The Los Angeles Lakers got the first chance to meet with free agent center Dwight Howard.
Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak had a brief in-person meeting with Howard shortly after 12:01 a.m. ET Monday when free agency began, according to ESPN Los Angeles.
Howard later met with the Houston Rockets. He was also scheduled to meet with the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors on Monday and the Dallas Mavericks and Lakers on Tuesday.
A source told ESPN that Kupchak’s message to Howard was a “quick hello and good luck.”
The Rockets met with Howard in Los Angeles represented by players James Harden and Chandler Parsons, coach Kevin McHale, general manager Daryl Morey, owner Les Alexander and former Rockets greats Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon. Former Rockets center Yao Ming spoke with Howard via Skype from China and former NBA center Dikembe Mutombo recorded a video message for Howard, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Yao told KRIV-TV in Houston that he also plans to meet with Howard on July 11 when he is in Houston.
Morey wrote on Twitter that it was “great” meeting with Howard after a late-night dinner with him and that Howard and Harden could be “the next great big/wing combo.”
“Dwight is focused on winning championships,” Morey told KRIV-TV. “So are we.”
The Rockets can give Howard a maximum deal of four years and $88 million after agreeing to trade away forward Thomas Robinson to the Portland Trail Blazers for two future second-round draft picks and the rights to two European players, according to ESPN. Houston also waived Aaron Brooks and Carlos Delfino on Sunday to clear additional salary-cap room.
The Rockets tried to sell Howard on the marketing potential the team has in China because of Yao as well as the chemistry and youth of the team, according to the Houston Chronicle.
The Lakers will use Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash to sell Howard on returning to the Lakers, according to ESPN. The team plans to try to convince Howard that it can make whatever personnel moves are possible to allow him to flourish. The Lakers have already reportedly contacted several free agent shooters including Matt Barnes, Wayne Ellington, Jordan Farmar, Francisco Garcia and Nick Young. They also plan to contact free agents Chase Budinger, Chris Copeland and Carlos Delfino.
Also, the Lakers will reportedly utilize former coach Phil Jackson to lure Howard. Jackson has been an unofficial consultant for the Lakers in large part due to his relationship with team executive Jeanie Buss, according to ESPN.
Jackson already tweeted Howard.
“While i’m there I expect to see you get on board,” he wrote. “tis ur place.”
The relationship between the Lakers and Jackson has reportedly improved since Mike D’Antoni was chosen over him to coach the team last November. Jackson spoke at former owner Jerry Buss’ funeral in February, attended Shaquille O’Neal’s jersey retirement ceremony in April and recently made a public appearance with Jeanie Buss.
“I do see him and when I see him, we’ve worked together since 1999,” Kupchak recently said of Jackson. “We have a friendship and a business relationship and we don’t talk too much about Zen, but we talk a lot about basketball.”