The New Jersey Nets are reportedly putting together a huge trade proposal in an effort to acquire Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard before he hits free agency in 2012.
In pursuit of Howard, the Nets would reortedly be willing to part with Brook Lopez and two future first-round picks. But it's not just what the New Jersey can send to Orlando. The Nets would also take Hedo Turkoglu -- and the $35 million and three years remaining on his contract -- off the Magic's hands.
More from ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Chad Ford:
It's been an open secret around the league that the Nets' dream scenario is pairing Howard with Williams, after they followed up their failed pursuit of Carmelo Anthony last season by trading for Williams just before the February trade deadline. It remains to be seen whether Howard will regard the Nets as a prime destination on par with the New York Knicks, even after they move out of New Jersey, but sources say that Russian owner Mikhail Prokhorov has long believed that teaming them up would convince both Team USA stars to commit their long-term future to the Brooklyn-bound Nets.
Some more key bullets from the report:
- The cap space needed to absorb Turkoglu's contract would come from the expected amnesty of Travis Outlaw using a clause that will be included in the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement.
- Teams will not be able to make official roster moves until Dec. 9.
- The trade deadline is not yet set for this season, but NBA executives believe it will be in March.
- The Nets are far from the only team coveting Howard. The Lakers, Knicks and Clippers are other names that have come up.
- Howard would only be able to sign a one-year extension with the Nets because of new extend-and-trade rules. With Deron Williams' contract up in the air, the Nets would be surrendering a lot of assets for an uncertain future.
-- For more discussion and analysis of the Nets, see NetsDaily.