NBA Trade Rumors: How Dwight Howard's Decision Will Reshape the Deadline

Wow.  What a day it has been for Dwight Howard!  Before we go any further, let's start with a recap.

First, ESPN's Michael Wallace reported Howard had publicly stated his desire to remain with the Orlando Magic for the rest of the season, citing that he wanted the front office to "roll the dice."

Sure enough, Orlando's front office finally grew a spine and took some initiative after not taking kindly to Howard's words.  As reported by ESPN's Chris Broussard, team sources stated that Howard was "dreaming" if he thought that he could stay in Orlando without giving them some sort of commitment.  Otherwise, he would be traded by tomorrow's deadline.

Finally, putting a cap on this ridiculous soap opera, Christian Bruey of WFTV tweeted Howard had decided to not opt out after this season and instead become a free agent after next season.  All of a sudden, this year's trade deadline season just got a lot more interesting.

In the blink of an eye, the man who easily could have been one of the most in-demand players on the free agent market this summer is suddenly no longer available.  As a result, our attentions will now be turned to the likes of Jamal Crawford, Ramon Sessions and others.

Yet, let's forget about the trade deadline as a whole and shift our attention to the New Jersey Nets.  Here is a team that wanted Howard badly, as their move to Brooklyn next year would have a lot more fanfare with a superstar like him in tow.

Now, the Nets have to cross their fingers and hope that star point guard Deron Williams decides to follow Howard's lead and not opt out of his contract after this season.  Williams has already indirectly called out team management to build a better team around him and while there are plenty of talented players on the market now, none have the same star power or skill set as Howard.

Throw in the fact that Williams has already expressed an interest in playing for the Dallas Mavericks, and the Nets suddenly have a lot more to worry about than figuring out how to get Howard to join them in Brooklyn.  With players like Kris Humphries and Brook Lopez entering free agency next offseason and at least one of them getting a lucrative offer from another team, resigning them has to be first priority, but that might not even be enough to keep Williams.

Thus, fasten your seat belts, folks.  The next 24 hours are going to be quite interesting!