While the Houston Rockers were the first team to officially meet with free agent center Dwight Howard, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak looks to have been the first general manager to meet with Howard.
The Rockets were scheduled to meet with Howard at 9:01 PST, the first minute they’re able to talk to free agents, but it sounds like Kupchak beat them to it.
Seen as the underdog in the negotiations, Kupchak took it upon himself to meet with Howard according to Mike Bresnahan of the LA Times:
Source: Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak indeed met with Dwight Howard briefly after free agency started at 9:01 p.m. Lakers pushing hard…
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) July 1, 2013
Howard is scheduled to meet with the Mavericks, Warriors and Hawks before his last meeting is scheduled with the Lakers late Tuesday as Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash are reportedly apart of the team’s pitch.
Earlier this morning, new Lakers consultant Phil Jackson tweeted Howard directly, telling him he expected him to sign with the franchise since it’s “his place” to be.
While it was reported earlier this week that Howard was unlikely to re-sign with the Lakers, it sounds like Kupchak won’t go down without a fight as he shows why he’s arguably the best general manager in the league.
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