Mitch Kupchak denied a report that indicated his exit interview conversation with Dwight Howard included the impending free agent venting about Mike D'Antoni.

Howard met with Kupchak privately after also meeting with both he and D'Antoni. 

"To be honest with you, I wouldn’t let it go there anyway," said Kupchak about letting a player dictate the Lakers' coaching situation. 

Kupchak has worked to gain the trust of Howard during the 12-13 season, which he has by all accounts.

"I'm not saying they don't have differences like with any coach or any player," said Kupchak. "I don't think it's anything that goes beyond." 

When Phil Jackson received a phone call from Mitch Kupchak late on Sunday, Nov. 11 that the Los Angeles Lakers had decided to hire Mike D'Antoni to replace Mike Brown as head coach, he had an amused reaction.

"I laughed," Jackson said on Wednesday. "It was humorous to me when Mitch said that we think that Mike is a better coach for this group of guys."

Jackson had been prepared to tell Kupchak that he was interested in coaching the Lakers again.

Jackson believes the move to hire D'Antoni was made to cater to Steve Nash.

"I think it didn't happen because there was some concern how are we going to move in the right direction for this ballclub," Jackson said. "When Mitch gave me the call close to midnight on Sunday night right before I was going to give them an answer Monday morning and said, 'We've made a choice. We're going to hire Mike D'Antoni. We think he's the best coach for this group of guys.' My answer was, 'For Steve Nash, yes, I agree but for Dwight Howard, I'm not so sure.'

"In the process of thinking about how they could best use the team I think they thought first and foremost about Steve Nash and how Steve Nash was going to fit inside of an offensive system that I coach. ... I think that was a concern for them."

Jackson felt that his system would have allowed Pau Gasol and Howard to have a similar type of success as Gasol and Andrew Bynum.

Jackson claims to not be interested in coaching, but does seek a front office position in the NBA.

"I don't see myself coaching again, I really don't," Jackson said. "When I discussed this with Jeanie Buss, she said make sure you tell them that Jeanie still thinks you can coach even though you might say you're not going to coach again. Jeanie still thinks I can coach but I'm not going to go there."

Dwight Howard is currently torn between re-signing with the Los Angeles Lakers and joining the Houston Rockets in unrestricted free agency, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

Howard's displeasure with Mike D'Antoni became known on Tuesday in a report from ESPN. During his exit interview with Mitch Kupchak, Howard reportedly said that he was frustrated with how D'Antoni used him and that he wasn't treated like a team leader the way he did with Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash.

Near the end of the regular season, all signs had pointed toward Howard re-signing with the Lakers.

The Houston Rockets have emerged as an attractive free agent possibility for Dwight Howard, according to sources.

Howard became familiar with the area after spending part of two summers ago working with Hakeem Olajuwon.

Howard is also intrigued by the possibility of playing with James Harden.

Howard will engage in the free agency process and is expected to hear pitches from the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks and the Rockets.

Dwight Howard expressed to Mitch Kupchak during his exit interview that he was frustrated by how Mike D'Antoni used him during his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to sources.

Howard also felt marginalized by D'Antoni, feeling he looked to Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash for leadership and suggestions.

D'Antoni elected not to retain Chuck Person on his coaching staff, who is a confidant of Howard. Furthermore, Steve Clifford has become a head coaching candidate for several NBA vacancies. Clifford was with Howard for five seasons with the Orlando Magic.

One source described the potential departure of Clifford, coupled with the loss of Person as "removing the buffers," between Howard and D'Antoni, "which is a bad thing."

Howard has been careful not to make public comments after what happened last season with Stan Van Gundy, but the situation with D'Antoni doesn't appear to be irreparable.

"It's not a, 'It's me or Mike,' situation for Dwight," said a source.

Howard is a free agent and can sign a five-year, $118 million contract with the Lakers, or up to a four-year, $87.6 million deal with a rival team that has cap space.

The Los Angeles Clippers have no interest in pursuing Dwight Howard this offseason, according to sources.

The Clippers have been reported as a possible destination, albeit a longshot, to end up with Howard.

The Clippers do not have cap space to sign Howard while also re-signing Chris Paul, which would have forced them to complete several complicated deals in order to acquire him.

In a new book, Phil Jackson writes that charges of a sexual assault committed by Kobe Bryant in 2003 impacted their relationship.

Jackson's daughter, Brooke, had been sexually assaulted by an athlete while she was in college, so Bryant's situation "cracked open an old wound."

Jackson left the Lakers following the 03-04 season.

"The Kobe incident triggered all my unprocessed anger and tainted my perception of him. ... It distorted my view of Kobe throughout the 2003-04 season," Jackson writes. "No matter what I did to extinguish it, the anger kept smoldering in the background."

Jackson eventually returned to the Lakers and enjoyed an effective working relationship with Bryant.

Jackson also extensively compares the game and personality of Bryant with Michael Jordan.

"Michael was more charismatic and gregarious than Kobe," Jackson writes. "He loved hanging out with his teammates and security guards, playing cards, smoking cigars, and joking around.

"Kobe is different. He was reserved as a teenager, in part because he was younger than the other players and hadn't developed strong social skills in college. When Kobe first joined the Lakers, he avoided fraternizing with his teammates. But his inclination to keep to himself shifted as he grew older. Increasingly, Kobe put more energy into getting to know the other players, especially when the team was on the road."

Pau Gasol will undergo a "FAST Technique" procedure on Thursday to help alleviate tendinosis in both knees.

The procedure uses a probe inserted into the knee which directs ultrasonic energy to eliminate scar tissue without damaging healthy tissue.

Gasol previously said he would consider going to Germany in the offseason to undergo a platelet-rich plasma procedure.

The Los Angeles Lakers' "Plan A" is to keep Pau Gasol and bring back the rest of the team, according to a report citing a source with knowledge of the organization's thinking.

Since the Lakers were swept in the first round by the San Antonio Spurs, Gasol talked openly about this season possibly being his last in Los Angeles.

Gasol is set to make upwards of $19 million next season.

Kobe Bryant has been a staunch supporter of Gasol, saying he believes the Lakers should keep the big man.

The Charlotte Bobcats have received permission to interview Los Angeles Lakers assistant Steve Clifford as a possible replacement for fired coach Mike Dunlap.

Clifford is known for his defensive expertise after spending nine seasons as an assistant under the Van Gundy brothers -- first Jeff Van Gundy with the Houston Rockets, then Stan Van Gundy with the Orlando Magic.

Alvin Gentry, Nate Tibbetts, Kelvin Sampson, Jeff Hornacek and Elston Turner are also expected to interview for the Bobcats’ coaching vacancy.