Deron Williams: Nets Need to Land Dwight Howard to Keep Him

The only chance the Brooklyn Nets have of keeping star point guard Deron Williams is to acquire Dwight Howard from Orlando, according to a report Wednesday from Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski. reported on Wednesday that the Nets must find a way to acquire Howard from the Magic if they hope to keep their All-Star point guard.

It's Dwight Howard or bust, a league source told Yahoo Sports about keeping Williams.

Even if the Nets manage to win the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft lottery on Wednesday, Williams would still look to bail before the Nets officially make their move to Brooklyn next season. Williams reportedly isn't interested in waiting around at a rebuilding project and wants to play for a competitor in the near future.

This bodes well for the Dallas Mavericks, who are hoping the hometown angle nets Williams, while putting a heavy amount of pressure on the Nets to make a move before Williams becomes a free agent in July. Howard reportedly wants to play for the Nets and regrets opting in for the 2012-13 season, but the Magic have resisted past efforts by the Nets to make a deal.

The Nets have offered multiple first-round draft picks and star center Brook Lopez for the All-Star center, but the Magic opted to hold on to Howard. Recent reports indicated that the Magic have warmed to the idea of dealing Howard before the season begins, but will need to wait until a general manager is hired before making a deal.

Landing the No. 1 pick on Wednesday could make it easier for the Nets to pull off the deal, otherwise they may need to get creative in order to appeal to Orlando.