The New Jersey Nets “intend to make a hard push” for Dwight Howard as the franchise tries to convince PG Deron Williams to sign a long-term contract extension to remain with the team, ESPN.com reports.
While Howard has maintained that he would like to stay in Orlando beyond next season, he did acknowledge recently that he’ll test the free agent market when his contract expires next summer. It’s likely, however, that the new collective bargaining will make it easier for teams to keep their marquee players.
The Nets acquired Williams in a surprising February trade with the Utah Jazz. New Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov wants to build a completive and marketable team, with Williams being a key part of that, ahead of the franchise’s move to Brooklyn for the 2012-13 season. Williams has said he’s open to staying with the Nets, and putting a player of Howard’s caliber on the floor with him would probably go a long way in the Nets’ effort to keep him.