Hours after it was reported that the Nets were trying to compile the pieces to put together a four-team trade that would bring Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard to New Jersey, the deal reportedly fell apart on Wednesday when the Magic ended all trade talks for Howard.
The Nets, who have had an offer of Brook Lopez and draft picks for Howard and Hedo Turkoglu on the table for some time, were trying to find another significant player from one or two other locations to facilitate the deal, Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
Wojnarowski tweeted later that the Magic had decided to take Howard off the market.
The Magic were said to be listening to offers, but it was unclear how strongly they felt they had to trade Howard. Unlike Chris Paul, who is not expected to re-sign with New Orleans under any circumstances, the big man has flip-flopped many times in the past two years about whether he would re-sign with Orlando.
His latest confusing comment came at the Magic's media day, when he said, "I want to spend my career in Orlando because I love this city, but I want to be involved in what happens with this team."
The Nets are well-known to want a pairing of Howard and point guard Deron Williams to sell to fans in Brooklyn, where the team plans to move next season.
