's official; Dwight Howard will be a Laker through 2017.
The new deal is a 5 year, $105.43M contract extension that prevents Howard from fooling around with other teams in free agency this offseason.
Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni stated last night, "This gets a lot of pressure off our shoulders. We don't have to worry about Dwight's focus and determination, and we all can focus on the task at hand: making the playoffs."
Easier said than done: the Utah Jazz are currently in the 8th spot for the playoffs in the Western Conference, as they're sitting at 40-38. Dallas is right behind Utah at 39-38, and LA trails Dallas at 38-39.
All 3 teams are feeling the urgency to win, and even Houston isn't safe, yet, as they have yet to clinch a berth with their record at 42-36.
One thing's for sure, though; Dwight Howard is a long-term Laker.