2012 NBA Draft Lottery Results: Brooklyn Nets Lose Lotto Pick, Hurting Dwight Howard Trade Chances

The Brooklyn Nets' chances of acquiring Orlando Magic superstar center Dwight Howard via trade took a huge blow Wednesday night when the NBA revealed the results of its 2012 Draft Lottery. The Nets did not wind up with a top-three selection, meaning their pick--sixth overall--will belong to the Portland Trail Blazers as a result of their trade-deadline deal with Portland for combo forward Gerald Wallace. Without a lotto pick, the Nets find themselves with few trade assets to offer Orlando. The New Orleans Hornets won the Lottery and will almost assuredly use the pick to select Anthony Davis from Kentucky. The Charlotte Bobcats and Washington Wizards, two of Orlando's rivals in the Southeast Division, will select second and third, respectively.

Yahoo! reported Wednesday morning that All-Star point guard Deron Williams has indicated he would not return to the Nets unless they landed the top overall pick and traded it to Orlando for Howard; Williams himself took to Twitter to deny the report.

New Jersey could still offer shooting guard MarShon Brooks and restricted free-agent center Brook Lopez to Orlando for Howard, though it's unclear if such a proposal would interest the Magic and whomever they hire as their new General Manager.

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