Dwight Howard never wavered from his decision to sign with the Houston Rockets and was in the air returning to Los Angeles when reports came out that he was reconsidering.

"That was not the case," Howard said in an exclusive interview with Amick. "I was very upset about it when all that stuff started to come out because that's not what was going on. I decided … the night before it came out, and my thinking was, 'Let me get back to L.A. and sit in front of (Lakers general manager) Mitch (Kupchak) and give the Lakers that respect.' I wanted to tell them in person.

"There was no (thought of), 'Oh man, hold up, let me think about this again.' The night before, when I had decided, I sat down with everybody – my agent, my best friend who was there, and my bodyguard, and we talked. I said this is where I want to go. I told my Dad that this is where I want to go. I said tomorrow, when I get home, we're going to talk to the Lakers. I'm going to tell the other teams on the phone, and that's what I did."

Howard had planned on informing Mitch Kupchak that he wouldn't re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers and then announce his decision on Twitter.

"I just didn't like the way that it happened," Howard said. "I wanted to wait as long as possible until I talked to the Lakers. I didn't want Mitch to turn on his TV or get an e-mail from somebody saying this is what Dwight did and I didn't contact him first. I wanted to give him the respect, and the Lakers the respect, in telling them before it got put out there.

"I felt like for them it wouldn't have been personal enough. They were the team that decided to take me from Orlando, so I wanted to give them that respect – especially Mitch, because that was somebody who I had conversations with all summer. I wanted to let him know personally, and to thank him for the opportunity to play for the Lakers."

When Carmelo Anthony heads for unrestricted free agency next offseason, Kobe Bryant could be the X-factor in Anthony's negotiations with the New York Knicks, according to a source.

The Lakers will have cap space next summer and Bryant could promise Anthony that together they can make a run at a championship in Los Angeles.

“For me, it’s about being part of a winning organization,” Anthony said on Monday.

The Knicks will be able to offer Anthony $30 million more than any other team in free agency.

Grant Jerrett will sign a deal and start the season with the Tulsa 66ers, the Oklahoma City Thunder's NBA D-League affiliate.

The move will allow the Thunder to keep the rights of their second round pick in this year's NBA draft.

Jerrett was not at the Thunder's media day or the team's early practices.

Elliot Williams will go to the Cleveland Cavaliers' training camp on a non-guaranteed contract, according to sources.

Williams was a first round draft pick of the Portland Trail Blazers in 2010.

Williams has averaged 3.7 points in 24 NBA games.

The Los Angeles Lakers have not discussed a contract extension for Pau Gasol at this point, and the veteran forward believes the chances of a new deal will depend on his performance this season.

"If the team is interested, they will approach me and at some point there will be some kind of meeting," Gasol said. "But I’m not sure when or how. I think it’s going to depend on how I perform during the season. The better I perform, I’m sure the more interested they will be to try to sign me, I guess."

Gasol, who will make $19.3 million in the final season of his current contract, is still working to regain full health entering opening night.

"I’ve learned to live my life on a daily basis and try to have fun in the process," Gasol said.

Tyrone Corbin has gone 87-89 as head coach of the Utah Jazz, and the organization has said it values him moving forward. Even so, Corbin is not expected to start discussions on a contract extension until after the season.

"I don’t expect anything to be done," said agent Steve Kauffman, whose other clients include Jeff Hornacek and Monty Williams.

Kauffman said he would prefer for Corbin to sign a longer-term deal after the season.

Corbin has one season left on his current deal.

Erik Spoelstra and the Miami Heat are finalizing a multiyear contract extension, according to sources.

Spoelstra likely staved off a bidding war next summer by choosing to re-sign with the only franchise he's ever known.

Spoelstra's new deal is expected to be made official ahead of the start of Heat camp this week.

Spoelstra, 42, is 260-134 (.660) in five seasons as Miami's coach, including three straight trips to the NBA Finals and two titles. He's 50-29 (.633) in five trips to the postseason.

Josh Howard is still seeking a training camp invite from a team.

Howard had good workouts for the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets.

Howard is coming off knee surgery.

The Utah Jazz will bring Brian Cook into training camp.

Cook entered the NBA in 2003 and had his most notable seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Cook was waived by the Washington Wizards late in the preseason last season and then played in Puerto Rico.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed guards Diante Garrett and Rodney McGruder to contracts.

Garrett (6-4, 190 pounds), appeared in 19 games last season as a member of the Phoenix Suns where he averaged 2.1 points and 1.6 assists in 7.9 minutes per game. Additionally, Garrett played eight games last season for the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA D-League where he posted averages of 17.3 points, 7.3 assists and 1.63 steals.

McGruder (6-4, 205 pounds), recently concluded his four year college career at Kansas State where he became one of two players in school history to rank among the top 10 in both career scoring and rebounding.