NBA Rumors: Latest on Dwight Howard Sweepstakes and Other Buzz Around the League

Until he signs on the dotted line with an NBA team this summer, Dwight Howard and his future destination is going to dominate the NBA rumor mill. 

The polarizing Los Angeles Lakers big man is faced with the decision of re-signing with Los Angeles or ending his tenure after just one tumultuous season that saw the Lakers struggle to grab the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

Despite all of the criticism usually lobbed his way, Howard put up yet another great statistical season in 2013. He led the league in rebounding at 12.4 per game and added 17.1 points and 2.4 blocks to his stat line. 

Regardless of the drama that may follow him, where he goes will have a strong influence on the NBA's power structure. 

Here's a look at the latest rumblings from his free agency and other stories of note from around the league. 

Dirk Nowitzki Joins the Recruiting Battle for D12

With Chris Broussard of ESPN reporting that "there is very little chance of Howard signing with the Lakers," the full court press to recruit the star is on. 

The Houston Chronicle reported on June 21 that Chandler Parsons has been texting Howard on a daily basis in an attempt to get him to sign with the Rockets this offseason. 

Now it appears that Dirk Nowitzki has made sure that Howard knows that he will be just as welcome in Dallas. According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, the former league MVP has reached out to Howard, although he made it a point to say they weren't calling every day:

"

I reached out to him and told him we'd love to have him...That's really about it. It's not like we call each other every day...I haven't written him a letter. We've just had a little phone contact, and that's about it.

"

Given Parsons comments about calling Dwight every day, Nowitzki's comments may have been a veiled shot at the Houston forward's tactics. 

According to the Broussard report that Howard is unlikely to sign with the Lakers, the center will likely visit with the Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets before making a decision. How each team handles the recruitment of the star center will be one of the more interesting storylines of the offseason. 

Marcin Gortat Staying Put in Phoenix

With the 2013 draft bringing 60 new players into the league, it's safe to say that some veterans could be on their way out, replaced by cheaper, younger options.

Phoenix Suns center Marcin Gortat won't be one of them. 

According to Arizona Sports' David Dulburg, Suns general manager Ryan McDonough says that he has no plans to move the Polish big man this offseason and considers him to be one of the best players on the Phoenix Suns roster. 

Speculation was high that the Suns might be looking to move Gortat following their selection of Alex Len with the No. 5 selection in Thursday night's draft. However, it appears that the team is just fine carrying both centers on the roster for now. 

Gortat appears to be on board too. Before the draft Gortat himself selected Len to be the Suns first-round selection in ESPN's annual mock draft run by players from each team. He had nothing but high praise for the Maryland star joining the Suns (h/t valleyofthesuns.com):

"

It's not easy to find bigs, and I believe that to win a championship, you need two true big men—Dirk Nowitzki andTyson Chandler in Dallas, Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Garnett in Boston—and I think Alex can play the 4...But I'd have him come off the bench for the first year or two while he's learning, just like I learned behind Dwight Howard in Orlando. Every young guy has to go through hell in the NBA, learning how to practice three hours a day, and then play the next day, for 82 games.

"

Now that Gortat got his wish it will be interesting to see how well the two can play together on the court. 

Brian Scalabrine Returning to the NBA as an Assistant?

Everyone's favorite 12th man might be making a return to the NBA—as an assistant coach. 

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, Mark Jackson is looking to add an assistant to his staff and may just fill the spot with none other than "The White Mamba."

Scalabrine spent 11 seasons in the NBA, with stints in New Jersey, Boston and Chicago. His last appearance came with the Bulls in 2011-12 season. According to Wojnarowski, he turned down an offer to join the Bulls' coaching staff after the that year. 

Scalabrine has always been a fan favorite despite seeing limited minutes throughout his career. He could soon become everyone's favorite coach.