Ring Season: Dwight Howard floats the idea of joining LeBron in Philly, wants Ben Simmons to return too

Dwight Howard went on NewsNation this week and declared that LeBron James joining the Sixers makes them the outright favorites to win the 2027 NBA championship, and coming from a former LeBron teammate who won a title with him in the 2020 bubble, that carries a little weight even if Dwight is Dwight and everything he says needs a grain of salt attached.

Dwight Howard on LeBron James and the Sixers:

“I think he’s going to flourish with this team. He’s going to extend Joel’s career. Just with his smarts alone, he’s going to make this team the favorites for me. I don’t see nobody beating them like that,” Howard said. He went further, calling LeBron “one of the greatest chess players there” and saying Philadelphia was the best move he could have made. “Amazing city, amazing fan base, one of the best fan bases in basketball. They have a great team already and he was the missing piece.”

He even threw in a Process reference. “I think the process is here and it’s going to be great. It’s going to be so much fun watching them play and it’s a great decision.” Dwight gets it. LeBron was the missing piece and the roster around him is loaded.

Dwight Howard wants to come back too? Sure why not.

Dwight Howard officially retired back in March, less than a year after his Hall of Fame induction, but his posts on X this week made it pretty clear he wouldn’t mind one more run alongside LeBron James and his old Sixers teammates.

In one post he reminded everyone that he’s a former Sixer and that he already won a title with LeBron on the 2020 Lakers.

Dwight Howard: Ring Season

Ring Season 💍 pic.twitter.com/BcwI6kEze8

— Dwight Howard (@DwightHoward) July 24, 2026

Dwight Howard wants Ben Simmons back too.

Ben Simmons needs to come to Philly. It’s time. Let’s finish this thing together. https://t.co/yMfASJ79YW

— Drew Smith (@drewmsmith) July 25, 2026

Rich Paul thinks Ben Simmons should transition to center and ironically enough, that’s exactly what the Sixers need behind Joel Embiid >>

Dwight Howard actually backed up Embiid in 2020-21, the year the Sixers finished as the top seed in the East before the Hawks disaster in the second round, so the idea of him returning to that same role isn’t as random as it sounds. He was a useful veteran big in that role once already, and at this stage he’d be exactly what a contender wants off the bench, a physical body who defends the rim, rebounds, and doesn’t need touches.

Honestly? I’d Take It.

Look at the Sixers’ current backup center situation. Adem Bona and Ariel Hukporti are fine developmental pieces, but neither is a proven answer behind Embiid, and the minutes when Embiid sits have been a problem for years.

Now imagine Dwight Howard and Ben Simmons splitting those backup big minutes on a LeBron-led contender. I’d take that over what’s currently on the roster in a heartbeat, and I don’t think it’s particularly close.

Two former Sixers, both with championship experience, both with the size and defensive versatility to hold down the paint when Embiid rests, both connected to the LeBron-Rich Paul orbit that’s clearly running the show in Philadelphia right now. Howard as a rim-running, rim-protecting energy big and Simmons as a rolling, playmaking defensive big is a backup frontcourt that most contenders would love to have.

Is any of this real? With Dwight Howard, who knows. He retired six months ago and half of what he posts is bits. But the LeBron James signing has apparently made every one of his old friends start eyeing a reunion in Philadelphia, and if the Sixers can add veteran championship depth on the cheap while chasing the first title since 1983, I’m not going to complain about the guest list.

Dwight Howard thinks they’re the favorites. Dwight wants in and he wants Ben back too. Honestly, brother, the more the merrier. Come win a ring.

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