Report: Dwight Howard interested in joining Knicks this summer

Superman might be coming to save Gotham this summer.

Friends of Dwight Howard have made it known that he would be interested in joining the New York Knicks if he becomes a free agent, ESPN's Ian Begley reports, citing league sources.

It's unknown if that interest is mutual, Begley adds.

The 30-year-old Howard has a player option for $23 million next season that he's likely to turn down, but there's no guarantee he'll opt for free agency given how Howard changed his mind before leaving the Orlando Magic.

Houston tried to move heaven and earth in an effort to trade Howard at the deadline, but there were no perfect suitors. Given the uncertainty of his contract status, teams didn't want to spring for a potential rental.

From the Knicks' perspective, it's unclear as to how Howard would even fit into the team's current structure. At 26-38, the Knicks could certainly use an upgrade, but they just signed Robin Lopez to an expensive four-year deal and have the future of Kristaps Porzingis to consider. The fact that Carmelo Anthony's best position appears to be power forward only further clutters the frontcourt.

Now in his 12th season, Howard is having perhaps his worst year since his rookie campaign. He's averaging 14.9 points and 12 rebounds on 61 percent shooting while playing 32.7 minutes per game, but he has a history of back injuries (limiting him to 41 games last year), and his free-throw shooting remains atrocious.

But Howard remains a top five center when healthy, and is capable of anchoring a defense like few others can. Certainly, New York's 20th-ranked defense could use a boost.