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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 

Although Jackson was interested in returning to the Lakers last season he said he wouldn't be interested in the job now even though Lakers governor Jeanie Buss, who he is engaged to, still thinks Jackson can coach. "I don't see myself coaching again, I really don't," Jackson said. "When I discussed this with Jeanie Buss, she said make sure you tell them that Jeanie still thinks you can coach even though you might say you're not going to coach again. Jeanie still thinks I can coach but I'm not going to go there." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Coaching, Jeanie Buss 

When Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak called Phil Jackson to tell him the Lakers were hiring Mike D'Antoni instead of him as coach, he responded the only way he knew how. "I laughed," Jackson told ESPN's "Mike & Mike in the Morning" show Wednesday. "It was humorous to me when Mitch said that we think that Mike is a better coach for this group of guys." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Mitch Kupchak, Coaching, Mike D'Antoni 

Jackson said he believes the Lakers made the decision largely based on catering to Steve Nash, their 39-year-old point guard who was limited to 50 games this season as he battled a variety of injuries. "I think it didn't happen because there was some concern how are we going to move in the right direction for this ballclub," Jackson said. "When Mitch gave me the call close to midnight on Sunday night right before I was going to give them an answer Monday morning and said, 'We've made a choice. We're going to hire Mike D'Antoni. We think he's the best coach for this group of guys.' My answer was, 'For Steve Nash, yes, I agree but for Dwight Howard, I'm not so sure.' "In the process of thinking about how they could best use the team I think they thought first and foremost about Steve Nash and how Steve Nash was going to fit inside of an offensive system that I coach. ... I think that was a concern for them." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Steve Nash, Coaching, Mike D'Antoni 

Marc J. Spears: Phil Handy has joined Mike Brown's staff as an assistant coach with Cavs, sources tell Y! Sports. Handy was @Lakers player development coach Twitter @SpearsNBAYahoo

Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Coaching, Mike Brown, Phil Handy 

One source with knowledge of the Clippers' thinking said Phil Jackson would "pretty much be excluded" from consideration because of his engagement to Lakers executive Jeanie Buss. While the source insisted it wasn't a reflection on Jackson's coaching ability, it would simply be "too creepy" for the Clippers to bring in a coach who was engaged to the owner of their crosstown rival. ESPN.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Coaching, Jeanie Buss 

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 

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 

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 

Atlanta Hawks player Dahntay Jones says he feels REALLLY bad about injuring Kobe Bryant's ankle right before the NBA playoffs ... but he's adamant, he didn't do it on purpose! Jones was at LAX yesterday when he told TMZ ... even though it's only been 2 months since the controversial play, he doesn't hold a grudge against people like Ice Cube -- who called him a dirty cheater days after the play. In case you forgot, Lakers fans were calling for Dahntay's head after Kobe landed on DJ's ankle during a jump shot on March 13 -- with people saying Dahntay put his foot in Kobe's jump zone with the intention of injuring the NBA star. "I apologize once again," DJ told us ... "I wish you a speedy recovery, Kobe." TMZ.com

Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Injuries, Dahntay Jones 

Some league observers, however, remain convinced that Jackson's flirtations with teams are largely aimed at convincing Lakers lead basketball decision maker Jim Buss to cede his organizational power to sister Jeanie ... which would theoretically enable Jeanie Buss to bring her fiance Phil back to Lakerland as L.A.'s next front-office chief. ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Jeanie Buss, Jim Buss 

David Baumann: Stan Van Gundy just told us #Lakers assistant Steve Clifford interviewed in Milwaukee and now will interview in Charlotte today. Twitter @DavidBaumann33

Charlotte Bobcats, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, Coaching, Stan Van Gundy, Steve Clifford 

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