Dwight Howard won't need surgery

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Comments0
• Email
• Print

Should Lakers Offer Howard A Max Contract?

The Forum: Mark Willard and Arash Markazi debate whether the Lakers should offer Dwight Howard a max contract to return to Los Angeles.Tags: NBA, Lakers, Dwight Howard, The Forum, Mark Willard, Arash Markazi

Should Lakers Offer Howard A Max Contract?

NEXT VIDEO

• Should Lakers Offer Howard A Max Contract?

  Should Lakers Offer Howard A Max Contract?

  The Forum: Mark Willard and Arash Markazi debate whether the Lakers should offer Dwight Howard a max contract to return to Los Angeles.Tags: NBA, Lakers, Dwight Howard, The Forum, Mark Willard, Arash Markazi
• The Word: Early exit for Lakers

  The Word: Early exit for Lakers

  Julie Foudy, Prim Siripipat and Jane McManus analyze the Lakers' early exit from the playoffs.Tags: espnW, The Word, Lakers, Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, Jane McManus, Julie Foudy, Prim Siripipat
• NBA Rewind

  NBA Rewind

  Check out the top action from the past week in the NBA.Tags: NBA Rewind, NBA Playoffs, Dunk
• What Moves Can Lakers Make To Stay Competitive?

  What Moves Can Lakers Make To Stay Competitive?

  The Forum: Mark Willard and Arash Markazi discuss the moves the Lakers can make in light of their recent financial issues and stay competitive next season.Tags: NBA, The Forum, Lakers, Mark Willard, Arash Markazi, Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant

Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard will not need surgery to repair the torn labrum in his right shoulder, the team said in a statement.

More on the Lakers

For more news, notes and analysis of the Lakers, check out the Lakers Index. Blog

Howard, who will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, was examined on Wednesday by Dr. James Tibone of the Kerlan Jobe Orthopaedic Group.

"I'm going to do whatever I can to get myself right this offseason," said Howard, who spent last summer away from basketball while he rehabbed from back surgery, at his exit interview Tuesday. "Last year, I didn't have the opportunity to get in the gym once before the season. I didn't have the opportunity to grow and develop as a player, but that's something I'm looking forward to."

The shoulder was first injured in a Jan. 4 game against the Los Angeles Clippers and forced Howard to miss a total of six games.

In his first year with the Lakers, Howard averaged 17.1 points and a league-leading 12.4 rebounds per game for a team that was decimated by injuries and was swept out of the first round of the playoffs by the San Antonio Spurs.

ESPNLosAngeles.com's Dave McMenamin contributed to this report.

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Comments0
• Email
• Print
• Subscribe