Dwight Howard finalizing deal to leave Lakers for Rockets

Zurca · **on:** July 06, 2013, 07:28:34 AM

Superstar center Dwight Howard is finalizing a deal to sign with the Houston Rockets and leave the Los Angeles Lakers, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Dwight Howard spent one season with the Lakers after the Magic traded him a year ago. (AP)A formal agreement is expected to be in place soon, sources said.

"He hopes to finalize his decision [Friday night] or [Saturday] morning," Howard's agent, Dan Fegan, told Yahoo! Sports.

Howard is eligible for a four-year, $88 million maximum deal from the Rockets unless they negotiate a sign-and-trade deal with the Lakers. His final hesitancy centered on leaving a fifth guaranteed year and $30 million – which the Lakers can give him – on the negotiating table, sources told Y! Sports.

Howard himself still hadn't informed the Rockets of his choice, sources told Y! Sports.

The decision would be a devastating blow to the Lakers and transform the Rockets – with Howard joining All-Star guard James Harden and a strong supporting cast – into legitimate Western Conference championship contenders.

The Rockets next move will be to discuss a sign-and-trade agreement with Atlanta centered on free agent Josh Smith that would likely include center Omer Asik. Asik has made clear to the organization that he has no interest in playing a backup role to Howard, sources said.

In addition to the Rockets and Lakers, Howard seriously considered the Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors. He informed the Mavs and Warriors earlier Friday that they were no longer in the running.

USA Today first reported Howard's decision.

My Board · « **on:** July 06, 2013, 07:28:34 AM »

Zurca · **Reply #1 on:** July 06, 2013, 07:33:12 AM

Sources: Dwight Howard to Rockets

Dwight Howard is headed to the Houston Rockets, sources told ESPN's Chris Broussard on Friday.

Howard's camp has informed the other four teams pursuing him that the free-agent center will not be signing with them, sources said Friday, leaving only the Rockets.

Howard has told the Los Angeles Lakers that he will not be re-signing in L.A., a league source told Broussard. A Lakers spokesman denied they have been told of Howard's intentions.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban confirmed the Mavs are fully out of contention for Howard. The Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks also have been told they are out of the running for Howard, a source told ESPNLosAngeles.com.

USA Today earlier reported Howard's final decision to join the Rockets.

Rockets general manager Daryl Morey wrote on Twitter that they have yet to be contacted by Howard, and that no deal is in place.

A Lakers source who was in the team's pitch meeting last Tuesday said they felt Howard had essentially "made up his mind" before even meeting with the Lakers and described him as "emotionless."

"He would barely look us in the eye," the source said.

Another Lakers source said "we felt like we were wasting our time" in the meeting.

Howard told an additional source that the main reason he's leaving the Lakers is because he wasn't comfortable playing for coach Mike D'Antoni, ESPN's J.A. Adande reports.

Furthermore, Howard did not want to play 3-4 more years as a sidekick on Kobe Bryant's team, a source told Broussard, especially in a D'Antoni system that would rely heavily on 39-year-old point guard Steve Nash.

The Mavericks were the first team to confirm Howard had rejected its pitch.

"Got word we are out of the DH sweepstakes," Mavs owner Mark Cuban told ESPNDallas.com and other local media in an email. "We gave it a shot and it didn't work out. It was truly an experience. At some point I will post our video and presentation we made."

Cuban said he had no knowledge of the free agent center's decision on a team.

"I have no idea what team he is going to," Cuban wrote. "They wouldn't tell me."

Earlier Friday, the Warriors reached a verbal agreement on a four-year, $48 million contract with Andre Iguodala after completing a salary-cap clearing trade with the Utah Jazz, according to ESPN and media reports.

fayt · **Reply #2 on:** July 06, 2013, 11:40:09 AM

Oh oh.... Hope dwight will perform comfortably in his playing style at Rockets....

Sent from my Pandoras Box using Rainbow Tapatalk

My Board · « **Reply #2 on:** July 06, 2013, 11:40:09 AM »

McLovin · **Reply #3 on:** July 06, 2013, 01:08:50 PM

and the lakers fans go on rage bad move daw hahaha

Miguel · **Reply #4 on:** July 06, 2013, 01:12:44 PM

I've read somewhere that Howard was flying back to LA. To personally tell the Lakers owner he is playing for the rockets.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

My Board · « **Reply #4 on:** July 06, 2013, 01:12:44 PM »

fayt · **Reply #5 on:** July 06, 2013, 01:13:35 PM

Hahaha... Hindi makapaglaro ng maayos sa lakers ehh... Kaya ayos na yan... Sama sila ni harden...

Sent from my Pandoras Box using Rainbow Tapatalk

Miguel · **Reply #6 on:** July 06, 2013, 01:26:02 PM

Si harden ba yung si 'Balbas?' Aww crap.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

fayt · **Reply #7 on:** July 06, 2013, 01:27:07 PM

Quote from: miguel on July 06, 2013, 01:26:02 PM

Si harden ba yung si 'Balbas?' Aww crap.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Hehehe.. yeah.... Balbas man...

Sent from my Pandoras Box using Rainbow Tapatalk

eclient · **Reply #8 on:** July 06, 2013, 01:59:28 PM

Confirmed na. Rockets na si D12.

Sent from down under using Tapatalk

McLovin · **Reply #9 on:** July 06, 2013, 02:14:46 PM

josh smith naman ang susunod nilang target

eclient · **Reply #10 on:** July 06, 2013, 02:16:19 PM

Ang tibay ng lineup nila kapag natuloy si Josh Smith.

Sent from down under using Tapatalk

kingjames24szupladoh · **Reply #11 on:** July 06, 2013, 02:54:32 PM

which means pupunta dito si D12 kase may pre-game ang Houston vs Indiana dito sa pinas ee at buti kung maglaro sya kagad o rehab pa nya muna shoulder nya

mauna muna ata sila harden magpunta dito for some events bago maglaro . At punta din dito si Kobe for Nike endorsement naman , masarap itanong sa interview portion yan kung what reaction nya regarding kay Coward

tonistork · **Reply #12 on:** July 06, 2013, 04:25:20 PM

kaya si Omer Asik (erstwhile starting center ng Rockets last season) is asking to be traded. Di nya tanggap na maging back-up lang sya ni No. 12.

Maybe, Lakers should look at him, a defensive minded center who I think can play alongside the offensively versatile Pau Gasol in the purple & gold starting frontcourt.

heyo_pineapple · **Reply #13 on:** July 06, 2013, 05:08:39 PM

Ayan galit na yung mga laker fans, hindi nga maganda chemistry ni dwight at kobe kaya personally i think okay lang na lumipat si dwight sa rockets. For the lakers, they need a strong center na hindi masyadong mataas sa cap room and should concentrate on their pg and 6th man so that they wont rely on kobe that much considering that he is injured right now

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

silverado · **Reply #14 on:** July 06, 2013, 06:29:26 PM

iyak mga Haters niyan for sure

My Board · « **Reply #14 on:** July 06, 2013, 06:29:26 PM »