The Magic and Mavericks met to discuss a possible Dwight Howard trade last week, and "will probably talk again," Mavs GM Donnie Nelson tells Mike Fisher of FOXSportsSouthwest.com. The Mavs have taken a back seat to teams like the Nets, Lakers, and Rockets in Howard trade rumors this year, but have expressed "repeated interest" in the star center, tweets Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.
Still, acquiring Howard this offseason or before the trade deadline seems very unlikely for the Mavericks. According to Nelson, "there's just not much there," which isn't surprising — while the Lakers could offer Andrew Bynum and the Rockets could offer a combination of potential lottery picks and young, affordable players, the Mavs don't have a ton of attractive assets outside of a few expiring contracts. If Orlando was unmoved by the Lakers' and Rockets' offers, I can't see the team being too tempted by a package from Dallas.
As I suggested when I outlined the Howard situation last week, the Mavericks' best chance of acquiring D12 is in free agency next summer. If Dwight isn't traded to the Lakers or Nets, there's a very good chance he chooses to sign with the Mavs as a free agent, rather than re-upping with the Magic or (if he's traded to Houston) the Rockets.
reality TV absurdity