(Updated with tweets from Adrian Wojnarowski and John Hollinger)
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com is reporting that the Brooklyn Nets may be calling upon the Cleveland Cavaliers to help facilitate a deal that would bring Dwight Howard to Brooklyn. It would reportedly be a sign-and-trade deal that would bring power forward Kris Humphries to the Cavaliers. The Nets are looking to acquire extra first round picks to send to Orlando, but the Cavaliers may want a first round pick to facilitate taking on Humphries.
Nets “making progress” on finding a third team to take Kris Humphries in a scenario that would send Dwight Howard to Brooklyn, source says.
— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) July 8, 2012
One possible destination for Humphries is Cleveland, who would get the forward in a sign-and-trade arrangement, source says.
— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) July 8, 2012
Cleveland’s interest with Humphries is exclusively to use him as a means to stockpile further draft picks and assets, league source says.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 8, 2012
Cleveland has cap space to sign Hump outright and showed no interest in doing so. Nets need some serious sweeteners.
— John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) July 8, 2012
Humphries, 27, has eight years of NBA experience out of Minnesota and is 6’9″ and 235 pounds. He has broken out in the past two seasons with the Nets, averaging a double double per game in each season. Last year in 62 games, he averaged 13.8 points and 11.0 rebounds in 34.9 minutes per contest while shooting 48% from the field and 75% from the line.
The Brooklyn forward made $8 million this past season and is currently an unrestricted free agent. The Cavaliers currently have only about $33 million dollars committed to players on the roster, not including the $14 million they will pay the amnestied Baron Davis, which does put them over the NBA salary floor. The team is well below the salary cap, which will be announced after the end of the July moratorium (last year’s figure was $58 million).
