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July 12, 2012
Nets moving on with Brook Lopez, not Dwight Howard
The Star-Ledger
by Colin Stephenson
Here's some completely unsurprising basketball news.
When the first ball is thrown up at center court in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn in November, the man jumping center for the Nets will be Brook Lopez, not Dwight Howard.
Talks between the Nets and Orlando Magic to find a way to trade Howard to the Nets ended today and the Nets moved quickly to lock up Lopez, signing him to a four-year, $60.8 million contract that kills any chance the Nets have of trading for Howard until at least January. That’s when Lopez, a Bird Rights free agent re-signing with his old team, would first be eligible to be traded, according to the CBA.
...In order to match Howard’s $19.5 million salary, the Nets needed to trade Lopez and also free-agent power forward Kris Humphries, both in sign-and-trade arrangements. Humphries was ticketed to go to a third team, and on Monday, reports emerged that a four-team deal, involving 13 players, plus four first-round picks and cash, was close.
But that deal fell apart on Tuesday, in part because Humphries balked at signing a one-year deal that would have deposited him in Cleveland, or perhaps Charlotte. With the deal for Howard off, Humphries could end up back with the Nets, who do need a power forward.
NoLandGrab: Such a deal, however, would not include Kim Kardashian.
Posted by eric at July 12, 2012 1:12 PM