Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl
The New Jersey Nets met with Dwight Howard Thursday night in a move that would be a violation of the league’s tampering rules, according to multiple sources.
Howard met with Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov and general manager Billy King in Miami, sources said. Howard was joined by a few business associates.
The meeting violates the NBA’s tampering rules because Howard’s current team, the Orlando Magic, did not know about the meeting or give the Nets permission to meet with him, according to the sources.
In a telephone conversation Friday afternoon, Howard denied meeting with the Nets Thursday night, saying “there was no meeting.”
Howard continued, “Right now, my plan is to show up to training camp for the Orlando Magic.”
Nonetheless, several sources insist the meeting took place.
NBA.com reported that the Magic are considering filing tampering charges against two teams, one being the Nets. SI.com reported that the other team is the Houston Rockets.
The meeting was the first between Howard and the Nets, but the second between Howard’s representatives and the Nets.
At the meeting, the group discussed a deal in which Howard would be traded to New Jersey. The plan was for Howard to ask Orlando to trade him Friday morning.
Sources said the Magic had been discussing a possible trade with New Jersey the past few days, but that nothing had been agreed upon.
WRITTEN BY Chris Broussard is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine & FULL STORY HERE
Follow Chris Broussard on Twitter:Â @chris_broussard
