Dwight Howard Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nets Nearing Max Contract With Brook Lopez

July 11th, 2012 at 4:34pm CST by Luke Adams

4:34pm: Lopez is still considering signing Charlotte's four-year offer sheet, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Wojnarowski says the Nets will match any offer sheet Lopez signs, but matching an offer sheet would prevent Brooklyn from trading Lopez for a full year (Twitter links). It looks to me as if Lopez is seeking a little leverage with the Nets, perhaps hoping to increase his fifth-year guarantee.

2:59pm: With trade talks for Dwight Howard dead, the Nets are now expected to finalize a contract with Lopez, tweets SI.com's Sam Amick.

2:22pm: The Nets are warding off the Bobcats' advances toward Lopez and are close to finalizing a five-year, $78MM deal for the center, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Wojnarowski's report seems to suggest that the fifth year of the contract would not be fully guaranteed, but would still ensure that Lopez would make more than he could with another team.

12:56pm: Lopez is weighing a maximum offer sheet from another team, according to Howard Beck of the New York Times. Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets that the Trail Blazers and Bobcats have both indicated to Lopez that they're willing to sign him to a four-year max offer sheet as soon as today.

12:43pm: The Nets have agreed to give Lopez four fully-guaranteed, max-salary years, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The two sides are still talking about a possible fifth year — since the Nets are the only team that can offer that fifth year, they can be more flexibile with the guarantee. The Nets' willingness to offer a four-year, max-salary deal means another team can't top Brooklyn's proposal in an offer sheet (all Twitter links).

WEDNESDAY, 12:13am: It's not out of the realm of possibility that Lopez could sign an offer sheet with another team, according to Wojnarowski. His report cites the Bobcats as a team with interest in Lopez on a max deal. An offer sheet would mean Lopez could avoid any partial guarantees based on games played the Nets might want in the contract, and would mean he couldn't be included in a sign-and-trade deal.

TUESDAY, 10:59pm: Lopez is close to reaching an agreement on a maximum contract with the Nets, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The two sides are negotiating the length of the contract, as Lopez can sign for four years and $58MM or five years and $78MM.

1:44pm: While the Nets continue to try to find a way to obtain Dwight Howard, the team's primary trade chip is just a few hours away from being able to sign offer sheets with rival clubs. In case they aren't able to acquire Howard, the Nets have been negotiating a contract extension with Brook Lopez and could complete a deal within the next 48 hours or so, says Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).

Signing Lopez to a new contract would mean that the Nets couldn't trade him for Howard or anyone else until January 15th. While Brooklyn would probably prefer to maintain the flexibility to complete a sign-and-trade involving their 24-year-old center, the end of the moratorium means the team could have to turn to Plan B. If Lopez were to sign an offer sheet with another team, the Nets could only match the offer or let him walk, and wouldn't be able to include him in a sign-and-trade deal.

With Howard-centric rumors dominating most of the Lopez news we've heard so far this July, there hasn't been much reported interest in Lopez from other clubs. But you'd have to think that a team in search of size, whether that's the Rockets, Trail Blazers, or another club, could make life difficult for Brooklyn by pursuing Lopez, a scenario the Nets would rather avoid.

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Dwight Howard Rumors: Wednesday

July 11th, 2012 at 1:50pm CST by Luke Adams

In yesterday's round of Dwight Howard rumors, we learned that the Cavaliers had pulled out of the complicated four-team talks that included the Nets and Magic. The Nets are still in the mix for Howard, but are focusing more on one-on-one talks with Orlando now. Meanwhile, the Magic continue to talk with other teams, including the Rockets, Lakers, and Hawks, about a variety of trade scenarios involving the star center. What will today bring? We'll track the latest right here….

According to SI.com's Sam Amick, the Magic could simply let the Nets fall out of the race for Howard and seek another trade partner. Amick adds that the Rockets have been calling around looking for a taker for Luis Scola, in an effort to allow the Magic to clear more cap space in a Howard deal.
Among the Nets' reasons for accelerating the Howard talks: They're concerned that the Trail Blazers will step in and sign Brook Lopez to an offer sheet after missing out on Roy Hibbert, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein. The Rockets represent another threat to the Nets if their offer sheet for Omer Asik is matched, adds ESPN.com's Chad Ford (via Twitter).

