Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

It seemed like the New Jersey Nets were going to cruise on their way to landing Dwight Howard in a trade with the Orlando Magic, but not so fast. No longer is it a foregone conclusion that he will team up with Deron Williams for this season and beyond.

That's because the Los Angeles Lakers and possibly even the Chicago Bulls appear to be throwing their hat in the ring and could be actively pursuing Howard as well. That would be disastrous for New Jersey if either one of those teams were successful.

D-Will will stay in New Jersey (soon to be Brooklyn) for one reason, and one reason only: If Howard becomes a Net. If not, he won't be with New Jersey past this season. I say he'll only stay for Howard because quite honestly, there is nobody else out there good enough for D-Will to win with.

And if you think signing Nene and teaming him up with Brook Lopez will keep Williams in Brooklyn, you're dead wrong. That's not a winning formula. Maybe a winning formula enough to make the playoffs, but not a NBA finals winning formula.

Don't think for a second that money alone will keep him with the Nets because it won't. This guy wants to win.

If the Lakers land Howard via trade, it would be a total nightmare for Mikhail Prokhorov and his business partner, rapper Jay-Z. If D-Will leaves town, wherever he may go, the Nets will be left with nothing.

They will be opening the Barclays Center with no big names to speak of and only the draw of a new arena will put butts in the seats to start the season. But as we all know, eventually that always ends because you must put a winning team on the floor to keep the butts in the seats.

New Jersey must do everything in their power to get Howard to Newark this season and not allow the Lakers or Bulls to steal him away. If that happens, it will be a disaster of epic proportions for the Nets' new ownership and will set their franchise back for years to come.