Dwight Howard Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Rockets Want Both Josh Smith & Dwight Howard

July 2nd, 2013 at 9:44pm CST by Zachary Links

The Rockets' Monday meeting with free agent Josh Smith in Los Angeles included a discussion about a possible partnership between him and childhood friend Dwight Howard, two sources with knowledge of the situation told Sam Amick of USA Today. Smith has been known on the Rockets' radar, for some time, but he's not just being looked at as a Plan B if Howard goes elsewhere.

Combining Howard and Smith with James Harden would give the Rockets a formidable Big Three. In fact, Howard and his reps asked the Rockets in their meeting this week if they could find a way to sign another player to a max deal, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

The Rockets would have to clear some serious hurdles to get a deal done but they could conceivably try and work a sign-and-trade with the Hawks to help make things easier. Center Omer Asik and point guard Jeremy Lin will each earn $8.3MM in each of the next two seasons and could be moved to help free up space. Both players are reportedly being shopped around the league.

Latest On Dwight Howard

July 2nd, 2013 at 7:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lakers just wrapped up their meeting with Dwight Howard, wrapping up the last of the pitches that the big man will hear. We've heard a lot of confidence coming out of the Rockets' camp, but they'll have to vie with the incumbent Lakers, Mavericks, Warriors, and Hawks. Here's the latest on D12..

Howard is leaving California for a few days to mull over his decision, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).
Mavs owner Mark Cuban, Dirk Nowitzki, coach Rick Carlisle, and GM Donnie Nelson were all at the Mavs' pitch meeting, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link). The pow-wow lasted almost three hours.
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak released a brief statement after the club's meeting with Howard. “Jim Buss, Mike D’Antoni, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Tim Harris and I, along with representatives from our partners at Time Warner Cable SportsNet and AEG, met this afternoon for approximately two hours with Dwight Howard and his representatives Dan Fegan and Happy Walters. At the meeting, we told him how important he is to the Lakers team, franchise, fans and community, and why we feel this is the best place for him to continue his career. We are hopeful that Dwight decides to remain a Laker,” said Kupchak.

Rockets Will Offer Smith Deal If D12 Pursuit Fails

July 2nd, 2013 at 7:47am CST by Luke Adams

During their meeting with Josh Smith yesterday, the Rockets told the free agent forward that they would make him a contract offer if their pursuit of Dwight Howard fell short, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Spears adds that Smith understood the team's position and wasn't offended by being a Plan B.

With just enough cap space to make Howard a maximum-salary offer, the Rockets will have plenty of room to pursue other free agents if they're unable to sign D12. Smith's maximum salary won't be as high as Howard's, and Smith is unlikely to receive max offers anyway, so Houston could potentially sign Smith and still have cap space to use on another player, should the team miss out on Howard.

There are also rumblings that the Rockets could explore acquiring Smith via a sign-and-trade even if they're able to sign Howard. Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin would be probable trade chips in that scenario, though Spears notes that Smith has yet to meet with the Hawks, so a sign-and-trade hasn't been discussed yet.

In addition to meeting with the Rockets, Smith also had a "productive" meeting with the Pistons, who are said to be preparing a "substantial offer" for the longtime Hawk.

Los Angeles Rumors: Bledsoe, Redick, Vujacic

July 2nd, 2013 at 7:33am CST by Luke Adams

Dwight Howard has met with the Rockets, Warriors, and Hawks so far this week, and the Lakers, along with the Mavs, will finally get their shot to make a pitch to the All-Star free agent today. As Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets, Golden State's and Atlanta's presentations yesterday went well, with Howard considering both team's head coaches (Mark Jackson and Mike Budenholzer) to be impressive.

As the Lakers prepare to meet with the biggest free agent left on the market, let's round up a few more updates out of Los Angeles….

It's sounding "more and more" as if the Clippers may just hang on to Eric Bledsoe, says Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. As Shelburne notes, it's hard to imagine Bledsoe re-signing with the Clippers long-term, either this offseason or next summer as a restricted free agent, but Doc Rivers seems in no hurry to part with the point guard, even after exploring possible deals (all Twitter links).
According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, the Clippers have received trade inquiries on Bledsoe from the Raptors, Magic, Pistons, Bucks, and Mavericks.
The Clippers are searching for a way to sign-and-trade for J.J. Redick, who dined with Rivers on Monday night, tweets Wojnarowski. However, sources call the possibility a long shot.
Sasha Vujacic intends to return to the NBA for the 2013/14 season, and the Lakers would be his top choice, reports Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter).
Kobe Bryant offered his latest hints that he'll be sticking around past next summer, insisting to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com that he'll be able to play at a high level for "at least another three years," and pointing to his injury and the Spurs' run to the Finals as motivation (Twitter links).
The Lakers have expressed interest in re-signing Earl Clark, who is drawing attention from "two or three teams" besides L.A., writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.