Earlier updates:

Dwight Howard Rumors: Tuesday

July 11th, 2012 at 12:09am CST by Luke Adams

The Dwight Howard rumor mill was in full swing on Monday, as we needed multiple posts to round up all of the day's rumblings. I recapped the Monday highlights right here, including the framework of a possible four-team deal, but things continue to evolve quickly. So let's follow along with Tuesday's updates, which we'll add to the top of this page throughout the day….

As Marc Stein suggested (below), the Rockets have remained "strongly engaged" with the Magic on direct talks for Howard and haven't spent much time on three-team scenarios, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Earlier updates:

The Lakers have improved their chances of acquiring Howard by being more open to taking back Jason Richardson's three-year, $18.6MM contract, reports Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter).
The Rockets and Magic are discussing a simpler two-team trade that would send Howard to Houston, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein says the Rockets' position has strengthened due to the fact that no team has offered the Magic a better first-rounder than the one Houston will receive this evening from the Raptors in the verbally-agreed Kyle Lowry trade.
The Lakers, Magic, and Rockets have engaged in "preliminary talks" about a three-team deal that would send Howard to the Lakers and Andrew Bynum to Houston, according to Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld. Pincus cautions that nothing is imminent at all, but says Orlando isn't in love with the idea of tying up their cap with a long-term deal for Bynum or Brook Lopez, and may prefer a collection of young players and draft picks.
The Magic are "projecting confidence" that Howard will be dealt by the end of the week, says Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
The Magic have continued to talk to the Rockets and Lakers about deals for Howard, says Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Wojnarowski adds that some Orlando officials have concerns about committing maximum-salary money to Brook Lopez, given his injury history.
With the Cavs out of the picture, the Magic could receive as many as five total first-round picks if they agree to take on Kris Humphries, says Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
The Cavs are no longer involved in the Nets/Magic talks, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports confirms. If Howard is to be traded to the Nets in the near-term, it will probably have to be a two-team deal, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter links).
The Nets aren't as optimistic about getting a deal done as they were a day or two ago, writes Fred Kerber of the New York Post.
The Bobcats are willing to give Kris Humphries a multiyear guarantee in a potential three-way deal with the Nets and Magic if they can also land MarShon Brooks, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Sulia link). It's not clear what Charlotte would be giving up in that scenario. On the other hand, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com hears that the Bobcats are "not in the mix" at all (Twitter link), while ESPN.com's Ric Bucher says Charlotte wants a first-round pick rather than Brooks (Twitter link). It's safe to say that the Bobcats' involvement is a little hazy at this point.
In talking to several agents and GMs, Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Sulia link) no longer hears the Cavs mentioned as the third team in any Magic/Nets talks. Said one agent: "I'm not 100%, but from everything I've heard today, [the Cavs] are out."
The Magic have re-opened trade talks with teams besides the Nets, says Ric Bucher of ESPN.com. Bucher hears that the Hawks are one team talking to Orlando, but they "aren't the best option."
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld has the latest developments in the Nets/Magic talks, noting that the Bobcats are open to taking Kris Humphries (but only on a one-year contract) and that the Timberwolves have "real interest" in Jason Richardson and MarShon Brooks. Kyler adds that if the deal doesn't at least get within striking distance by the end of the day, the Nets may have to move on.
Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Twitter link) hears the Bobcats could take the place of both the Cavaliers and Clippers in the talks, which presumably means they'd acquire both Kris Humphries and MarShon Brooks, among other pieces. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (Twitter link) confirms that the Bobcats are in the mix.
Kennedy adds that the Cavs are having "second thoughts" about the deal and that the Timberwolves are another candidate to enter the fray (Twitter links).
As new teams become involved in the discussions, most are high on Brooks, but wary of Humphries, tweets Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com. Rudolph adds (via Twitter) that the involved teams are likely to push for completion of the deal today, and Fred Kerber of the New York Post agrees that there should be resolution today. On the other hand, Amico is hearing that it's highly unlikely a deal is agreed upon before Wednesday.

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Dwight Howard Rumors: Monday Night

July 9th, 2012 at 8:42pm CST by Zachary Links

The Magic and Nets are reportedly working to put together a multi-team deal that will send Dwight Howard to Brooklyn. The Cavaliers and Clippers could be a part of the mega-trade but nothing has been cemented yet and other clubs could be roped in to make the swap a reality. Here's the latest on D12 and the Magic..

Latest On Four-Team Dwight Howard Talks

July 9th, 2012 at 4:25pm CST by Luke Adams

We've still got plenty of time left in the day, and our round-up of Dwight Howard rumors for Monday is already getting a little too lengthy. So rather than keep tacking on more details to it, let's round up what we know so far right here.

