Atlanta Hawks News: Dwight Howard meets with Hawks

[caption id="attachment_36" align="alignright" width="250" caption="Could we see Dwight looking like this?"][/caption]

The Atlanta Hawks met with Dwight Howard Monday afternoon in Los Angeles in an attempt to sign him as a free agent. Howard met with the Houston Rockets on Sunday evening and is set to meet with the Golden State Warriors on Monday evening and the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

[RELATED: Dwight Howard's free agency is underway]

Atlanta is Howard's hometown team, but he has never shown much special desire to play there in the past. What the Hawks really have to offer is cap space; as much as anyone in the league.

As it stands now, the Hawks have just $23 million in committed salary next season, plus a $4.5 million qualifying offer to Jeff Teague. That gives them the space to sign Howard and another player to maximum contracts, or just Howard to a max-deal and several other big-name free agents.

Hawks have just finished their meeting with Dwight Howard. No comment except to tell Shelley Smith that it went "well."

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 1, 2013

Howard does not want to drag the process out, and is expected to sign on July 10, the first day he is allowed to.

Keep it locked right here for the latest Dwight Howard free agency rumors and breaking news.