Report: Howard, B’klyn working toward buyout
That didn’t last long. Dwight Howard’s tenure as a Net — something he had pushed for multiple times since 2011 — hadn’t even been made official before he and the team started negotiating a buyout. The story was first reported by ESPN, and though a source told The Post talks had not ensued as of midday on Thursday, they certainly could at any moment. Nets general manager Sean Marks in essence traded two second-round picks — No. 45 overall in Thursday’s draft, which became Kentucky’s Hamidou Diallo of Queens, and a 2021 selection — to get out of the $16.7 million they were set to pay disgruntled non-factor Timofey Mozgov in 2019-20. It’s unclear what percentage of his $23.8 million expiring contract Howard is going to get, but past history shows buyouts often get between 60 and 70 percent of their deal. With Mozgov’s salary next season 67.7 percent of what Howard will make, it’s fair to assume the buyout would roughly equal what the Nets were going to be on the hook for anyway. At a charity event in Chinatown on Wednesday, an NBA player warned one Net, “You’re going to [expletive] hate playing with Dwight.” Looks like they needn’t have worried.
There are a number of key factors to consider.
First, Brooklyn still gets out from under Mozgov’s final season, giving them $60 million to $70 million in 2019 cap space and enough room for two max free agents in a class that could include unrestricted free agents LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, Tobias Harris and Harrison Barnes and restricted free agents Karl-Anthony Towns, Devin Booker and Malcolm Brogdon.
Secondly, the Howard trade — which is operating in the Phantom Zone until July 6 anyway — doesn’t take any assets off the Nets roster. They kept just $4 million in room to potentially move up in Thursday’s draft, but could still package players (Spencer Dinwiddie, Rondae HollisJefferson, etc.) with picks No. 29 or 40 to move up.
Thirdly, and possibly just as important, Brooklyn can avoid taking any risks with their much-hyped culture.
Howard is a Hall of Fame contender (the NBA’s Terrell Owens), an eight-time All-Star and just the third man (along with Wilt Chamberlain and Moses Malone) to average a double-double his first 14 seasons in the league. But he’s also now going to be on his fifth team in four years, and he wears out his welcome quickly.
“I want to be in a situation where I have an opportunity to help a team win,” Howard told ESPN.
The Nets want flexibility in 2019. They were at cross-purposes and were always going to be a poor fit. Marks and company were smart enough to know that from the beginning.