Marc Stein reports Wednesday that the Nets may still have the upper hand in the Dwight Howard sweepstakes, but don't rule out other teams coming up with better packages that offer stars and not rebuilding assets for the perennial All-NBA center.
Stein writes that the Hawks recently discussed a deal that would send Joe Johnson and Josh Smith to Orlando ... and that Atlanta --and other teams-- might be willing to risk Howard not signing a new contract with them next July.
One reason why the Magic aren't ready to accept young players, picks and cap space in return for Howard is that team owner Rich DeVos is 85 years old and unwilling to start over.
Meanwhile, Dave D'Alessandro poses this question: Would Howard be willing to risk not making the playoffs this season by demanding a trade to the Nets, considering just how bad the Nets might be on March 15?
- What will Magic want for Dwight? - Marc Stein - ESPN
- D'Alessandro: Numbers unlikely to add up for Nets this season - Dave D'Alessandro - Star-Ledger
- Nets trounced; Jersey fans clamor for Howard - Fred Kerber - New York Post
- Thursday’s Magic-Nets game will be intriguing but not necessarily important - Josh Robbins - Orlando Sentinel
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Acquiring veterans in any deal for Dwight Howard won’t help Magic - Zach Lowe - Sports Illustrated
- Magic Owner Breathes New Life Into Dwight Howard Rumor Mill - Rob Mahoney - Off the Dribble