DWIGHT’S NET DAYS END AT 1 Will negotiate buyout & go to free agency
Dwight Howard won't be ending up in Brooklyn after all.
Howard has agreed to enter into buyout negotiations with the Nets, according to ESPN, clearing the way for the 32-year-old center to hit free agency next month. Howard has one year and $23.8 million remaining on his deal.
“I want to be in a situation where I have an opportunity to help a team win,” Howard told ESPN. “That's my only goal. All I need is a real chance and a clean slate where it's not people talking about my past.”
The Nets agreed to terms with the Hornets on a trade for Howard Wednesday, according to multiple reports. In return, Brooklyn reportedly sent Charlotte Timofey Mozgov, two secondround picks, including the 45th pick in Thursday's night's draft, and cash. The other pick is in 2021, per ESPN.
Howard averaged 16.6 points, 12.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game this past season with the Hornets. It was his highest points-per-game average since 2013-14, his second season with the Rockets.
“I was just really in total shock because I wasn't expecting it to happen,” Howard said of the trade. “I thought this season was really good. For one, this is the healthiest I've been, and two, my stats this season has been one of the best since I've been in the NBA.”
The Nets already have two traditional centers on their roster in Jahlil Okafor and Jarrett Allen, so there wasn't room for Howard to begin with.
Brooklyn will still clear just under $17 million in cap space for next summer, when the free agency class could include both Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard.
Howard, meanwhile, will likely be playing for his fourth team in four years this coming season.
“This year was an opportunity for me to show what type of player I am and where I can go,” Howard said. “This season I made the most jump shots that I've made my whole career. I've improved my pick-and-pops. My (isolation) numbers are very high. I'm in a position where I can still dominate on the post, but I can do more things now because I understand the game on a different level. Furthermore, I still want to continue developing and growing as a player.”