NBA Rumors: How Dwight Howard and Deron Williams Could Land on Mavericks

Now that the NBA season is underway, we still have some unfinished business to follow when it comes to Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard and where he will end up being traded to.

If he's traded at all.

There is one landing place for Howard that doesn't get talked about enough and that's Dallas. That and the possibility that if he's dealt to the Mavericks, New Jersey point guard Deron Williams could possibly join him.

The 0-2 start to the season for the defending NBA champions is nothing to panic about right now, but if it keeps up then it may force Mark Cuban and company to pursue Howard aggressively.

Here is a way Dallas can cash in on both superstar free agents to be.

It all starts with acquiring Howard.

The injury to New Jersey's Brook Lopez helps. While the Nets may have seemed like Howard's top choice, they may be out of the running for some time. If the entire saga proves to become a big distraction for both Howard and the Magic, the Mavs could sneak in and steal him.

Cuban and the Mavericks have a good relationship with Howard's agent Dan Fegan. Since they cleared cap space and Fegan has permission from the Magic to speak to the teams on Howard's list, Cuban can make the sales pitch that Dallas should be the only destination for Howard.

Howard could then take the Carmelo Anthony approach and only accept a deal to Dallas.

As far as an offer, the Mavericks have enough expiring contracts that they could basically offer everyone but Dirk Nowitzki. While they don't have the young star that the Magic would certainly want, a combination of picks and an expiring deal could pry that player away from another team.

It would take a ton of creativity, but Cuban has worked magic before.

If they could get Howard, step two would be signing Williams as a free agent.

Without Howard in a Nets uniform, would Williams really consider re-signing with New Jersey?

Now it's a matter of Cuban convincing Williams to take the four-year, $74 million contract that Dallas could offer instead of the five-year, $100 million deal the Nets could give.

At the end of the day, it would come down to Cuban and company convincing Williams that playing in his hometown and playing with Howard is worth the $26 million sacrifice.

That is a ton of what-if's, but stranger things have happened.

We will have to wait and see how the Howard saga plays out, but don't rule out Dallas as a possible landing spot.