NBA Trade Rumors: Nets Would Be Smart to Acquire Dwight Howard in Summer

The New Jersey Nets would be smart to not trade for Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard and instead attempt to sign him in the summer as a free agent.

The Magic's unwillingness to trade Howard means teams interested in acquiring the star center might have to wait until the offseason.

New Jersey would not be a championship contender if they had to trade for Howard because to acquire him, giving up young players and draft picks would be required. If the Nets got him in the summer as a free agent, they would keep their young stars and continue to build a solid bench with good depth.

Former Magic center Shaquille O'Neal devastated fans in Orlando when he left the team to join the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent in 1996, and Howard reportedly does not want to mimic that situation.

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The idea of following in the footsteps of Shaq, who already has made a cottage industry of accusing Howard of stealing everything from him, also gives Howard pause, another person familiar with his thinking said.

"Dwight is very sensitive to people thinking that he is duplicating Shaq," the person said.

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Magic owner Rich DeVos seems very willing to risk Howard leaving as a free agent and getting nothing in return if in fact he does leave. DeVos, 85, wants to see his team be a legitimate NBA Finals contender again before he passes away.

Per CBS Sports:

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"I don't want to trade him," DeVos said of Dwight Howard who could become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

That's not exactly "I won't trade him" but it signals what some are beginning to suspect. The Magic aren't in a hurry to trade Howard and aren't going to just give him away.

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DeVos really wants to find a situation that allows him to keep Howard in Orlando long-term, and the longer he keeps the star center around, even if that means not trading him before the deadline, the more time he has to convince Howard that the Magic can contend long-term.

The Magic's only way to convince Howard to stay is by adding another all-star caliber player who can make the team legitimate title contenders this season, because right now Orlando isn't a real threat to reach the NBA Finals.

New Jersey will likely have to wait until the summer to acquire Howard, who are a team the star center has put on his list of team's he'd be willing to accept a trade to.

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"To go rebuild a team around Deron [Williams] and Dwight holds some sway," one of the people close to Howard said. "[Mikhail] Prokhorov definitely offers worldwide marketing opportunities. Going to Dallas and playing with Dirk [Nowitzki], who's not an egomaniac -- that could make sense. Going to L.A. with Kobe? I just don't see it."

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The Nets can offer Howard the chance to play with an elite point guard in Deron Williams, something that the Mavericks and Lakers cannot give him. In fact, Dallas and Los Angeles are two of the weakest teams at the point guard position.

New Jersey will be active in pursuing Howard if the Magic give in and look to trade him, but their best option is to wait until the summer and attempt to acquire him as a free agent.

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