Dwight Howard, the enigmatic Lakers center whose future is threatening to overtake a second NBA offseason, is reportedly interested in the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks as potential homes for the 2013-2014 season and beyond.
Following an embarrassing Game 4 loss in the first round of the playoffs to the San Antonio Spurs in which Howard was ejected, he said to reporters after the game, "I'm going to step away from everything for a couple weeks and clear my head before I do or talk about anything, as far as next season. I think I deserve that. That's what I'm going to do."
CBS Sports reports that multiple sources close to Howard say that the Rockets are the team that intrigues him the most. They have a fellow star in place, shooting guard James Harden, who was fifth in the league in scoring with 25.9 points per game, and a good set of role players like point guard Jeremy Lin and small forward Chandler Parsons.
Those sources say Howard could potentially sign with the Mavericks; Mavs star Dirk Nowitzki has already said he'd be willing to take a pay cut to sign free agents and ensure that the Mavericks are strong contenders in the West.
Howard dealt with injuries heading into the season, some of which persisted as the year went on. He also wound up with some new ones, and all of the injuries contributed to a down year for the All-Star. Despite having one of his worst seasons as a pro, Howard still averaged 17.1 points per game, 12.4 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks.
Still, the Lakers remain the favorite to retain Howard's services for one simple reason: they can offer him the most money. The collective bargaining agreement signed in 2011 allows the Lakers, as the team trying to keep their free agent, to offer him a five-year max contract with annual increases based on 7.5 percent of his first-year salary. Teams looking to acquire him can offer Howard only four years, and increases based on 4.5 percent of that first-year salary.
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