An agreement on Howard’s buyout has reportedly been reached.

The Lakers, however, can still cut him before the NBA’s Jan. 7 deadline without cost to the team. Howard brings the Lakers’ roster to a max 15 players.

The need to sign Howard came with a likely season-ending ACL injury to recently signed center DeMarcus Cousins.

The Lakers will be Howard’s sixth team since signing as a free agent in Atlanta in 2016. The Lakers see him as a rim protector and rebounder.

He played only nine games with Washington before back surgery ended his season. Howard averaged 12.8 points and 9.2 rebounds during those games.

Howard played one season for the Lakers in 2012-13, then spurned them for the Houston Rockets in free agency.