Dwight Howard Rumors: Monday

July 1st, 2013 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets had what they felt was an "encouraging meeting" with Dwight Howard last night, and Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak was able to get in a quick word with the All-Star center as well. Houston and Los Angeles are among the teams expected to increase their pursuit of D12 in the coming days, so let's check out the latest rumblings on Howard:

Although the Warriors appear willing to make the Lakers a competitive offer for Howard (story below), the two teams haven't engaged in sign-and-trade talks, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. According to Berger, for that to happen, Howard would have to indicate that the Warriors are his first choice, and even then, the Lakers may not be willing to engage. The team has "demonstrated no appetite" for a sign-and-trade so far, notes Berger (all Twitter links).

Earlier updates:

The fact that Howard appears to be receptive to the extra efforts the Lakers are making to woo him suggest that he's still open to re-signing with the team, writes Sam Amick of USA Today.
However, the Rockets have emerged as the frontrunner for Howard and the team's pitch last night did nothing to dampen D12's enthusiasm for Houston, says Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
Wojnarowski, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, and Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle all have details on Howard's meeting with the Rockets contingent in Los Angeles.
Although the Warriors are viewed as a long shot for Howard, Golden State is willing to offer Andrew Bogut and either Klay Thompson or Harrison Barnes to the Lakers in a sign-and-trade offer, reports Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group.

Kyler’s Latest: Iguodala, Dwight, Lee, Martin

July 1st, 2013 at 12:07pm CST by Chuck Myron

HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler has a few free agent rumors in his NBA AM, so let's dive right in:

The Nuggets are one of many teams pursuing Andre Iguodala, and they plan to offer him a deal close to the $14,968,250 he made last season in Denver.
Dwight Howard's camp notes that most marquee free agents sign deals with some kind of player or early termination option, as Chris Paul is doing with the Clippers. Thus, the advantage the Lakers have of granting him a fifth year in a deal is virtually moot, save for the protection it would give Howard against a career-altering injury.
Sources close to the Warriors are downplaying the team's reported interest in trading David Lee, though if Golden State wants to re-sign both Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry, they'll have to clear some money off their cap, Kyler writes.
Kyler adds the Trail Blazers and Grizzlies to the list of teams pursuing Kevin Martin.
Marcus Camby appears upset with his inclusion in the Andrea Bargnani trade, and Kyler hears the Raptors would be open to a buyout if they can't find someone willing to take on Camby in another trade.

Odds & Ends: Barnes, Mavs, Rockets, Pistons

July 1st, 2013 at 3:46am CST by Luke Adams

Only one contract agreement has been reached so far on the first night of the NBA's 2013 free agent period, but that doesn't mean we weren't treated to plenty of news and rumors. Here are a few more odds and ends from a busy Sunday night:

In addition to all the other players they reportedly contacted tonight, the Lakers reached out to Matt Barnes, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter).
Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com reports that the Mavericks have expressed interest in Jose Calderon and Mo Williams. Even though MacMahon's report came before news broke that Dallas had agreed to sign Gal Mekel, it makes sense that the team would continue to seek a veteran point guard to complement rookies Mekel and Shane Larkin.
MacMahon adds (via Twitter) that now that Mekel is under contract, the Mavs are likely to trade the rights to 2009 second-round pick Nick Calathes, something that GM Donnie Nelson has hinted at.
After an encouraging meeting with Dwight Howard in Los Angeles, the Rockets will target players to complement him rather than fall-back options, says Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The team will meet with Corey Brewer and Mike Dunleavy next, according to Feigen (Twitter links).
Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press spoke to Pistons owner Tom Gores about the process of hiring head coach Maurice Cheeks, the team's long-term vs. short-term prospects, and free agency.
Several NBA teams have expressed interest in point guard Bobby Brown, who played for four clubs between 2008 and 2010, tweets Shelburne.
Since they weren't released on or before June 30th, the 2013/14 contracts for E'Twaun Moore (Magic), Chandler Parsons (Rockets), Jason Smith (Pelicans), and Rodney Stuckey (Pistons) have become fully guaranteed. Paul Pierce's contract also became fully guaranteed, so it can be used in the Nets/Celtics swap that will be finalized later this month.
ESPN.com's Marc Stein rounds up the latest on a few early free agency rumors. We've already heard about most of the stories Stein addresses, such as the Nets leading the race for Kyle Korver, the Pelicans pursuing Tyreke Evans, and the Timberwolves and Bucks targeting Kevin Martin. However, there are a few notable tidbits from Stein, including word that the Thunder's odds of retaining Martin are dwindling.

