From the start, there was one thing most likely to keep Mike D’Antoni from returning as Lakers coach — free agent Dwight Howard. It may not have been that direct — and it may not change who is the Lakers coach next season — but apparently Howard let Lakers management know exactly how he feels about D’Antoni.

During the Lakers exit interview after they were eliminated by the Spurs, players met with Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak and D’Antoni, but then had the chance to speak to Kupchak without D’Antoni in the room. Howard took full advantage of that, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. According to sources with knowledge of the situation, part of the discussion between Howard and Kupchak centered around Howard’s frustration with D’Antoni — particularly how the center felt marginalized as the coach looked to Bryant and Steve for leadership and suggestions and discounted Howard’s voice…. D’Antoni chose not to retain assistant coach Chuck Person, a Howard confidant, on his staff for next season. Also, Lakers assistant coach Steve Clifford, who was with Howard in Orlando for five seasons before both of them came to L.A. last year, has become a hot head coaching candidate, interviewing with Milwaukee and receiving interest from Charlotte. One source described the potential departure of Clifford, coupled with the loss of Person as “removing the buffers,” between Howard and D’Antoni, “which is a bad thing.” When D’Antoni arrived to the Lakers he tried to fit the square pegs of the Lakers’ roster into the round holes of his offense. It didn’t work and it wasn’t pretty. The Lakers didn’t defend well for him, either, and they struggled. But by the end of the season the Lakers had moved away from what D’Antoni prefers to more traditional NBA sets. The Lakers also became more dependent on Kobe as the defacto point guard running the offense. Is there enough frustration there for Howard to turn down $30.4 million more guaranteed? The Lakers can offer one more guaranteed year and slightly larger raises than other teams which all adds up to that sume (how much that extra guaranteed year matters to Howard only he can answer). Howard is reportedly intrigued by the Rockets and Mavericks — two teams in Texas where there is no state income tax. That can make up some of the money but Los Angeles presents more endorsement opportunities. But is it all about money for Howard? Or was his frustration with D’Antoni, Kobe Bryant and the entire year in Los Angeles have him thinking Houston looks pretty good. Smart money still is on Howard re-signing with the Lakers. But it is no lock.

Earlier this week, we passed along Tavon Austin’s concerns about all the cousins he never knew coming out of the woodwork looking for money. There was a light-hearted tone to his comments, but it undoubtedly is a serious problem for many players. For Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith, it has broken up his family.

You might remember last year when Smith called 911 after his siblings showed up at his Dallas home to “harass and torment” him “in the pursuit of collecting financial gain,” in the words of the police report. He also was forced to file a restraining order against his mother and stepfather. Smith spoke about the ordeal for the first time to The Dallas Morning News. He agreed to pay his parents in four installments after getting drafted, but they kept coming back for more. When he told them about a move to left tackle, they didn’t say congrats. They talked about the next contract. “There was a certain amount I agreed to give them, but it went way beyond that and I was just like, ‘I’m done,’ ” Smith said. “I feel like I shouldn’t have given them so much. There was nothing wrong with helping them out and making sure they were taken care of, but not something to where they live the same lifestyle as you.” Smith’s lawyer alleged that his mom and/or stepdad threatened Smith’s well-being and the life of his girlfriend. The lawyer also alleged that Smith’s family took more than $1 million from him. The money went missing when Smith was using a financial advisor his parents recommended. “There was money missing, but I just don’t know where it went,” Smith said. “There were times I would check my statements and it wouldn’t make sense and I hadn’t authorized it at all. I just felt betrayed and I was like, ‘Who can I trust?’ ” Smith says he’s open to a reconciliation with his family someday if they give him “the space” he has asked for. But his story is a sad, cautionary tale for incoming rookies. “The takeaway from this is don’t let people take advantage of you. And it’s all right to say no to certain people,” Smith said.