Dirk Nowitzki is doing some summer recruiting for the Dallas Mavericks and his main target is Dwight Howard. The veteran knows that if Dallas can add another super star on the team, the Mavericks can easily get back to the NBA Finals. While Mark Cuban is arranging the team's finances to be able to take on Howard, Nowitzki is making a couple phone calls to persuade the center to come to Texas.
"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," Nowitzki said.
Nowitzki said he does not know which way Howard is leaning as far as free agency is concerned. The two did not talk about anything newsworthy, but Nowitzki did his best to shine a positive light on Dallas. Nowitzki thinks that Howard is simply just weighing all of his options at this point and is setting up meetings with teams once free agency begins. He would only say that he hopes Dallas is one of those teams.
Both Nowitzki and Cuban are hoping the marquee free agent makes his way to Dallas. Cuban has said that Howard is a team priority this offseason and would welcome him with open arms. Howard could certainly be a game changer and Nowitzki knows it.
"To me, when he's healthy, he's the most dominant big man in the league. He showed it at the end of the season when he was right and what he can still do and can dominate on both ends of the floor if he's healthy. He can still use his athleticism. He's a beast on both ends of the floor," Nowitzki said.
Cuban recently talked about his sales pitch to upcoming free agents including Howard. The owner notes that the team will have room to take on a few max contracts and is willing to pay played a large salary. He believes that pairing a big free agent with Nowitzki and players like Shawn Marion will be enticing for players.
NBA sources report that Dwight Howard is unlikely to re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers after expressing unhappiness with coaches and the front office. Whether that is true or not, Cuban plans on inviting Howard onto the jet and pulling out all the stops in order to get the center to Dallas.
