Dwight Howard Trade Rumors: Brook Lopez Will Have Less Than a Month to Audition

The New Jersey Nets have seen better days as they've battled through a seven-game losing streak but their fortunes are about to improve by leaps and bounds as Brook Lopez will return soon after practicing with the team on Tuesday.

Lopez has missed the entire season so far after breaking his foot, which was a devastating injury to the Nets—not only to their hopes of being competitive this season, but also because he is the major chip in any trade involving Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.

Before the injury, Lopez was a much more attractive commodity. Sure, he wasn't the best defensive or rebounding center in the NBA before the injury, but he was a dominant scorer in the paint area for New Jersey.

He was also durable, playing in 82 games in each of his first three seasons.

But after a major foot injury, Lopez's trade stock has taken a hit. The last thing you want for an NBA player, let alone a big man, is for him to have any injury involving his legs and that's just what happened to Lopez.

Now, Lopez and the Nets find themselves with less than a month before the trade deadline and even less time to audition Lopez for his possible future destination: the Magic. Even after the two- to three-week audition time is up, the Magic might still have their doubts.

But the Nets do have an ace in the hole, so to speak. If Lopez isn't attractive enough at this point after his injury, New Jersey could offer up rookie MarShon Brooks as its sacrificial lamb. Brooks has proved to be a valuable player and an explosive scorer. Both of those traits have made him a fan-favorite in Newark.

It might not be the ideal scenario for Nets fans and they may feel like giving Brooks up as well is too much, but at this point the Nets have no choice. They must bring Howard to New Jersey this year at all costs, otherwise they face the disaster of Deron Williams fleeing to another destination after this season, leaving the Brooklyn Nets with a basement-dwelling roster for their big move.

It's the price the Nets will have to pay and it might not have been a necessary one if Lopez didn't go down with such a serious injury. Lopez's "audition" time will not be long enough to prove anything as far as I'm concerned. Along with the uncertainty that is Lopez currently, the Nets can shore up the deal by adding Brooks to it.

Any way you look at it, Lopez has one month to prove his worth. Otherwise, the Magic might be looking for another suitor in the D12 sweepstakes.