Chandler Parsons wants Dwight Howard to join the Mavs this summer

DALLAS – Small forward Chandler Parsons will again likely be the lead recruiter for the Dallas Mavericks this summer as they’ll try yet again to sign a big-name free agent.

But that’ll only happen if Parsons himself is a member of the Mavs.

Parsons can opt-out of the last year of his contract and become a free agent on July 1. And he wants the Mavs to sign Houston center Dwight Howard, who will also become a free agent this summer and is not exactly having a grand time playing for the Rockets.

"I think he can still dominate the game,’’ Parsons said. ‘I think he still can be a great player in this league, and I think he’s going to leave Houston, so why not come here?’’

The tricky part for the Mavs is to quickly get Parsons signed before Howard starts getting serious with other suitors.

Remember, it was Parsons – while he played for Houston – who helped recruit Howard to leave the Los Angeles Lakers and sign a free agent contract with the Rockets in 2013. And it was Parsons who was the lead recruiter last summer when Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan verbally committed to sign a free agent contract with the Mavs, before he later created a firestorm when he changed his mind and decided to stay with the Clippers.

But for Parsons to work his recruiting magic, right after the Mavs take care of Dirk Nowitzki in free agency, they need to take care of Parsons.

"I feel like I have a lot of unfinished business here and I’d love to continue and grow into the player that I saw myself being when I signed here,’’ Parsons said. "So the quicker we can get that done allows me to start recruiting and doing that whole thing.’’

This story was originally published April 26, 2016 at 9:49 PM with the headline "Chandler Parsons wants Dwight Howard to join the Mavs this summer."