NBA Roundup: Kings withdraw Iguodala offer, Dwight Howard mulls offers
The Sacramento Kings have backed down from a four-year, $52 million offer to free-agent small forward Andre Iguodala that was reported Tuesday night.
The bid is no longer on the table, USA Today reported early Wednesday. The Kings apparently are rethinking their rebuilding plans under the new ownership group.
Iguodala had walked away from $13.9 million for the 2013-14 season with the Denver Nuggets to become a free agent.
The Kings have former Nuggets front office man Pete D'Alessandro calling the shots, and he likely knows the breaking point for Denver in free agency.
Iguodala reacted to the news on Twitter late Tuesday night, saying "WOW!!!!" and then "Really?? Ok...MOTIVATION!!!!!!"
Iguodala, a former lottery pick traded last offseason from Philadelphia to the Nuggets in the deal that sent Dwight Howard to Los Angeles and Andrew Bynum to the 76ers, averaged 13 points, five assists and five rebounds per game for the Nuggets. He's a strong wing defender and can be used for some minutes as the primary ballhandler.
Denver is still interested in retaining Iguodala and he is considering the possibility of staying with the team, but the large offer from the Kings and high interest from Detroit, Golden State and Boston is a significant roadblock to the overhauled Nuggets.
---Free-agent center Dwight Howard is up in the air about where he will sign after listening to offers from five NBA teams during the past few days, but hopes to have a final decision by Friday, according to an ESPN report.
The coveted free-agent center wrapped up meetings on Tuesday with potential suitors trying to persuade him to sign with their teams. Among them was his latest employer, the Los Angeles Lakers, the last to make a case.
Howard also heard pitches from the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks since the free-agency period opened Monday.
Howard's two-hour meeting with the Lakers concluded Tuesday afternoon in Beverly Hills. Lakers teammates Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash attended along with general manager Mitch Kupchak, executive vice president of player personnel Jim Buss and representatives from AEG and Time Warner Cable.
---Manu Ginobili announced Wednesday he will be back with the San Antonio Spurs for two more seasons.
Ginobili, 35, was prone to injuries and turnovers last season and considered retirement. He is expected to take on a reduced role on the 2013-14 team that will closely resemble the 2013 NBA Finals runner-up. Ginobili remained effective in spots, averaging 11.8 points, 4.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds last season.
Ginobili is the second member of that squad to agree to return to San Antonio. Restricted free agent Tiago Splitter agreed to re-sign Tuesday and his five-year contract will become official next week.