According to various reports, the Magic and Nets have engaged the Cavaliers and Clippers in talks to facilitate a deal involving Howard. There are a lot of moving parts, but the framework of the proposed deal looks something like this:

Dwight Howard Rumors: Monday

July 9th, 2012 at 3:30pm CST by Luke Adams

It may not be many more days until our long national Dwightmare is over. Yesterday's reports on Howard suggested talks involving the Magic, Nets, and Cavaliers were getting serious, and that Orlando plans to make "one last sweep" around the league before deciding whether to accept the Nets' offer. While we wait to see if anything is agreed upon today, here are the latest rumblings on the Howard front:

Chad Ford's ESPN.com report includes some more slight tweaks to the framework described below. Ford adds Chris Duhon to the list of players headed to the Nets, suggests the Magic would receive one fewer first-rounder (a total of three instead of four), and says the Cavs would receive $3MM in cash.
Ford's report, along with tweets from the Cleveland Plain Dealer and Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, suggest that the Cavs and Clippers still aren't entirely on board. The Plain Dealer tweets that talk of a deal getting close is premature, while Berger says the Clips haven't agreed to anything yet and are one of several potential fourth-team facilitators in the mix (Twitter links).

Earlier updates:

It "sounds like" the Magic, Nets, and Cavs have found a fourth team to facilitate the Howard blockbuster, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. According to Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Twitter link), that team is the Clippers — Los Angeles would acquire MarShon Brooks in exchange for a lottery-protected first-round pick, which would go to the Magic.
In addition to the framework described by Wojnarowski below, the Magic would also receive Armon Johnson from the Nets in the proposed deal, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, who cautions in a second tweet that pieces could still move in or out.
Before either team agreed to any deal, Magic doctors would need to examine Brook Lopez and Nets doctors would need to examine Dwight Howard, says Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links).
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports had the details of the proposed three-team blockbuster: The Nets would receive Dwight Howard, Jason Richardson, and Earl Clark, the Magic would receive Brook Lopez, Damion James, Shelden Williams, and Luke Walton, and the Cavs would receive Kris Humphries, Sundiata Gaines, and Quentin Richardson. The Nets would also send three first-round picks to the Magic, one to the Cavs, and would send MarShon Brooks to a fourth team to acquire another first-rounder for the Magic.
A source tells the Cleveland Plain Dealer that a deal involving the Cavs looks doubtful at this point (Twitter link).
Don't expect a Howard deal to go down today, tweets Brian K. Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. Getting Andrew Bynum from the Lakers would be Orlando's best deal, but the club is concerned about his knees holding up, Schmitz tweets.
Kris Humphries would be seeking a four-year deal with the Cavs and wouldn't be willing to sign a one-year deal, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Sign-and-trades require a three-year minimum, but only one year needs to be guaranteed. Frankly, with a rumored 11 to 14 players involved in the proposed deal, and many of them needing to be involved via sign-and-trade, I'd be surprised if Humphries was the only player that could hold things up.
We should expect resolution on the Nets/Magic talks pretty soon, according to Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld, who says Brooklyn intends to move on if a deal can't be consummated in the near future.
The Nets are willing and able to take on Jason Richardson's salary in the proposed three-team deal, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.
Bob Finnan of the News-Herald hears that the Nets want one of the Cavaliers' first-round picks in the trade, which could be a dealbreaker for Cleveland.
Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal and J.A. Adande of ESPN throw some cold water on the Howard talk. A source tells Adande that "to act like it's almost done is overblown" Twitter link), while Lloyd continues to hear that there's "isn't much to it" on the Cavs' end (Twitter links).
Numerous reporters, including Fred Kerber of the New York Post (Twitter link), are noting that the talks between the Nets, Magic, and other teams have "a lot of moving parts," but that progress is being made. According to Kerber, the odds are better than 50/50 that Howard is sent to the Nets.
Magic brass are meeting this morning to discuss whether to pull the trigger on the proposed Nets/Cavs deal, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
A fourth team may be entering the mix to take MarShon Brooks, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, who adds that up to 14 players could be involved (Twitter link).
Although the Cavs look like the Nets' best bet to find a taker for Kris Humphries, Brooklyn has found traction on two other possible scenarios, says Wojnarowski.

