The New Jersey Nets are one of two teams against whom the Orlando Magic are considering filing tampering charges for illegal contact with Dwight Howard, reports Sports Illustrated's Sam Amick.
Sources have told ESPN's Chris Broussard that Nets owner Mikhail Prokorov and general manager Billy King met with Howard Thursday night in Miami. Late Thursday night, Broussard reported that Howard had made New Jersey his number one choice and was expected to request a trade to the Nets as early as Friday.
David Aldridge initially reported that the Magic are considering whether to levy the charges against two teams. Amick later reported the two teams are the Nets and Houston Rockets.
It's unclear how the potential charges would affect New Jersey's pursuit of Howard. The Nets are interested in pairing Howard with All-Star point guard Deron Williams. Though the tandem would be exciting on the court, acquiring Howard by trade would not necessarily mean the pair would remain together past this season. Neither player has signed a contract extension, and rules of the new CBA mean that signing an extension before becoming a free agent could cost each player more than $25 million.
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