The Lakers aren’t giving up yet on Dwight Howard! Even though there were reports that D12 is unlikely to re-sign with the Lakers, the Lakers are still pushing hard. The minute free agency begun today, the Lakers met with Dwight. Report after the jump…
Via Dave McMenamin and Ramona Shelburne at ESPN:
The Los Angeles Lakers were assured they would get the last word when it came to Dwight Howard’s free agency pitch process. Turns out they got the first word as well.
Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak met briefly with Howard face-to-face shortly after 12:01 a.m. ET Monday night when NBA free agency officially opened up, a league source told ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Meanwhile, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, who was in L.A. at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel according to the Houston Chronicle, took to Twitter to court Howard at precisely the same time.
“Free agency kicking off! Hoping to meet with @DwightHoward tonight,” wrote Morey. “Rockets fans send a message to him with #dwight2houston”
The Rockets contingent expected to meet with Howard included players James Harden, Chandler Parsons, coach Kevin McHale, owner Les Alexander and Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon.
The Rockets entered their dinner with Howard with the ability to offer him a four-year, $88 million contract after agreeing in principle to trade forward Thomas Robinson to Portland for two future second-round picks and the rights to two European players, a source confirmed to ESPN. Houston also waived veterans Aaron Brooks and Carlos Delfino earlier on Sunday to clear more salary cap space.
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Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash will be a part of the Lakers’ pitch to free agent center Dwight Howard on Tuesday, league sources told ESPN on Sunday.
(Story Continues…)
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Via LBS:
Kobe Bryant has made it clear that he wants free agent Dwight Howard back with the Los Angeles Lakers, but there is only so far he will go in an effort to sell the big man on sticking with the team.
“I think his talent level, his defensive prowess. We saw what he could do at the end of the year when we all started clicking … I think that makes him extremely, extremely valuable,” Bryant told the Lakers’ website.
Though Bryant wants Howard back, he says it is important for Howard to want to sign with the Lakers.
“It has to be his decision,” Bryant told reporter Mike Trudell. “The last thing you want to do is convince a person that they want to be here. If you have to convince them when challenges or adversity comes up next season, it’s very easy to say, ‘Well they had to convince me to be here anyway, I really didn’t want to be here, I’d rather be (somewhere else) but they sold me on it.’
“You want it to be his decision. When it’s something that’s rooted inside of him, it’s something he champions. I just want to be there to assist his decision.”
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