Dwight Howard Rumors: Latest Buzz on Lakers Star’s Most Likely Landing Spots

Dwight Howard's disastrous first season in Los Angeles—generously deemed "the Dwightmare," but actually much more toxic than a dream—screeched to a halt in the playoffs' first round. And now, even with the future's of Kobe Bryant's Achilles and Pau Gasol's employment hanging in the balance, only one story will dominate the back pages in Hollywood this summer:

Is Howard willing to return for season two?

The Lakers' divisive big man is a free agent once again this summer; free to sign with any team he chooses. Howard has endured alleged rifts with his coach and shied from the Tinseltown spotlight since arriving, and thus appears eager to explore those options diligently. 

Grantland overlord Bill Simmons was sardonic about Howard's potential return to Los Angeles, issuing 10 realities about his situation that, ultimately, made another season with the Lakers seem like a farce. And even if the rest of the world doesn't see through Simmons' cynical, often contentious lens, it's hard not to agree with much of what he had to say.

Four major players have emerged as suitors for Howard, each making a unique play to lure him out of Los Angeles. Here's the latest scoop surrounding each of those teams' pursuit:

 

Golden State Warriors/Atlanta Hawks



The two presumptive dark horses in Dwight Howard's courtship received good then bad news the past couple of days, a veritable roller coaster ride of hope and bleakness.

First came Thursday's report, via the Long Beach Press-Telegram, that Golden State and Atlanta were securely on Howard's "short list" of destinations:

A source familiar with Howard's thinking says he plans to test free agency and has considered the Lakers, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Golden State.

But subsequent news has regressed the Hawks' and Warriors' positions. First, Warriors beat writer Marcus Thompson laid out a nu...

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