7 years later, Brooklyn Nets finally awoke from their Dwightmare

Dwight Howard once let the world know his desire to team up with Deron Williams and the Brooklyn Nets. He was traded there seven years too late.

After spending the first eight seasons of his career with the Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard and his camp let sources know that he wanted to be traded to the New Jersey Nets in 2011. Little did he know this would begin a seven-year process that would slowly but surely derail his superstar status.

While Howard’s trade demand of being sent to the Nets was not met, he still ended up being dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers. After a quick stint in L.A., one season later he signed with the Houston Rockets.

Only lasting three seasons with the Rockets, he then signed with the Atlanta Hawks. One season later, he was traded yet again to the Charlotte Hornets, where he spent this past season. Finally, as ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski reported, he was once again traded; this time to the team that he had originally demanded to be traded to seven years prior.

There is some irony here. Dwight Howard’s career went spiraling downhill after the Magic did not send Howard to the Nets. Now he will be a member of the Brooklyn Nets. The thing is, his Brooklyn Nets tenure isn’t going to last very long.

As ESPN‘s Chris B. Haynes has reported, once the deal becomes final on July 6, the Nets and Howard will agree to a buyout.

It’s not like Howard can’t produce anymore. He averaged a double-double last season, putting up 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. Those 12.5 rebounds per game ranked third in the NBA, and he was fourth in double-doubles with 53.

One of those double-doubles made him the eighth player in NBA history to have 30 points and 30 rebounds in a game (ironically enough, against the Nets in Brooklyn).

Another intriguing aspect of the trade is Deron Williams is still technically on the Nets’ payroll. This means next season, Howard and Williams will finally be on the same team, yet neither will actually play for the Nets. Instead, both Williams and Howard will be dead money.

Everything has come full circle for Howard. The question now shifts to where he will sign. Due to the fact he will be paid a hefty amount by Brooklyn, he’ll have the option to sign anywhere. The Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics are all real possibilities.

For some reason, everywhere the three-time Defensive Player of the Year goes, he’s disliked. Many reports came out after the trade from Charlotte, that he was disliked in the locker room. A source well connected to a key player on the Hornets said everyone “hated him.”

Next: Complete 2018 NBA Draft grades for all 30 teams

Hopefully, now that everything has come full circle for Dwight, the outcome will be different. Maybe he will ring chase, maybe he will look to pad his salary, that is yet to be seen. One thing is for sure though: Howard once again has a lot to prove.