You will probably see superstars Deron Williams and Dwight Howard of the Eastern Conference on the floor together in tonight’s NBA All-Star Game, a preview of what you can expect to see for years to come in most likely either Dallas or Brooklyn. Despite daily trade rumors involving Howard’s future, he has his Magic sitting 5th in the East and managed to make it to the All-Star break to play the game in front of his home fans. Meanwhile, Williams is just biding his time in New Jersey, quietly having another All-Star year and waiting until he can team up with another superstar and compete for a championship. With the March 15 trade deadline approaching, the Nets should be throwing whatever they can at the Magic in attempts to lure in Howard, because otherwise Dallas will have a great deal of cap space and would have the best shot at signing both Williams and Howard in free agency this summer. After the Mavericks decided not to go all out to resign Tyson Chandler last summer, it was clear they were thinking more about the long-term future than repeating as NBA champs. Apparently, during the offseason, Williams told some members of the Mavs that he would love to return to his hometown and team up with fellow superstar Dirk Nowitzki. If the Nets can’t entice the Magic with their future draft picks and promising players like Brook Lopez and Marshon Brooks to trade for Howard, then Williams probably won’t bother hanging around in Brooklyn for his player option in 2012-2013. This summer, Jason Terry, Jason Kidd, Brian Cardinal, and Delonte West become free agents, and the Mavs have a team option with Lamar Odom’s $8.2 million contract. I would expect the Mavs to try to resign Terry relatively cheap because of his valuable bench scoring and tenure with the team, but probably would not throw a great deal of money towards Kidd as Rodrigue Beaubois has proven to be a serviceable backup point guard. If keeping Lamar Odom hindered the Mavs chances of getting Howard and Williams, I would expect owner Mark Cuban to let him go without thinking twice. The most obvious move would be to amnesty Brendan Haywood’s horrible $8.3 million contract. I believe Cuban is counting on Williams coming to Dallas this offseason, which would create the best situation for Howard to compete for multiple titles. Howard would be able to come to Dallas and play with two other superstars but would still be viewed as the best player on the team and get plenty of touches on offense. This would form another “Big 3” in the NBA for years to come, as Howard, at age 26, is already far and away the best big man in the game. Williams, 27, is the 3rd best point guard in the league, and although Dirk is 33, his game doesn’t rely much on quickness or athleticism, leaving him a few more years playing at an All-Star level. Williams/Howard would be a better point guard/big man duo than even Chris Paul/Blake Griffin, and grouping them with a future Hall of Famer could create a force that could compete with the Thunder and Clippers in the West and maybe have a couple more rematches with the Miami Heat in the Finals. If the trade deadline passes and the Nets and Magic haven’t made a deal, I believe the Howard/Williams sweepstakes is the Mavs to lose as long as Cuban’s contracts can somewhat compete with whatever the Nets offer. - Phillip Bullock
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