Dwight Howard To Mavericks? Mark Cuban Trying To Swing A Deal

Could Dwight Howard be headed to the Mavericks? If Mark Cuban gets his way, the answer could be yes.

Dallas is reportedly trying to swing a deal that would give away the team’s No. 13 draft pick in order to clear up space for the former Lakers center. The Mavericks have been looking for another star to complement Dirk Nowitzki, and Dwight Howard is the biggest name out there this free agent season (Chris Paul is also a free agent but expected to stay with the Clippers).

If the Mavericks can find a buyer for the first-round pick, it would free up about $1.65 million in cap space, according to Chad Ford at ESPN.

Dwight Howard said he wants to take free agency slowly, meeting with several teams to see which situation fits best, wrote Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. It would be much like the free agent strategy of LeBron James, who went into the 2010 offseason as a highly sought-after free agent and met with several teams before choosing the Miami Heat.

When free agency comes in six weeks, Dwight Howard will likely see interest from several NBA teams. Aside from Dallas he is also getting interest from Houston, which would have a good supporting cast and the cap space to bring in the All-Star center.

Howard had a short and disappointing stint with the Lakers. Brought in along with Steve Nash in an attempt to create the Miami Heat of the Western Conference, the team stocked with talent failed to gel. After a slow start, the Lakers salvaged the season and made the playoffs but were swept in the first round.

Howard was particularly disappointing. He struggled to fit in on the court and got into some behind-the-scenes drama with management and other players.

If Dwight Howard doesn’t go to the Mavericks, the team could still be in the hunt for another big player. Nowitzki told the team he would be willing to take a pay cut so the team has cap space to make more moves.