NBA free agency begins tomorrow, and C Dwight Howard is expected to be the market's most sought-after player. Draft night "shenanigans are really nothing compared with the madness that follows in free agency." The "only lottery that matters" in the NBA today is the "one that comes each summer, and as far as 2013 is concerned, that means Howard" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 6/30). The Rockets "after two years of trying to land" Howard will "sit down" tonight for dinner with him. Coach Kevin McHale, GM Daryl Morey, Owner Leslie Alexander, CEO Tad Brown and Exec VP/Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas will "take part" in the meal (CHRON.com, 6/29). Meanwhile, the Lakers last week unveiled a billboard campaign to convince Howard to stay with the team, which is "rather unbecomming" because the Lakers "are not supposed to grovel" historically speaking (N.Y. TIMES, 6/30). The Lakers also "continued their courting" of Howard on Friday on their Twitter account by posting an altered image of the Beverly Hills Hotel repainted as the back of Howard's jersey (L.A. TIMES, 6/29).
