The agent for forward Juwan Howard said his client has not ruled out signing a new contract with the Denver Nuggets. But David Falk expects the Nuggets to make an offer on the first day of the free-agent signing period that is "commensurate" with his client's "value."

"The onus is on Denver," Falk said Monday in a telephone interview. "Denver is the incumbent. They need to give us an offer (July 1) with what they feel he is worth, and we'll evaluate that offer against the other situations."

Falk was quoted in Sunday's Los Angeles Times as saying it would be a "great situation" for Howard to sign with the Lakers. "Not the only situation, but a great one."

Falk said Monday the prospect of signing with a top team such as San Antonio or the Lakers "certainly is appealing," but he stressed Howard has not made any decisions. Howard, who averaged a team-best 18.4 points for the Nuggets this season, can begin negotiating with teams when he becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1. He can't sign officially until July 16.