NBA Trade Rumors: How the Brooklyn Nets Can Still Land Dwight Howard

The Orlando Magic may not appear overly interested in what the Brooklyn Nets are offering in exchange for Dwight Howard, but that doesn't mean all hope is lost.

ESPN's Chris Broussard reports that there's a still-evolving framework for a deal that could have some legs:

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The Nets and the Magic are discussing a trade that would send Howard to the Nets for Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks and the Nets' first-round picks in 2013, 2015 and 2017, sources said. Lopez and Humphries, who are both free agents, would go to Orlando in sign-and-trade deals.

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While Broussard claims that the Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Hawks and Houston Rockets also remain possibilities, Howard clearly prefers Brooklyn to be his next home.

That could make it difficult to consummate a trade with another team given that Howard would be a rather expensive one-year rental. The Lakers, for one, are apparently willing to part with All-Star center Andrew Bynum—but only in the event Howard agrees to stay in Los Angeles for the long haul.

The alternatives to Brooklyn are fraught with the kind of hang-ups that may force Orlando to reconsider its hesitation.

Though Bynum is perhaps the best player among Orlando's options, the Nets' package actually looks pretty good.

Between Lopez and Humphries, Orlando would get a scorer and a rebounder to occupy the paint. Lopez will never be as dominant as Howard, but he's been a remarkably consistent scorer in his four years.

The real centerpiece of the deal could become MarShon Brooks.

After being selected with the 25th-overall pick in the 2011 Draft, Brooks had a surprisingly effective rookie campaign averaging 12.6 points and 3.6 rebounds. He'd bring some desperately needed youth to Orlando's perimeter.

Youth is one reason Orlando should take this deal seriously.

Lopez is just 24 and Brooks only 22. Humphries, meanwhile, is 27 and appears to be hitting his prime.

Those first-round draft picks would make for a nice infusion of talent in time as well.

It would be one thing if Orlando had significantly better options, but it doesn't.

Andrew Bynum and whatever spare parts the Lakers could assemble aren't a bad place to start. But, it's hard to argue that's a better path to rebuilding than the kind of package Brooklyn is apparently assembling.

Just as the Denver Nuggets were immediately reinvigorated by the influx of young talent they received in exchange for Carmelo Anthony, the Magic could benefit tremendously from such a radical facelift.

Sure, guys like Bynum may be rare finds.

But, what happens when they don't work out? What if Bynum tires of Orlando like Howard before him? Grumpy superstars aren't typically conducive to sustained success.

Making a deal with the Nets would avoid any risk of history repeating itself. 

In fact, the future might even become brighter than Orlando fans ever imagined.