New rumors suggest that even though Dwight Howard has a player option for the upcoming season that's worth $23.2 million, he might not take this and enter the market as a free agent instead. Although it is not yet clear where he could end up next season, reports indicate that he might sign with the New York Knicks.

As reported by the Daily Knicks, the New York franchise is currently on the lookout for players who can possibly assist Carmelo Anthony on the court. This is primarily why the team is expected to become active in hunting down free agents for next season.

But one of the players that the Knicks might center on is Howard. According to the site's league sources, people around Howard are saying that the Houston Rockets center is interested in joining New York.

Despite his attitude and on-court persona, Howard can be a valuable asset for the Knicks since it appears every team he's been with has been able to make it to the playoffs.

But, even though sources are claiming that Howard is open to the prospect of joining the Knicks, the athlete clarified on Tuesday that he has not yet made a clear decision regarding his future in the league.

"I haven't made any decision," he told TNT during an interview according to ESPN. "My job is to get in the gym and work my butt off."

Aside from his career, Howard also discussed the idea that people have about him. For most fans, he is regarded as an unlikable player, despite his skills on the court. Although he is very aware of this, Howard maintained that this doesn't mean that he's not willing to work hard in every game.

"I have to grow and become a better player," he said. "So I'm always interested in the game, and I've had the problem with smiling too much or I play too much on the floor, so when I'm not smiling and all that stuff, it looks like I'm not interested in the game."

"So it's like a thin line, and I'm like, 'Man, do I not smile? Or do I smile and have fun?'" he added. "So that's always been a struggle for me personally."