The Nets really have the worst luck: first, Dwight Howard reportedly demanded a trade to the team last week, getting everyone excited about the prospect of a truly worthy crosstown basketball rivalry. The Nets understandably put all their other plans and trades in limbo to focus on him. Then the team was accused of tampering. Then the Chris Paul trade blew up, and the Lakers set their sights on Howard. Now, even as Howard has given the Nets hope by listing them as one of the four teams he'll sign a contract extension with, he's reportedly considering staying in Orlando after all. What's next? Is billionaire owner and Russian presidential candidate Mikhail Prokhorov going to have a mysterious "accident?"
ESPN reports that Howard has narrowed down the list of teams he's willing to sign with to four: the Nets, the Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks and the Orlando Magic. The Magic however are doing everything they can to not trade their superstar, and instead seem poised to entice him to stay by making some moves of their own. And Howard's comments seem to also point to him staying for the time being: "I love this city, there is no place I'd rather be but Orlando. I just want to make sure we have the right things here so we can win a championship. I'm all about change. If you're willing to change and you're willing to do what it takes to win then, you know, you got me."
Meanwhile, the question marks surrounding Howard and a possible trade are casting a shadow over the players at Nets training camp. The team claims that if Howard isn’t traded to them by the end of the week, they'll move on to their contingency plans and seek alternative means of filling out their roster. Plan B seems to be signing free agent center Nene, who, while good, doesn't even approach Howard's level. But after that, the Nets look pretty lost—Shelden Williams is not exactly a get.
And there's always the possibility that Orlando may decide not trade Howard until later in the season; and despite what the Nets are saying about putting their foot down, if Howard is still potentially available, the Nets will try to do everything they can to entice him to come to Brooklyn with them, as long as they have to.
