With game in New Jersey on tap, Dwight Howard brushes off talk of move to Nets

The Orlando Magic tonight make their one and only visit to New Jersey, a game sure to fuel the buzz around the Nets’ potential acquisition of Dwight Howard. The Nets are one of three teams on Howard’s list of preferred destinations—the Lakers and Mavericks are the others—making them a logical trading partner with Orlando.

As noted recently by Deadspin, the Nets have discounted tickets in the Prudential Center’s Loud and Proud section for the Magic game, an apparent effort to sell Howard on the Nets by filling the arena tonight. Also, the first 2,500 fans at the game will receive a free ticket voucher to a future Nets home game.

The Nets would love to bring Howard aboard to pair with star point guard Deron Williams as they move into their new state-of-the-art Barclays Center in Brooklyn next season. Williams can become a free agent after this season, and conventional wisdom says that if the Nets can land Howard, Williams will sign a long-term deal with the team.

“It’ll be interesting to see how the fans are going to react,” Williams said of Howard’s appearance in New Jersey, per The New York Post. “It should be pretty crazy. ... I kind of look forward to the game.

Nets fans chanted "We want Dwight!" and "We want How-ard!" at the Prudential Center earlier this season, the Orlando Sentinel notes.

"I'm interested to see what's going to happen,” said Magic power forward Ryan Anderson, who played for the Nets in 2008-09, his rookie season. “Obviously, they're not going to hide their feelings in New Jersey and in New York or that area. From what I know playing there, the fans definitely will tell you what they think and be very vocal about it. I have no idea how they're going to react. We'll see."

Howard is not particularly interested in talking about a potential move to the Nets, but he's sure to get plenty of those questions tonight. Asked by the Sentinel after Orlando's 93-90 win in Milwaukee on Monday what kind of reception he expects in Newark, Howard responded, "We just had a good game tonight. That's the only thing that matters."