The Charlotte Hornets are finalizing a trade to send center Dwight Howard to the Brooklyn Nets for Timofey Mozgov, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Nets will include two future second-round picks and cash compensation going to the Hornets in exchange for Howard, who has a $23.8 million expiring contract.
This is a clear salary-dump move that will allow the Hornets front office to have some much-need flexibility with a heftily-paid starting lineup.
Howard's contract was the highest in the books for this upcoming 2018-19 season, closely followed by that of Nicolas Batum, who is owed $22.4 million.
This will also open up room for the 2019 free agency class, as the Nets will now have room to sign two max free agents, much like the Los Angeles Lakers have set up for this very offseason.
Charlotte will need additional salary relief to sign All-Star point guard Kemba Walker to a long-term deal, along with a plan to pitch the young guard into staying with the team, after falling short in the last five seasons under former coach and friend Steve Clifford.
A revamped front office, starring former Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak will now be spearheading operations, determined to shed some overblown salaries in the likes of Batum and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who have massively under-produced over the course of the last few seasons.
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