PRO to Sixers re-signing Dwight Howard: Veteran presence and charisma
This might sound stupid on it’s face, but I don’t think the energy that Howard brought to the 2020 Sixers can be easily discounted. Frosty freezeouts and pregame vibes made it clear that the team enjoyed having the veteran journeyman there. Despite Howard problematically burning out with other teams as a locker room cancer in the past, he fixed that in a big way 2019 and 2020.
I get it. It sounds sentimental and dumb. But think back to the NBA bubble and the 2019 season with Al Horford. The lasting images of that nightmare season might be Al Horford disconnected from everything at the top of the key and the Shake Milton/Embiid shouting match in the bubble.
Since the Sixers likely won’t have to pay more than the vet minimum to retain Howard, that may be a good enough reason to keep him. Despite the playoff struggles, he can be a contributor over an 82-game season while Philadelphia figures out the playoff non-Embiid minutes via another solution.
One thing that would have to almost certainly become a thing of the past if the Sixers do bring him back is playoff all-bench lineups. They also can’t have multiple non-shooters on the floor with Howard at the same time.