Hornets trade Howard to Nets for Mozgov, picks

The Charlotte Hornets’ experiment with center Dwight Howard lasted a single season, with the team agreeing to trade him to the Brooklyn Nets, an NBA source confirmed Wednesday.

The Hornets will acquire Russian center Timofey Mozgov, plus two second-round picks, from the Nets. Mozgov’s current contract with the Nets was originally signed with the Los Angeles Lakers when new Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak oversaw the Lakers.

This trade can’t become official until at least July 6 when the NBA’s new fiscal year begins. That’s because Howard’s salary for next season ($23.5 million) far exceeds Mozgov’s ($16 million). The Nets can’t absorb that difference in salary until the 2018-19 salary cap takes effect.

The Hornets will get some muchneeded payroll reduction in the short run. However, this trade commits the Hornets to Mozgov’s $16.7 million salary for the 2019-20 season. Also, the Nets will send a second-round pick in Thursday’s draft (45th overall) and in the 2021 draft to the Hornets. The Nets will have to make that pick Thursday on the Hornets’ behalf, since the trade will not yet be official.

The Hornets acquired Howard a year ago from the Atlanta Hawks to add rim protection as the veteran Charlotte roster was looking to make a playoff run. The deal was made in part because of then-Hornets coach Steve Clifford’s prior relationship with Howard when Clifford was an assistant with the Orlando Magic and Lakers.

While Howard put up strong numbers last season — 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds per game — that did not translate to the Hornets returning to the playoffs, the express goal of the trade. Hornets guard Nic Batum and Howard struggled much of last season to collaborate effectively on offense.