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Kupchak said he didn't want any D'Antoni talk from Dwight anyway given Mitch's insistence that Lakers won't have any player dictate the coaching situation. "To be honest with you, I wouldn’t let it go there anyway," he said. Sulia

Los Angeles Lakers, Mike D'Antoni, Dwight Howard, Mike Kupchak 

Kupchak has worked to gain Dwight's trust this season but would not specify if there were any other discussions about D'Antoni. Regardless, Kupchak was clear that he isn't worried about it, especially after D'Antoni featured Dwight more and won more games late in the season. Said Kupchak: "I'm not saying they don't have differences like with any coach or any player. I don't think it's anything that goes beyond." Sulia

Los Angeles Lakers, Mike D'Antoni, Dwight Howard, Mike Kupchak 

Chad Ford: Hearing from multiple sources that Mavs likely to trade the No. 13 pick. Want to save cap space for Dwight Howard run ... Twitter @chadfordinsider

Dallas Mavericks, Free Agency, Draft, Trade, Dwight Howard 

Kevin Ding: Talked to Mitch Kupchak about his private exit meeting with Dwight Howard. Mitch: "There was no discussion of the coach whatsoever." #lakers Twitter @KevinDing

Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Mitch Kupchak, Mike D'Antoni, Dwight Howard 

The Lakers have a Dwight Howard crisis on their hands and are facing a summer that may wind up even more disappointing than their underachieving season. The big man who so badly wanted to be there, who pushed his way out of small-market Orlando in order to shine under the brightest of lights in the biggest of markets, is having second thoughts again as his free agency looms. USA Today Sports

Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Dwight Howard 

Despite all signs pointing to his Lakers return late in the season, the star whose infamous indecisiveness led to his Orlando saga being dubbed 'The Dwightmare' is – according to a person with knowledge of his situation – torn between the idea of Laker life or the notion of joining a Houston Rockets club that looks so much more appealing with James Harden & Co. in tow. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of Howard's process. USA Today Sports

Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Dwight Howard 

The Lakers, who hoped Howard's return would help bridge the gap to a new era that could be kickstarted in the summer of 2014 when they have so much salary cap space and may not have Kobe Bryant, are flirting with quite a fallout here. General manager Mitch Kupchak had already urged Howard to choose quickly in the days after the season ended with a first-round sweep by the San Antonio Spurs, informing Howard that he'd be holding up the team's business if he waited until the official free agency period in early July to make up his mind. USA Today Sports

Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Mitch Kupchak, Dwight Howard 

Kevin Ding: Asked if Dwight will re-sign with Lakers, Phil said on @dpshow: "Would you, if you felt like your game wasn't going to be featured?" Twitter @KevinDing

Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Phil Jackson, Dwight Howard 

Kobe Bryant: Interesting off season looming.. Will spend time with d12 #stay and talk with the Buss family in hopes that Pau stays as well #my2cents Twitter

Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard, Owners, Jim Buss 

While he hasn't had anything to say to the press, Dwight Howard had a lot to say to Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak back before the relative silence, however. Howard was one of several Lakers -- Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol being the most noteworthy -- to have an extended separate meeting with the GM after his exit interview with both Kupchak and D'Antoni, multiple sources confirmed to ESPNLosAngeles.com. ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Mitch Kupchak, Mike D'Antoni, Dwight Howard 

D'Antoni chose not to retain assistant coach Chuck Person, a Howard confidant, on his staff for next season. Also, Lakers assistant coach Steve Clifford, who was with Howard in Orlando for five seasons before both of them came to L.A. last year, has become a hot head coaching candidate, interviewing with Milwaukee and receiving interest from Charlotte. One source described the potential departure of Clifford, coupled with the loss of Person as "removing the buffers," between Howard and D'Antoni, "which is a bad thing." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Chuck Person, Mike D'Antoni, Dwight Howard, Steve Clifford 

Houston has become an attractive destination for Howard for several other reasons, according to a source. For starters, Howard has gotten to know the Houston area, as well as the history of the franchise, from working out with Rockets Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon two summers ago. Furthermore, the 27-year-old Howard is intrigued by the possibility of growing his game alongside a fellow All-Star in the rise in James Harden, who turns 24 in August. ESPN.com

Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Dwight Howard, James Harden, Hakeem Olajuwon 

Howard is expected to entertain the free-agency process and hear competing offers from Houston, Dallas and others, multiple sources told ESPNLosAngeles.com. Cleveland and Atlanta are teams that will also be vying for Howard, among other suitors. ESPN.com

Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Dwight Howard 

Dan Woike: DeAndre Jordan just said on SportsNation that he doesn't think Dwight Howard will play for the Lakers next season. Twitter @DanWoikeSports

Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan 

Dan Woike: Jordan and Dahntay Jones were asked yes or no, would Howard be back for Lakers. Both players said no. Twitter @DanWoikeSports

Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Dwight Howard, Dahntay Jones, DeAndre Jordan 

The pitches he will get after the second leg of this journey, the ones that will likely come from Houston, Dallas and Atlanta, among others (after July 1), will no doubt be very different. And yes, he intends to listen to those pitches, and no, he won't give the Lakers an answer in advance of the beginning of the free-agency period so they can plan accordingly. ESPN.com

Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Dwight Howard 

Alex Kennedy: The Atlanta Hawks will also pursue Dwight Howard. Their dream scenario is to sign Howard and Chris Paul. They can offer two max contracts. Twitter @AlexKennedyNBA

Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard 

Ramona Shelburne: You can cross Clippers off list of Dwight suitors, btw. Not happening for multiple reasons, according to sources Twitter @ramonashelburne

Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Dwight Howard 

With the Lakers hoping for a swift decision from Dwight Howard on his free agency this summer, the All-Star center has given no indication he will rush the process and has privately indicated that he plans to give strong consideration to multiple teams, league sources told CBSSports.com. Though Howard is adamant that his free agency not be marred by the circus-like environment that surrounded his departure from Orlando last summer, word already has spread to multiple levels of his support staff that Howard re-signing with the Lakers is far from a done deal. CBSSports.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Dwight Howard 

With six weeks to go before Howard becomes an unrestricted free agent, the team that is said to intrigue him the most is the Houston Rockets, according to multiple people briefed on internal conversations surrounding Howard's free-agent decision. The Rockets have a young star, James Harden, who has proved himself worthy of playing the leading role for the franchise; a budding 3-point shooting threat in Chandler Parsons; a defensive-minded coach in Kevin McHale; and Omer Asik, the kind of 7-footer Howard is believed to want next to him in the frontcourt. CBSSports.com

Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Dwight Howard