The biggest question for the Los Angeles Lakers heading into the offseason is whether soon-to-be free agent Dwight Howard stays put.  Howard is reportedly intent on testing the free agency waters this summer, which could lead to another dramatic summer of indecision.

Ken Berger of CBS Sports reports Howard as indicating privately that he will explore options with multiple teams and that re-signing with Los Angeles "is far from a done deal."  The rumored front-runner in the Howard sweepstakes is the Houston Rockets.

James Harden is one of the team's most attractive features. At only 23-years-old, Harden is young and his five-year contract extension last October keeps him in Houston for the immediate future. The guard also proved last season that he can shoulder the load as a franchise player by averaging 25.9 points per game, 5.8 assists and 4.9 rebounds. Harden's arrival, in part, made Houston a playoff team again.

The Rockets' defense is another a selling point for Howard. Kevin McHale is a defensive-minded coach, which bodes well for the 3-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Howard also has the perfect frontcourt complement in 7-foot Omer Asik. The 26-year old, averaged a double-double last season with 10.1 points per game and 11.7 rebounds, which would alleviate some of the defensive burden on Howard.

Houston has a realistic chance of signing Howard to a hefty contract, too.

"The Rockets are a couple of minor moves away from having room to sign Howard; they have a team option on Francisco Garcia's $6.4 million and Carlos Delfino's #3 million is fully non-guaranteed, for example," Berger writes. "If they chose to or needed to make a trade to create room, they have numerous attract young players on tradable contacts."

Howard becomes a free agent in six weeks. If he learned anything from last summer, he will make a quick and private decision. Otherwise, NBA fans can look forward to another long summer of back-and-forth indecision.