Nets near deal with Brook Lopez, time running out for Dwight Howard trade
7 minutes ago
As the Brooklyn Nets warded off the advances of a potentially devastating Charlotte Bobcats offer sheet for Brook Lopez, time was running out on the franchise's ability to give Dwight Howard a trade to his preferred destination.
Dwight Howard might not get his wish of being traded to the Nets. (Getty Images)
The Nets and Brook Lopez moved closer to completing an agreement for a five-year, $78 million maximum contract extension, sources told Yahoo! Sports. Once Lopez signs with Brooklyn, the franchise's pursuit of a Howard deal officially ends.
Orlando has became aggressive again with Houston in trade talks on Tuesday, and is still holding dialogue with the Los Angeles Lakers and other teams about a Howard blockbuster. After a three-team deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers fell apart this week for Howard, the Nets were scrambling to find a way to do a trade directly with Orlando, or perhaps even recruit additional teams at this late stage in the Lopez talks, sources said.
Nets president Billy King made an improved offer on Wednesday morning to spare the Nets the turmoil of Lopez signing an offer sheet with the Bobcats, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. King made the first four years and $58 million of the extension fully guaranteed – no partial guarantees to account for Lopez’s foot problems – and the two sides were negotiating on the fifth year of a potential $78 million extension.
King was meeting with Lopez’s agent, Arn Tellem, on Wednesday in Los Angeles.
Now, the Bobcats can’t offer Lopez more guaranteed money than the Nets are giving him. Once an agreement is reached on Wednesday, the Nets still had a window to try and complete a sign-and-trade deal with Orlando for Howard, but the possibility was fading fast. Once Lopez signs with the Nets – or were to sign an offer sheet – the Nets would no longer be able to use him in a sign-and-trade scenario.
Brooklyn was still working to find potential three-team deals where another team would take Kris Humphries in a sign-and-trade to assist in getting Howard, but they were running out of time. Portland is one destination that the Nets explored on Wednesday, but there didn’t appear to be traction there, sources said.
