"The Nets just may be close to punching a playoff ticket, even without Dwight Howard.

The agent for free agent guard DeShawn Stevenson, a gritty hard-nosed defender who won a title with the Mavericks last season, said he is having "serious conversations" with the Nets.

"You know how these things go, something could happen in two minutes, two days or not at all," said Mark Bartelstein, Stevenson's agent. "But yes, we have been talking. I would categorize them as serious conversations.""