Report: Dwight Howard close to signing with Rockets

MANILA, Philippines – Dwight Howard, the most sought-after free agent in the market today, is close to finalizing a deal with the Houston Rockets, Yahoo! Sports reported Saturday.

According to the report by Adrian Wojnarowski, Howard’s agent said the superstar center will have a final decision by Sunday.

"He hopes to finalize his decision [Friday night] or [Saturday] morning," Howard's agent, Dan Fegan, told Wojnarowski.

The report also said that Howard has yet to inform Houston of his decision.

The Rockets have been the frontrunners to sign Howard, who also drew interest from the Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors.

Howard’s current team, the Los Angeles Lakers, have also moved to re-sign him. The Lakers management, however, said that Howard has notified them of his decision to leave the team.

"We have been informed of Dwight's decision to not return to the Lakers," Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said in a statement.

In Houston, Howard can sign a maximum deal that would pay him $88 million in four years, and he can also enjoy tax incentives unique to the state of Texas. The Rockets, for their part, have instantly turned into a Western Conference powerhouse, with Howard teaming up with All-Star James Harden and spitfire guard Jeremy Lin.