The New Jersey Nets appear to remain the front-runners to acquire Orlando Magic superstar center Dwight Howard via trade. If, that is, the Magic decide to trade Howard. Right now, just four days before the March 15 NBA Trade Deadline, the Magic still can’t make a decision.
“We’re not at the point where we’re ready to answer that question yet,” Martins told the Orlando Sentinel before the Magic hosted the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. “Sometime in the next four days we will be, but we’re not at the point where we’re ready to answer that question yet.”
The Nets want Howard to pair with All-Star guard Deron Williams as they move to Brooklyn next season. The Boston Herald argued that acquiring Howard via free agency this summer might actually be the better path for the Nets.
If Howard is determined to play for the Nets in future years, it’s in his best basketball (not financial) interest for the Nets to retain as many of their assets and then simply sign him to a free-agent deal this summer. The Nets would be better off if they could pair Lopez, Brooks and their draft picks with Howard and Williams.
The problem with that, of course, is that on the open market Howard would have a wide range of suitors and there is no guarantee the Nets would be the winning bidder.