Mavericks ink Howard to extension

Terms of the deal were not announced, but last week a report out of the Dallas Morning News had the contract worth around $40 million for four seasons.

"Josh has been vital to the success of the Dallas Mavericks and we believe that he is a significant part of this franchise’s future," said president Donnie Nelson. "From the day we drafted Josh he has really worked hard to become an elite NBA player and we look forward to watching him continue to develop. We are ecstatic to keep him in the Mavericks family."

Howard was Dallas’ first-round draft pick in 2003 and averaged 15.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in 59 games last season. He has career averages of 12.2 points and 6.1 rebounds.

Earlier this offseason, Dallas signed Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry to extensions.