The Charlotte Hornets have agreed to trade eight-time All-Star center Dwight Howard to the Brooklyn Nets for center Timofey Mozgov and two second-round draft picks [url=http://www.cincinnatibengalsshop.com/cheap-billy-price-jersey]Billy Price Color Rush Jersey[/url] , a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The Hornets will get the Nets’ second-round pick Thursday night (45th overall) and a second-round pick in 2021, the person said. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the teams have not announced the trade and the league cannot approve the deal until the trade moratorium ends on July 6.

The 32-year-old Howard played only one season for Charlotte, averaging 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. He is due to make $23.8 million this season, the final year of his contract.

Brooklyn will be Howard’s fourth team in as many seasons. He had pushed for a trade from Orlando to the Nets during the 2011-12 season in hopes of joining Deron Williams, then changed his mind and recommitted the Magic, who instead dealt him to the Lakers that summer.

After later spending three seasons with the Houston Rockets, Howard was acquired by his hometown Atlanta Hawks in 2016 as a free agent and signed a three-year contract. But he wore out his welcome after one season and was dealt to Charlotte. The Hornets, in the midst of a major organizational shake-up [url=http://www.cincinnatibengalsshop.com/cheap-mark-walton-jersey]Mark Walton Color Rush Jersey[/url] , having already replaced their general manager and coach, could be on the verge of shaking up their roster, too.

Howard struggled to mesh with guard Nicolas Batum, and the Hornets failed to make the playoffs despite what former coach Steve Clifford considered the team’s most talented roster in half a decade.

This is a reunion of sorts for Mozgov. Recently hired Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak signed Mozgov to a four-year, $64 million deal in 2016 when both were with the Los Angeles Lakers.

While the move allows the Hornets to unload Howard’s contract and save about $7 million under this year’s salary cap, it is a bit of a gamble because Mozgov has two years remaining on his current deal at $16 million per year.

Mozgov’s numbers pale in comparison to Howard’s.

He played in only 31 games last season for the Nets, averaging 4.2 points and 3.2 rebounds. Acquired along with D’Angelo Russell, Mozgov began the season in the starting lineup but quickly fell out of the rotation entirely on a team that preferred to play small and shoot 3-pointers.

The 7-foot-1 Mozgov has not played a full 82-game season since 2013 and has averaged in double figures only once during his eight-year NBA career. By contrast [url=http://www.lionsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-kerryon-johnson-jersey]http://www.lionsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-kerryon-johnson-jersey[/url] , Howard has averaged 17.4 points, 12.7 rebounds and two blocks per game since joining the league in 2004.

His rim protection should help what has been a poor defensive team and he could help in the pick-and-roll with Russell and Jeremy Lin, but the biggest incentive to the Nets is likely for salary reasons with Howard’s contract expiring after next season.

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AP Basketball Writers Tim Reynolds and Brian Mahoney contributed to this report.

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On Sunday, the urinals in Wells Fargo Arena featured photos of Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby.

If the Flyers don’t find a way to stop Crosby and Company on Wednesday night, it will be their season on its way down the drain.

Pittsburgh took a 2-1 lead with Sunday’s 5-1 win meaning a victory in Game 4 sends them back home with a chance to clinch the series and take a step toward their third straight Stanley Cup.

Already in trouble, the Flyers got bad news during Tuesday’s practice when Radko Gudas and Sean Couturier collided. Couturier was helped off the ice and his status is in doubt for Wednesday night.

“You don’t like to see that. Coots is playing 20 minutes a night for us right now, is a big piece to our team,” Flyers captain Claude Giroux told the Courier Post.

Couturier is playing over 24 points per game and has a goal and two assists in the series.

The Flyers’ leading scorer [url=http://www.carolinahurricanesteamshop.com/authentic-andrei-svechnikov-jersey]Andrei Svechnikov Hurricanes Jersey[/url] , Giroux is also a big piece of the team. He totaled seven goals and 11 assists in the final 10 games of the regular season as the Flyers drove to a playoff spot, finishing with a career-high 34 goals and 102 points.

He has one assist through the first three games of this series and two goals in his last 16 postseason games.

Scoring more is only half the equation for the Flyers. Holding the Penguins to a more manageable number of goals is the other. The Penguins had seven power play chances in Game 3 and scored three goals.

“We took six minor penalties in a 30-minute span in the middle of this hockey game,” Flyers coach Dave Hakstol told NHL.com. “You’re not going to win hockey games (that way).”

Making Crosby a ‘target’ off the ice on Sunday didn’t do anything to slow him down as he notched a goal and three assists.

“It’s not the first building that’s happened in,” Crosby told USA Today of the photo placement. “I don’t know if they stole that idea from somewhere else. But yeah, it’s not the first time that’s happened.”

Crosby has 30 points in 20 career playoff games against the Flyers, including 15 points in nine career playoff games in Philadelphia.

“I just think it’s an indication of how competitive he is,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan told USA Today. “I think he thrives in that environment. I think he has a comfort level in that environment. When the stakes are high, if we’re in an away building and they’re important games [url=http://www.officialavalanche.com/authentic-adidas-sampo-ranta-jersey]Authentic Sampo Ranta Jersey[/url] , Sid tends to play his best.”

Evgeny Malkin had a goal and an assist, and Matt Murray made 26 saves for Pittsburgh in Game 3. Murray is 9-1 in games after a Penguins loss in the playoffs.

Travis Sanheim scored for the Flyers, and Brian Elliott made 21 saves.

On the Pittsburgh side, it’s Phil Kessel who is struggling, with one assist in the first three games. Kessel is expected to again be on a line with Malkin and Carl Hagelin.

“You look at the last couple of games, he had one that just missed the short-side off his stick,” Crosby told nhl.com, “and then last game [url=http://www.brownscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-baker-mayfield-jersey]Cheap Baker Mayfield Jersey[/url] , he had one low on the far-side that was a really good look. When he gets looks in those scoring areas, he doesn’t miss many of them. So I like his chances.”

The Penguins will be without a heart-and-soul player in rugged winger Patric Hornqvist. The team announced on Tuesday he will miss the game because of an upper-body injury.

“Horny’s not an easy guy to replace,” Sullivan told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “He’s a unique player for us, and he brings a lot. I think we’re just going to have to, by committee, pick up the pieces and make sure that the opportunities that are given to others that Horny normally fills, they’re going to get a great opportunity to help this team win a game.”

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