[CBS Sports] Howard no lock for Lakers; interested in Rockets

Broussard:

Still plenty of time for a decision. He'll take his time and make visits. Houston is the Lakers biggest competition. Some say he'll re-sign with LA. They still have a good chance but Houston intriguing.

McHale understands it's a player's game, player's league. He'll let you play to your strengths. Dwight should be looking at Hibbert and some other players. No reason Dwight can't develop post moves and who better to help than McHale.

Warriors don't have money. It would have to be a S&T and probably giving up players Dwight would probably want to play with. Lakers will have cap room, do you want that for Lee? Bogut is injury prone. Thompson is nice but is that enough for Howard? Do I trade him to a team I'm competing with in the West?

 

What's up with Dwight Howard?

The most critical juncture in his career but it's bright. Grab your sunglasses, the guy has options. He'll make a lot of money. ... Dwight has an opportunity to align himself with one of these type of guys - an all-star perimeter guy. If he has that and does what he's been doing in his career, that team will compete. He'll make a lot of money. He has a chance to start this whole thing over. Leave the past behind. A fresh start, new look, whatever, but he can change the perception people have of him. Everything is in his hands. He doesn't have to worry about what the media's opinion or anything but putting himself in position to win. Once he does that, everything else will fall into place.

Dwight's interest in Houston is real but with that being said, several other teams he will consider as well.

He's earned that right as a free agent. There's a real interest in seeing the best opportunity. He'd be a fool not to visit with each team. He can have everything he had in Orlando and more if he handles this process right. He has a real interest in Houston, LA, Atlanta, Dallas - because the teams have an opportunity to sign him and do some different things.

Does Dwight care about the tax situation? Does that cross his mind?

He's aware of the article.

Does he care?

He's aware of the article.

Does 8 million matter to him?

He's aware of the article.

Is he aware of the audio?

He's aware of the audio. He understands this is an important contract, the biggest decision of his career - the biggest decision he made since coming out of HS. He felt opting in was something that had to happen. Everything happens for a reason. So here he is, no less off. He's aware of everything. He's doing a good job of doing his due diligence. That comes with being patient and being mature. That's something you couldn't say two years ago when he opted in. It was impulsive, not well thought out, but it's what he wanted to do, so it wasn't the wrong decision. With this, nothing is ruled out. He's looking at it from all ends. He's weighing the pros and cons and will have intimate knowledge of each situation and once he has all these factors, he'll make the best decision for him. All you can do is respect that. He'll take his time. He's aware of the money situation but also looking at it from a winning perspective. When you win and you're Dwight Howard, money will find you. Basketball has to be the most important thing. His focus, after he signs, will be basketball. Lets work on these post moves, free throws, etc. Once he does that, there is no stopping him. He has no peer in this league. ... He knows this is a great opportunity for him.

Take us through the process. Do Harden or players on the Rockets, Lakers, whoever reach out to Dwight? Does Dwight listen? Does he ignore them right now?

I think the process is different for every player. Dwight wanted to get away. He didn't want to be influenced by what anyone else was saying. ... You want to make sure everything lines up for you to be successful. ... If you get to a team and fit, you don't have to worry about touches. It will happen naturally.

Do you fear Dwight is making some of the same mistakes he made in Orlando?

I assure Dwight will not make the same mistakes he made in Orlando.

Has he already?

No.

What about the reports last week from Dave McMenamin? ... Seems like to me, did Dwight learn anything from Orlando?

Dwight learned a lot from Orlando. Dwight was fishing. The contents of your private exit interview should never be public. If Dwight is fishing and all the sudden Dave has this story, I wonder where it came from.

Why would Mitch release that to anyone? There was only 2 people in that room, Dwight and Mitch, so the only source is one of those two. How does it serve either one of them?

Here's the theory I have: the Dwight Howard everyone thinks they know, is the Dwight Howard that wants to be adored & loved. The public sentiment is that Dwight should stay in LA. No one walks from the Lakers. If certain things leak and you make this thing seem like it's a sequel of Dwightmare, because every horror movie needs a sequel, then perhaps you apply public pressure to Dwight Howard, someone who you feel is fragile mentally and you force him to stay in LA just so he avoids criticism that he is going to get anyways. The Lakers don't have a plan. If Howard stays in LA and loses, he gets the blame anyway. That's looking down the line. For the immediate future, it works to our advantage if we're the Lakers to have the public pressuring Dwight to stay in LA, and the best way for us to do that is perhaps leak a little bit of information to make it seem like we're going through this same drawn out process that Orlando went through and eventually he'll throw his hands up and stay because I don't want to deal with it, I don't want people to think I'm that guy. That's why I say he learned a lot from how he dealt with it in Orlando. He understands how the business works now. He's comfortable he's not leaking information. If he's not leaking and he can't control where the leaks come from, unless you can identify them, but even with that, he's staying focused on the task at hand, making the best decision for him. He won't let anyway sway him or make the decision for him and that speaks to maturity.

No chance in hell that leak came from Dwight Howard's side?

Dwight Howard is not leaking information.

So it is definitely Mitch Kupchak.

I can't say that with certainty.

Who else could it be?

This is what I'm telling you: Dwight Howard is not leaking information. Dwight wants to go through the process and gives teams an opportunity and himself an opportunity to be a free agent. Dwight Howard is not leaking information. I'm not reporting anything. I don't think Chris Broussard has reported anything. You have to look at reporters are putting things out, what they're putting out. Dwight Howard is not leaking any information. I can tell you that with 100% certainty.

 

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