LOS ANGELES _ The Lakers will host workouts with veteran big men Dwight Howard, Joakim Noah and Marreese Speights this week as they explore options to fill the void left by the knee injury to DeMarcus Cousins.
Cousins suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament during an organized pickup game in Las Vegas last week and he likely will miss most of the season.
Among the three possible replacements, Noah, 34, saw the most NBA action last season. He had a productive season with the Memphis Grizzlies after being waived by the Knicks, who stretched the remainder of the four-year, $72 million contract they gave him in 2016. He played in 42 games for the Grizzlies and averaged 7.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 52% from the field.
Howard, 33, wasn't healthy last season and only played in nine games while with the Washington Wizards. He had surgery on Nov. 29 to repair a disc in his lower back and missed the rest of the season. Howard spent one injury-plagued season with the Lakers in 2012-13 before leaving in free agency, rejecting the Lakers' overtures to stay after they acquired him in a trade.
Although Howard is currently under contract with Memphis, the Grizzlies are not expected to keep him on their roster and gave him permission to pursue other options.
Speights, 32, last played in the NBA during the 2017-18 season with the Orlando Magic. That season he played in 52 games, starting three. He averaged 7.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. Two seasons ago he played a career-high 82 games with the Clippers.
Speights became a star with the Guangzhou Long Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association.
