The Golden State Warriors are seemingly out of the Dwight Howard sweepstakes, after signing former Denver Nugget Andre Iguodala to a four-year, $48 million contract, according to Yahoo! Sports.

The Warriors were one of five teams in the hunt for Howard, including Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, and the franchise he played for last season--Los Angeles. With the signing of Iguodala, however, Golden State, is unlikely to sign the big man becaue they would have to cross the salary cap threshold to do so. The Warriors are unlike the league's big market teams, such as New York and LA, who can afford to pay the luxury tax that comes with spending more than the league permits.

In an attempt to create the cap space that was initially intended to fit Howard's max contract, if the Warriors were able to sign him, the team traded the expiring contracts of Richard Jefferson, Andris Biedrins and Brandon Rush to the Utah Jazz, according to the San Jose Mercury News. Iguodala averaged 13.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 80 games last season for the Denver Nuggets.

Howard is expected to make his decision today, regarding which of his suitors he'll sign with. The Houston Rockets are reported to be the frontrunner, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.

Houston reportedly met wit Howard yesterday, bringing along a team of current and former players to persuade the 27-year-old. The contingent included players James Harden, Chandler Parsons, coach Kevin McHale, general manager Daryl Morey and Rockets Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. Yao Ming even talked with Howard via Skype from China. Still, Houston is prepared to lure the second-biggest name in free agency, Josh Smith, if they aren't able to sign Howard.

If Houston has to settle for Josh Smith, they'll be getting a less explosive version of their first choice. Like Howard, Smith is an elite defender and rebounder, who can guard the paint and finish at the rim with elite athleticism. In nine seasons with the Hawks, Smith averaged eight rebounds and 2 blocked shots, along with 15 points and three assists per game.

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