NBA Trade Rumors: Nets Working On Dwight Howard Trade Options

The New Jersey Nets are working on potential multi-team Dwight Howard trade options even though the Orlando Magic have not yet signaled that the team will trade the All-Star center before the league's March 15 trade deadline, reports Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix (via NetsDaily). The Nets received permission to speak with Howard about trade possibilities earlier this season, and are considered to be one of the few teams that the center would prefer to be traded to.

But the question remains as to whether the Nets have the assets to pull it off after mortgaging a good portion of the franchise's future to land Deron Williams a year ago. Brook Lopez is considered to be the centerpiece of any Nets' package; Lopez made his season debut last weekend after a preseason injury that required surgery kept him out of the team's first 32 games. The Nets would need to rely on their status as a preferred destination for Howard to gain favor from Orlando.