Michael Lee of the AJC writes that Dwight Howard stepped into a ballroom of the Wyndham Hotel in downtown Chicago Saturday not knowing exactly where he will wind up in the June 24 NBA draft.

"I'm hearing two places -- Orlando and the Hawks," the former Southwest Atlanta Christian star said at a pre-draft media session. "Orlando in my left ear and the Hawks in my right ear. Both places are home. They're in the South. It's warm."

The Orlando Magic owns the No. 1 pick and Howard will work out with the team this week. He said he plans to perform for at least two more teams before the draft, including the Hawks.

Howard sounded less than optimistic about the prospect of going to the Los Angeles Clippers, who currently hold the rights to the No. 2 pick and already have a stockpile of power forwards, including Elton Brand.

Mike Woodson, an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons, has been contacted by the Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors about possible interviews for their vacant head-coaching positions.  

Woodson has logged eight seasons as an NBA assistant, and was interviewed twice each by the Sixers, Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks last off-season.

Woodson and Seattle Sonics associate coach Dwayne Casey could be the leading candidates to fill the Raptors? position, according to sources.

"He's a great coach," Pistons head coach Larry Brown said about Woodson.

Mike Brown was assisting Coach Popavich during the 2003 NBA Finals Championship with the Spurs and this past season, assisting Rick Carlisle in Indiana. Next season, he may be coaching his own team in Atlanta.

Other candidates for the Hawks job include former Nuggets associate head coach John MacLeod, Dallas assistant Del Harris and Seattle associate head coach Dwane Casey.

Candidates to be interviewed after the upcoming NBA predraft camp are Detroit assistant Mike Woodson and former Hawks coach Mike Fratello.