Nets Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz Ahead of Trade Deadline

In the summer of 2010, all the elite free agents began to spread their wings in search of greener pastures.

Dwyane Wade decided to stick it out in Miami, but he would be joined by fellow free-agents Chris Bosh and LeBron James. Amar'e Stoudemire left the Phoenix Suns for the New York Knicks, and Carlos Boozer left the Utah Jazz for the Chicago Bulls. Never before have we seen so many elite players switch teams, and it obviously shook up the NBA.

But what about the New Jersey Nets? They had the money that Miami and New York had but lacked the appeal. The team wasn't that great, and they didn't have many players to convince you into switching teams. They had funds and the idea of moving the team to Brooklyn on their side, but it convinced no big-name players to join their team.

As a result, the team signed Travis Outlaw to $35 million. It didn't work out well.

Since then, however, the Nets were able to acquire All-Star point guard Deron Williams. With Williams now on the squad, the Nets can at least boast that they have a player worth playing with. This has attracted the attention of a number of soon-to-be free agents and possible trade bait as Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard has been adamant about going to the Nets via trade.

The deal has yet to happen, but Howard hasn't let the trade talk die. He still wants to go to New Jersey, or Brooklyn, to join a team that already has arguably the league's best floor general and plenty of money to throw around to build a capable roster.

With the trade deadline now less than two weeks away, we explore the latest talk involving Dwight Howard's and Deron Williams' upcoming free agency as well as other possible candidates joining the team in the future.

UPDATE: Nets Acquire Gerald Wallace

Update 3/15: Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports is reporting that the Nets have agreed to trade Mehmet Okur, Shawne Williams and the Nets top 3 protected, 2012 First Round Draft pick to the Trail Blazers for Gerald Wallace.

The Nets are definitely going all out to help get some players to surround all-star Deron Williams. 

Dwight Howard to the Nets?

It's been the most talked about and drawn out deal in the NBA in a long time.

At least the Chris Paul saga ended within a month. Dwight Howard supposedly demanded a trade in December to the New Jersey Nets and is still on the Orlando Magic. He's not exactly pleased with it, but he's been giving a great audition to the Nets as he averages 20 points and a league-leading 15 rebounds to go with his usual two blocks per.

Howard has made it known a number of times that he still wants out of Orlando, but he still seems reluctant to do so. He's mentioned on many occasions that the hardest thing about leaving Orlando, if he does leave, would be departing from the fans. He's even claimed to have cried on the bench when he feels as if he's disappointed the home crowd.

It hasn't done much to change his decision, however. Howard still wants out of Orlando and New Jersey seems like the likely destination if he does depart. Word is that a deal was in place, but the Magic ownership denied a deal that would have sent Howard to the Nets as well as Brook Lopez and Gerald Wallace to the Magic.

Lopez appears to be the main cog in the deal, and it took a hard hit when he hurt his foot in preseason and sat out the first few weeks of the season. As enticing as that sounds, it's going to take a lot of convincing for the Magic to cut off ties with Howard when they still truly believe that they're going to re-sign him in the offseason.

Overall, nothing has truly changed in this saga. Dwight Howard wants to go to New Jersey. New Jersey wants Dwight Howard. The Orlando Magic and about five other teams want him as well.

Dwight Howard's Second Thoughts?

When you have a player with as big a name and impact as Dwight Howard, several suitors are going to begin showing up at the door to plead their case on why they should have him.

That's where the Nets are lacking. They certainly have the advantage of Howard preferring them over every other team, but it takes far more than that to make a trade happen. The Magic have one of the NBA's biggest stars and always have the supreme advantage of having a dominant center in a league where elite centers are lacking.

The Magic walk into every game with a huge advantage down low. Opponents have to rewrite their gameplan just so they can find a way to contain Howard since they don't have one player that can do so. Orlando's ridden this pony to the NBA Finals and every year to the postseason for the past five seasons.

The Nets only have one elite piece. That piece happens to be Deron Williams, the one player the team is not willing to give up as he's the sole reason why Howard wants to go there in the first place. When you're offering up pieces like Brook Lopez or any of the other D-League legends on the Nets, the chances are high that you're going to have a tough time making a deal.

A number of teams have also offered up their two cents, including the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers. Even though Howard has said that he's not willing to sign a contract extension with the Lakers, the franchise still doesn't believe they're out of it.

After all, they do have arguably the best player in the league that would work an inside-outside game with Howard.

In the end, this all comes down to Howard. He's pressed and isn't exactly sure where he in fact wants to go. He claims to have trouble sleeping at night because of the prospect of leaving Orlando which gives you the impression that he's an emotional person that's loyal to his fanbase. I don't remember hearing Chris Paul or Carmelo Anthony having any sentiments upon their departures.

Not to mention that there's still a chance Howard stays in Orlando. He hasn't quit on the team at all and is still playing arguably the best basketball of his career. He's left the door open for the Magic as he appears that he still has strong ties to the organization that drafted him with the first pick in the 2004 draft.

If the Magic were to bring in solid players to assist Howard on his journey to winning a title, don't be surprised if you see the All-Star center signing an extension with his current team.

Deron Williams Re-Signing?

