Lakers Keep Dwight Howard On Travel List, Hope He Joins Team In Orlando

[RealGM Wiretap]

The Los Angeles Lakers will not seek a replacement player for Dwight Howard for the Orlando restart as they remain hopeful he will participate in the NBA's return.

"We've been in communication with Dwight the whole way with supportive phone calls and text messages," Frank Vogel said. "We don't know what the level of participation is going to be yet. He wants to play. We're hopeful that he's able to join us."

Howard is currently with his family in Georgia, where he is satisfying the NBA's home quarantine and testing protocol required of all players who will participate in Orlando.

The mother of Howard's six-year-old son, David, passed away in March at her home in Calabasas. 

Howard is juggling his responsibilities as a father and has also been deeply affected by the social unrest in the United States. 

"He has an extenuating circumstance that he's working with the league on in terms of what that is ultimately going to look like," Vogel said. "But we're hopeful and optimistic that he'll be able to join us in Orlando."

Via Dave McMenamin/ESPN

[popfan]

Why would Vogel hope that Dwight join the team at the expense of his son and family during the worst global pandemic in the last 100 years? What would happen to Dwight's son if Dwight died due to infection by the virus while in Florida? Who would raise his parent-less child? Will Adam Silver raise his child? Will Mark Cuban raise his child? Is the NBA so desperate to please Donald Trump that they would publicly challenge a player to make such a sacrifice? Is there a new insurance policy for NBA players that will cover their parent-less children for life?

If I take the high road, Vogel's sentiment seems poorly conceived. If I take the low road, Vogel is poorly intended. Either way Vogel shouldn't be answering these questions. Vogel's answer should have been "please speak with Lakers management."