Howard, Nets working toward buyout
Dwight Howard isn't interested in playing for the Brooklyn Nets and the two sides have agreed to work toward a buyout allowing Howard to become a free agent.
The Nets agreed to acquire Howard from the Charlotte Hornets earlier this week, a deal that doesn't become official until the NBA moratorium on offseason deals is lifted on July 6. In the trade, the Nets would send Timofey Mozgov to the Hornets.
But that didn't stop Howard from expressing his wishes to receive a buyout. He has one year and $23.8 million remaining on his current contract.
"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."
Howard averaged 16.6 points, 12.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots last season for the Hornets.
He said he was stunned by the trade and didn't see it coming.
"I was just really in total shock because I wasn't expecting it to happen," Howard said. "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 14-year veteran is an eight-time All-Star but he hasn't been named to the team since 2014. He has led the league in rebounding five times but the most recent occasion was the 2012-13 season.
Howard played his first eight seasons with the Orlando Magic before playing for four teams in a six-season span. He played one season with the Los Angeles Lakers, three with the Houston Rockets, one with the Atlanta Hawks and one with the Hornets.
Charlotte will reportedly also send two second-round picks to the Nets along with the 31-year-old Mozgov.
The second-round picks are No. 45 in Thursday's draft and a 2021 second-round pick, ESPN reported.
--Field Level Media