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Dwight Howard Rumors: Sunday

July 8th, 2012 at 11:02pm CST by Michael Pina

11:02pm: The Magic, Nets and Cavs are in "serious talks" about a deal involving Dwight Howard and others, reports Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, who said Magic executives will meet Monday morning to determine if the deal is the right one, and an agreement could come sometime Monday (Twitter links). The Magic will complete "one last sweep" around the league before deciding whether to pull the trigger on the 11-player trade, says Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com (Twitter links). A key to the deal could be the willingness of the Cavs to take MarShon Brooks from the Nets, because the Magic isn't interested in the swingman, report Chris Broussard and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Many teams concerned about competitive balance are reluctant to facilitate a blockbuster deal, Broussard and Windhorst report, so the Magic and Nets must overcome that obstacle.

9:58pm: The Sixers are also a possibility to acquire Humphries as part of a three-team that would send Howard to the Nets, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld notes via Twitter. In an email to Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com, Sixers president Rod Thorn indicated a move may in the works, but declined to give details.

7:17pm: Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer says that there is nothing imminent between the Cavaliers and Humphries, which stifles some of the momentum of a Dwight to Nets deal for now. She also agrees with Adrian Wojnarowski in that the Cavaliers are using their interest in Humphries exclusively as a means of stockpiling assets and draft picks.

7:04pm: Following up his earlier tweet that a Nets deal was "very close", RealGM's Jarrod Rudolph acknowledges the chance that news is being "leaked" in order to get other teams to improve their trading bids to Orlando.

6:42pm: HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler tweeted earlier that the Hawks, Lakers, and Mavericks are also still involved in talks with the Magic. His latest tweet says that Atlanta's offer includes "luggage from the Joe Johnson deal."

6:35pm: ESPN's John Hollinger tweets that the Nets still have to sweeten the deal with the Cavaliers, as Cleveland would hypothetically be able to sign Humphries outright but have no interest in doing so.

6:28pm: Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM spoke with a source that says Nets GM Billy King is "very close" to acquiring Howard and that a deal could be completed "very soon" (Twitter link).

6:20pm: David Aldridge of NBA.com (via Twitter) addresses speculation of Cleveland's involvement in a deal, saying that there is "nothing substantive"with the Cavaliers right now. He also adds that the Nets are currently reaching out to "any team with room" in order to help facilitate a deal.

5:01pm: Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports tweets that Andrew Bynum has shown no inclination to agree to an extension if he is sent to Orlando in exchange for Howard. Also, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld added (Twitter link) that in addition to the Cavaliers, the 76ers also remain candidates to be the thrid team involved in a deal that would send Howard to Brooklyn.

4:43pm: The Nets are "making progress" on finding a third team to take on Kris Humphries in a larger deal that would send Dwight Howard to Brooklyn, tweets CBSSports.com's Ken Berger.That third team might be the Cavaliers.

1:25pm: Earlier today we mentioned several reports saying that the Nets' main focus right now is to re-sign Brook Lopez and focus on what they can control. However, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, Brooklyn's upper management is instead still going hard after Dwight Howardwith a package centered around three first round draft picks.

The Nets have their own first round picks to offer in alternate years, but the other pick would likely come from a third team. In the rumored deal, Brook Lopez would join the three first round picks in Orlando, and Kris Humphries would be included in a sign-and-trade situation with that same third team.

Along with draft picks, the Magic are interested in jump starting their post-Howard era by unloading some of their less team friendly contracts. Whichever team makes a move for Howard's services would have to be willing to take on players such Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu.

The Rockets are still in the hunt for Howard, and have a recently acquired lottery pick from Toronto, but if Houston is unable to land him it seems unlikely they'd arise as the third team willing to help Brooklyn build an appropriate package.

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Wojnarowski On Howard, Bynum, Nets

July 8th, 2012 at 10:51pm CST by Chuck Myron

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports took to Twitter earlier today to write about Andrew Bynum's interest in the Mavericks, Cavaliers and Rockets as the Lakers center looks forward to free agency next summer. Wojnarowski has also been on top of the latest developments in the Dwight Howard saga today, and his latest story reveals plenty about arguably the two best centers in the NBA. We've got the highlights here:

The Magic have "a strong distaste" for prolonged trade discussions about Howard, Wojnarowski reports, and the front office is united in its desire to find the best deal for Howard and send him on his way.
Bynum's reluctance to commit to the Magic long-term if he were to be traded to Orlando has made the Nets the frontrunner for Howard, since the Magic don't want to acquire Bynum just to lose him next summer. The Lakers also compromised their ability to make a deal for Howard by sending their 2013 and 2015 first-round picks to the Suns in the Steve Nash deal.
If Bynum is still with the Lakers after Howard is traded, he'll have "strong incentive" to sign an extension to remain in L.A. for the long term, sources told Wojnarowski.

