There is still a chance that Orlando Magic star Dwight Howard could become a member of the Brooklyn Nets, according to league sources.
The Nets and the Orlando Magic are discussing a trade that would send Howard to the Nets for Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks and the Nets’ first-round picks in 2013, 2015 and 2017, sources said. Lopez and Humphries, who are both free agents, would go to Orlando in sign-and-trade deals.
The move would be the Nets’ second blockbuster trade this week and give them a Big 3 of Howard, Deron Williams and Joe Johnson that could rival the NBA champion Miami Heat’s heralded trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
On Monday, the Nets agreed to terms with the Atlanta Hawks on a trade that sends Johnson to Brooklyn for the expiring contracts of Jordan Farmar, Johan Petro, Anthony Morrow and Jordan Williams, plus DeShawn Stevenson and the 2013 first-round pick they acquired from Houston.
The Nets are still waiting on Williams to tell them whether he will re-sign with them as a free agent, but sources say Williams was pleased with the trade for Johnson, so he is expected to stay. An additional trade for Howard would undoubtedly seal the deal.
If consummated, the trade would give Howard what he has wanted for the past seven months. In December, Howard asked the Magic to trade him to the Nets.
After waiving his opt-out clause for next season in March, he again asked Orlando several times to trade him to the Nets, most recently last Friday in his first face-to-face meeting with new Magic GM Rob Hennigan.
On Monday, Howard told Yahoo! Sports that he would only sign a long-term contract with the Nets, but after the Nets’ trade with Atlanta for Johnson, the chances of Howard going to Brooklyn appeared dead.
In fact, several executives involved in the talks privately said there was no chance of Howard being traded to the Nets.
But the two clubs eventually rekindled talks about a potential Howard trade.
“With the Nets thought to be out of the picture Monday night, the Los Angeles Lakers, who can offer Andrew Bynum, the Hawks, who can offer Al Horford and Jeff Teague, and the Dallas Mavericks, who could sign Howard as a free agent next summer, had emerged as the likeliest destinations for Howard.”
Of course, any of those scenarios could still play out as the Magic are considering all their options.
A trio of Williams, Howard and Johnson would be a boon for the Nets as they open their first season in Brooklyn this fall.
WRITTEN BY Chris Broussard | ESPN.com & FULL STORY HERE
