NBA Rumors: Mavericks in Position to Land Dwight Howard in Free Agency

If the Orlando Magic don't deal Dwight Howard at the trade deadline and he enters free agency after the season, the Dallas Mavericks have a good shot to land the prized center.

Wrote ESPN's Chad Ford in his Wednesday chat:

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"I think D-Will ends up back in New Jersey if (Nets) land Howard. If they don't, I think he's in Dallas next year wearing a Mavs uniform. Not out of the question that Howard will be in Big D, too."

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There are some things working in the Mavericks' favor in free agency if Howard is available.

First off, the Mavericks would have to make a slew of moves, but they are nonetheless possible. To make cap space, they'd have to trade away Shawn Marion without taking back any salary and give away Roddy Beaubois and Dominique Jones.

They'd also have to let free-agents-to-be Jason Terry, Lamar Odom, Vince Carter and Delonte West walk, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.

When that is taken care of, they have an owner in Mark Cuban who has made Dallas an attractive place to play, especially after their championship last season.

The potential for another championship is there if Howard and/or Deron Williams ends up in Dallas. Dirk Nowitzki is still one of the best players in the NBA.

It's also worth mentioning that Jason Kidd has the same agent as Williams (Jeff Schwartz), and Marion has the same agent as Howard (Dan Fegan). There are some connections there.

With Howard next to Nowitzki, just imagine the one-two punch they could create, with Howard dominating inside and Nowitzki rotating inside and outside. There's a reason why the Mavericks are among those listed as Howard's preferred destinations.

This also puts the Los Angeles Lakers in the spotlight. They appear to have the best pieces in Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol to land Howard before the deadline, but will they trade Bynum now, especially after his hot start? I'm leaning towards, "No."

In my mind, if the Nets don't trade for Howard before the March 15 deadline, the Mavericks will land Howard in free agency.