HoopsHype.com Rumors

Dwight Howard continues a longtime trend of NBA big men struggling to sell shoes. Adidas moved only $5 million worth of Howard product last year. Powell says the soap opera surrounding his departure from Orlando and first year in Los Angeles hurt him in the marketplace. “Your average 10-year-old can envision being Kobe. He has no way of being Dwight Howard,” says Powell. Forbes.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Dwight Howard, Sneakers 

The Dallas Mavericks, with their first lottery draft pick in a dozen years firmly in hand, have their eyes on a bigger prize. Multiple sources have told ESPN.com's Chad Ford the Mavs are likely to shop the pick in hopes of creating the cap space necessary to make a run at Dwight Howard in free agency. The 13th overall pick has a cap hold of $1,655,300. ESPN.com

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

The hope is to sell Howard or Chris Paul -- who would each have to sacrifice a fifth year on the max contract that he could get from the Lakers and Clippers, respectively -- on the possibility of building a championship contender. "We'd love to get one of the main guys," Nowitzki said last week. "It's going to be tough to get them out of the situation that they're in. I think that's pretty easy [to see]. I think both are in L.A., where you want to play basketball, and both are in great positions and situations. We'll just have to wait and see." ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Draft, Trade, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard 

A league source says Chris Paul will check out other teams, as Howard is expected to do. If Paul leaves, it could could pose a problem for the Lakers, who had enough already, if he and Dwight Howard decide to create a new option, joining up in Atlanta. Howard and Paul are pals. The Hawks can open up two maximum slots. They mused about Atlanta (D12’s from there, CP3 from North Carolina) years ago, before fate led them in other directions. Lakers Nation

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

A league source told me that despite the apparent thaw between Howard and Bryant, Dwight complained privately about Kobe late in the season. If this summer wasn’t billed as an NBA-chang event, it was because insiders were sure Paul would stay, and Howard would accept the extra $30 mill from the Lakers, however grudgingly. Lakers Nation

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard 

Grunwald confirmed the Knicks are unable to do a sign-and-trade for free agents Chris Paul or Dwight Howard because of new collective bargaining agreement rules forbidding luxury taxpayers from partaking in free agency. They only have the $3.1 million mini-midlevel exception, plus the 24th overall pick in June’s draft. New York Post

New York Knicks, Free Agency, Trade, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard 

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