NBA Trade Rumors: Nets Must Acquire Dwight Howard to Secure Deron Williams

Last week the Orlando Magic turned down a trade that would have sent center Brook Lopez to Orlando and center Dwight Howard to the New Jersey Nets. While the Nets were unsuccessful in their first bid for Howard, it is integral that they don't give up.

There has been some talk that Howard has softened his trade demands, but his request still stands according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Because of that, it seems likely the the Magic front office will eventually have to cave, or else they risk losing him for nothing in the offseason.

While the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks still figure to be options for a Howard trade, no team needs him more than the Nets. It isn't only so they can compete this season, but it is also so the team can ensure that point guard Deron Williams re-signs.

The Nets took a major risk last season when they acquired Williams from the Utah Jazz without knowing whether or not he would re-sign. Williams has expressed interest in staying with the Nets, but you have to believe that he needs to see owner Mikhail Prokhorov and the front office taking steps toward building a winner.

There is no doubt that Prokhorov is trying to do that, but he can prove it by landing the best center in the game in the form of Howard. While acquiring Howard wouldn't 100 percent guarantee that Williams would re-sign, there is a good chance that playing together for the long haul would be attractive to both Williams and Howard.

If the Nets somehow whiff on Howard, however, it wouldn't be shocking to see Williams leave them high and dry, and without a legitimate star other than Lopez. While it looks like the price for Howard is going to be steep, the payoff of Howard's play and Williams re-signing should offset that.

The reason why so many lame big men get rewarded with huge contracts these days is that it is very difficult to find quality centers. Howard has no peers in terms of his talent level and production on the court, so he would immediately make the Nets players in the Eastern Conference and form a deadly inside-out combination with Williams.

I liken this situation to the Miami Heat last offseason. Dwyane Wade easily could have gone anywhere he wanted, but because they were willing to bring in LeBron James and Chris Bosh, he decided to stay. That would likely be the case with Williams if the Nets brought in Howard.

If the Magic continue to be stubborn when it comes to moving Howard, then they may be forced to go after him in free-agency instead, but they would be much better off securing him now because if they lose out on him, they may have to go back to square one.