Free Agent Rumors: Lucas, Camby, Lewis

July 8th, 2012 at 10:20pm CST by Daniel Seco

Jeff Green reached an agreement to remain with the Celtics on Saturday, while Aaron Brooks became an unrestricted free agent after the Suns withdrew their qualifying offer to the guard. What will Sunday bring? Here are the latest rumors on a number of free agents still on the market:

The Heat have interest in unrestricted free agent point guard John Lucas III, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com.
Marcus Camby's meeting with the Knicks today was "very positive," a source tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com, and Zwerling hears that Camby is drawn to the Knicks because of his "great relationship" with GM Glen Grunwald.
"Everything went well" during the Heat's meeting with Rashard Lewis today, as Lewis' agent tells David Aldridge of TNT (Twitter link). Lewis has yet to make a decision, with the Knicks and Hawks still in the running, Aldridge says.

Earlier updates:

Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter) identifies the Nets and Knicks as the frontrunners in sign-and-trade talks to land Marcus Camby. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News says that in addition to meeting with the Knicks in Houston, Camby held a conference call with the Nets (Twitter link).
Ken Berger of CBS Sports tweets that Brandon Rush could be an option for the Timberwolves or Trail Blazers, whichever team loses out on Nicolas Batum. Also, Berger includes Shannon Brown in the mix of suitors for Courtney Lee, O.J. Mayo, and Lou Williams once the two-guard dust clears (Twitter link).
Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas says that the Mavericks will resume talks with Ramon Sessions on Monday. Along with Dallas, the Rockets appear to interest the free agent point guard because of the opportunity to start.
According to CBSSports.com's Ken Berger, the Knicks had a "very productive" meeting with Marcus Camby today.
The Magic still do not know if Spaniard Fran Vasquez will be joining the team next season,tweets CBSSports.com's Ken Berger. Vasquez was a lottery pick in 2005.
The Bulls will not pick up C.J. Watson's option, and are attempting to deal him before July 10th, tweets Hoopsworld.com's Alex Kennedy.
The Mavericks, Rockets, Knicks, Hawks, Suns, and Bucks are all interested in signing guard Randy Foye, tweets CBSSports.com's Ken Berger.
According to a tweet from the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn, Greg Stiemsma's agent said his client did not receive a $3MM offer sheet from the Timberwolves.
The Celtics are interested in Courtney Lee after meeting with the free agent shooting guard on Saturday night, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
Even with the addition of Hinrich, the Bulls have Michael Redd and Gerald Green on their radar, tweets Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald.
Brooklyn head coach Avery Johnson says the Nets' focus is to re-sign Brook Lopez as trading for Dwight Howard remains out of their control, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. The team has begun negotiating with Lopez on an extension, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
With Camby postponing a meeting with the Heat, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel considers the likelihood of signing Greg Oden similar to how the team added Eddy Curry last season.
The Knicks brass will meet with Marcus Camby in Houston on Sunday with hopes that the big man will land in New York to serve as a backup for Tyson Chandler, says Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Look for the Celtics to explore internal options to replace Ray Allen rather than spend excess money on players who may not prove to be a good fit in Boston, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com.
The Bucks have emerged as a potential landing spot for Kirk Hinrich as they look to improve their backcourt depth, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio, but Milwaukee will have to look elsewhere as Hinrich reached a verbal agreement with the Bulls earlier on Sunday.

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Dwight Howard Rumors: Saturday

July 7th, 2012 at 7:00pm CST by Zachary Links

There wasn't much movement on the Dwight Howard talks yesterday but the Nets, Lakers, Hawks, Mavericks, and Rockets are all still in play for the Magic star. Of course, four of those teams could have pause about trading for Howard as he says that he won't agree to an extension with any club other than Brooklyn. We'll keep track of the latest Howard rumors in this post..

Ken Berger of CBS Sports writes that the Rockets continue to have their eye on Dwight and are continuously exploring ways in which they can acquire draft picks and cap space. After dealing Kyle Lowry to the Raptors for a future first-round pick this past week, it is understood that Houston is engaging in sign-and-trade talks involving Marcus Camby under the premise of accumulating more draft picks, which could later be used to sweeten a trade offer to the Magic.