Lakers Rumors: Farmar, Garcia, Young, D12

July 1st, 2013 at 12:30am CST by Luke Adams

We rounded up a few Lakers notes earlier tonight, but now that free agency has begun, there are plenty more updates out of Lakerland. Here's the latest:

There's been contact between the Lakers and former guard Jordan Farmar, and there's mutual interest between the two sides, a source tells Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link). However, a reunion would likely be dependent on the team's other moves.
There is also mutual interest between the Lakers and Francisco Garcia, tweets McMenamin.
The Lakers have inquired on unrestricted free agent Nick Young, agent Mark Bartelstein tells McMenamin (Twitter link).
Wayne Ellington's agent also received a call from the Lakers, tweets McMenamin.
In addition to calling Dwight Howard, GM Mitch Kupchak wanted to briefly meet with free agent big man, according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). Bresnahan adds in a follow-up tweet that Kupchak was able to make that happen.
We heard earlier tonight that the Lakers reached out to Earl Clark and inquired on Chris Copeland.

Lakers Notes: Howard, Kobe, Nash

June 30th, 2013 at 8:18pm CST by Zachary Links

Here's the latest out of Los Angeles as the Lakers prepare their pitch to Dwight Howard..

Howard's camp is unsure if Kobe Bryant will be there for the Lakers' pitch meeting as they've heard both yes and no, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Howard will meet with the Hawks, Rockets, Mavericks, and Warriors, but the Lakers will get last licks per their request.
Meanwhile, Steve Nash is expected to be a part of the meeting, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
After reaching the Finals four years ago, Howard desperately wants to get back to championship contention. Being able to play for a title is at the top of the big man's priority list, a source tells Shelburne and Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
League sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports that the Rockets are the frontrunners for Howard. Howard doesn't want this process to extend long beyond his final meetings on Tuesday and could have a decision before the end of the week, sources said.
A source close to Howard says that the big man isn't going to ask the club to do anything on his behalf in terms of additions or changes, tweets Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News.
Earlier tonight, the Rockets shipped Thomas Robinson to the Blazers, freeing up enough room to allow them to offer Howard a max deal.

Rockets Waive Delfino, Brooks

June 30th, 2013 at 12:49pm CST by Chuck Myron

JUNE 30TH: Houston has waived Delfino and Brooks, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, taking his cue from Rockets GM Daryl Morey, who bid them farewell via Twitter. The Rockets were reportedly trying to trade both of them before their contracts became guaranteed at the end of today, but apparently found no takers.

JUNE 16TH: The Rockets have told the agents for Carlos Delfino and Aaron Brooks that the team will not pick up the options on their contracts for next season, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The same is true for Francisco Garcia, as Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston reported last month that the team will decline his option as well. The result is a savings of $11.908MM that the Rockets plan to put toward their pursuit of a marquee free agent.

Technically, Delfino and Brooks have non-guaranteed contracts for next season that would become fully guaranteed if they're not waived by June 30th, according to ShamSports.com. Essentially, that amounts to a team option on both. Delfino was set to make $3MM and Brooks $2.508MM, while Garcia's team option is worth $6.4MM next season.

The moves could be some of the last under the current phase of the team's roster construction, as Feigen details. If the team signs a big-time free agent this summer, with Dwight Howard as its primary target, it will shift toward an emphasis on veterans. The Rockets would prefer to avoid the luxury tax in coming seasons, but they're willing to go deep into the tax to keep many of their own players who are set to hit free agency in 2015, including Omer Asik, Jeremy Lin, Chandler Parsons and Patrick Beverley.

GM Daryl Morey and company will emphasize to free agents that the team has all of its future first-round picks, after having given up this year's first-rounder, and note that those draft choices can be traded for veterans. They'll also point to the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions the team will have once it goes over the cap as a means to acquire additional veterans.

In the past few seasons, Houston has turned over its roster in pursuit of superstars, but the team appears confident it will soon have a core it can build around for the long haul. The team pursued a similar veterans-first strategy in the early days of Morey's leadership, when Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming were star players.