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The first official day of NBA free agency got off to a whirlwind start for the Los Angeles Lakers. Dwight Howard has completed his meeting with the Atlanta Hawks, which is the latest in his free agency news. The Lakers, meanwhile, have expressed interest to a double-digit amount of players and continue building towards their big day with Howard on Tuesday.
Be sure to check out the previous Lakers free agency update to catch up from the happenings this morning!
All Dwight everything
Howard's meeting with the the Hawks. Two presentations down, three more to go. There was no prior information leaked regarding the Hawks' pitch, and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reports that the only word coming out of the meet is that it went "well." Howard has already met with the Rockets, and the available details can be found here.
The Golden State Warriors are next to meet Howard. The organization has made noise after reportedly being prepared to offer a sign-and-trade package built around Andrew Bogut and either Klay Thompson or Harrison Barnes. The Lakers have not discussed sign-and-trade scenarios with any team.
The Boston Celtics contacted Howard's representatives to gauge the possibility on acquiring him in a sign-and-trade but there was no interest from the center.
The Lakers have not finalized the group that will meet with Howard for their presentation on Tuesday, but Time Warner executives will join the purple and gold pitch. They are expected to discuss the possibility of Howard having his own show on their Lakers flagship network, Time Warner Cable Sportsnet. The league will take no issue with the addition of Time Warner into talks so long as there is no additional compensation for Howard.
Mike D'Antoni is expected to be with the organization on Tuesday when they meet with Howard. Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant have also been confirmed as well.
Magic Johnson and Steve Nash both reached out to Howard via Twitter early Monday. Magic simply sent Howard a #STAYD12 message while Nash wrote that Howard will "love" the statue built of him outside of Staples Center in 20 years. Sideline Hollywood celebrity Jack Nicholson has also placed a call to Howard to discuss his future in Los Angeles.
Other free agency rumblings
Jordan Farmar was a name linked to the Lakers last night as having "mutual interest", but the former Lakers point guard does not appear to be heading back to Los Angeles. His buyout with the Turkish Basketball League alone would cost him more than the contract the Lakers are willing to offer him.
Mike Dunleavy is a new name linked to the Lakers. The Rockets, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves are all expected to make a push to sign the versatile forward. Dunleavy averaged 10.5 points per game and shot a career-high 42.8 percent from beyond the arc last season.
Last, Byron Mullens has been added to the "free agents the Lakers have contacted" list. Mullens had a career-high in points per game with the Charlotte Bobcats last season but shot a woeful 38 percent from the field. Worse, his experiment as a "stretch" big man was a failed one. He shot just 31 percent from beyond the arc on the 3.9 three-point field goal attempts he put up per game.
Players linked to Lakers: Chris Copeland, Wayne Ellington, Byron Mullens, Mike Dunleavy, Nick Young, Chase Budinger, Carlos Delfino, Francisco Garcia, Earl Clark, Matt Barnes
- Drew
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