The Dwight Howard-to-the-Brooklyn Nets rumors can officially stop, at least for the foreseeable future. 

I can say that with confidence because the Nets have reportedly agreed to a contract extension with center Brook Lopez.

The news comes from Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski:

Let's take a closer look at this development.

 

What It Means

Does Brook Lopez deserve a max contract?

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Howard may very well be traded sometime soon, but we now know he won't be going to Brooklyn. This is because, as HOOPSWORLD's Alex Kennedy points out, Lopez now can't be traded until Jan. 15, 2013 at the earliest. 

Considering Lopez was the main piece in a potential trade that would have sent Howard from Orlando to Brooklyn, it's finally safe to say that deal is dead. 

Additionally, this means the Nets' offseason, which arguably has been the busiest of any team, will likely come to a screeching halt after they make a decision regarding free agent Kris Humphries.

With Deron Williams signed to a max contract, Lopez now reportedly signed to a max contract and Joe Johnson and Gerald Wallace taking up a large amount of cap space, the Nets don't have the means to make many more moves, save for a potential Humphries signing, veteran additions and things like that. 

The "Big Four" will be their main core moving forward. 

 

What's Next

The Nets will contend for the first time in years.

Hi-res-143768853_crop_exact What's next is that those frowns are going to be turned upside down in Brooklyn.
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While getting Howard would have been nice, Brooklyn still has the pieces to easily make the playoffs for the first time since 2006-07.

The bench may turn out to be a little thin, and there are small adjustments that certainly still need to be made. However, a starting lineup containing Williams, Johnson, Wallace, Lopez and potentially Humphries, with MarShon Brooks either filling that last spot or coming off the bench, makes for a dangerous team. 

Additionally, with all the large, multi-year contracts, you likely will be watching the same stars in Brooklyn for at least the next few years.