Before the Nets even think about going after Dwight Howard, they have to first make sure they re-sign the player who's enticing the All-Star center to go there in the first place.

Howard isn't the only big name that's becoming a free agent this summer as current Nets point guard Deron Williams is also set to become one.

The former Utah Jazz star who was acquired in a deal last year that sent out Derrick Favors, and Devin Harris will certainly be looking to explore his options after missing out on the playoffs in two straight seasons. I recognize that he's only missed it once, but I believe I can nearly guarantee that Williams' Nets won't be making it to the playoffs.

The Nets are at 11-26, good enough for last in the Atlantic Division and 13th in the Eastern Conference. They're seven-and-a-half games out of the final spot and a run at this point in the season seems highly unlikely. Williams is doing all in his power to aid this club, as he's currently averaging 22 points, eight assists and three boards per.

Success is what makes a player stay. The Nets haven't had much success to convince Williams on staying another year. Only if the team starts acquiring some elite players will he stay because I highly doubt he wants to spend another year on a team where Brook Lopez is the leading scorer and a rookie is third in the same category.

However, the Nets seem comfortable with their current position and Williams at the moment. Coach Avery Johnson and GM Billy King both claimed that Williams will remain a New Jersey Net and that the Dallas Mavericks, a strong suitor to Williams as well as Howard, are not to be perceived as a possible threat.

Do you think anyone should tell them that the Mavericks have a lot of quality pieces that would excel with a point guard like Williams or the fact that he grew up in Texas? I think it's better that they live blindly.

Deron Williams Leaving?

The Nets may not have the pieces, but they do have a lot of something that many other teams don't have.

The team has money. A lot of money. They've been saving up since prior to 2010 when they were hoping they could either sign guys like Dwyane Wade, LeBron James or Amar'e Stoudemire. Instead of getting at least one, the Nets completely struck out and ended up with just about the same amount of money they had in the first place.

Of course, they did give $35 million to Travis Outlaw. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

It's going to take more than money to keep Williams in New Jersey, however, as there are other teams who could offer just as much money and a suitable roster to play with. A number of suitors are out there, but it's the Dallas Mavericks that appear ready to make a strong surge towards obtaining the All-Star point guard.

It's no secret that the Mavericks want Williams, as well as Dwight Howard. Why else do you think they'd dismantle last year's championship roster? Do you honestly think that they allowed Tyson Chandler and Caron Butler to walk because they didn't have the money to matchup with the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers? They have a billionaire owner who's heavily devoted to his club. Trust me, they know what they're doing.

Take a look at Lamar Odom's contract as well. It's only going to last until the end of the season. Basically, the Mavericks will have even more money to throw around, and they hope to see that money land in the deep pockets of Williams and Howard. This team has become the Nets enemy as both clubs look to acquire the same two players.

The Mavericks are a scary team to compete with in terms of acquiring a big time free agent. They have the money, the owner that's willing to chip in a few more dollars, a roster that would still have Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry and even the sentiments of Williams who had no problem in telling the team that he "would love to go back home and be a part of a team with Nowitzki."

The Nets have the advantage of moving to Brooklyn and the blessings of Dwight Howard, but Dallas is going to be tough to compete with.

Michael Beasley to the Nets?

Believe it or not, there are actually other trade rumors involving the New Jersey Nets that aren't solely about where Deron Williams and Dwight Howard could be playing in the 2012-'13 season.

There happens to be a misunderstood small forward playing in Minnesota that's also drawing the attention of a number of suitors, including the Nets.

Michael Beasley has played four of the most bewildering years of basketball we've seen from a former No. 2 pick. In flashes, he's shown that he's capable of being just as dangerous a scorer as Carmelo Anthony or Kevin Durant. He's ambidextrous which allows him to drive comfortable with either hand, has a solid jump shot that can go as far out as the perimeter and is extremely athletic.

The problem is everything else. His rebounding is lacking as he's only averaged as much as six boards per, isn't the most sound defender and has had way too much off the court headaches. His latest headache was getting caught with marijuana after promising the Timberwolves that he was off the stuff for good.

With Beasley's antics showing up again and rookie Derrick Williams developing into a fine athlete, the Timberwolves are interested in shopping "B-Easy." They even went as far as proposing a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers. The trade was on the table, but the Lakers decided that a first-round pick wasn't worth it.

Beasley is averaging 12 points and five boards per in 27 games, seven of which he started, this season. He's coming off a career year where he averaged 19 points and six boards per as the focal point of the Timberwolves offense. Nowadays, he finds himself coming off the bench and attempting to compete for minutes with a rookie.

Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune claims that the Nets are a possible suitor in acquiring Beasley. He claims that their biggest competition will be with the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets, teams with plenty of pieces to give up in order to acquire him.

The Nets will have to give up a few pieces, but it would address a huge opening at small forward, and it may just allow Beasley to come out of his shell for once. He's had trouble adjusting to playing with superstars which was the case in Miami with Dwyane Wade, and he's proven that he's capable of leading a team on offense as he did last season with Minnesota.

If Beasley is given the right opportunity in the right environment, he could very well live up to that No. 2 selection that was utilized by the Heat in 2008.