- Hornets sign-and-trade Eric Gordon and send #10 to Orlando

- Nets S&T Lopez and send Brooks to the Hornets, also a pick each to Orlando and New Orleans

- Orlando finally trade Howard to the Nets

Orlando will have to persuade Gordon to play in sunny Florida but he’s a young, exciting player who won’t draw comparisons to Howard as much as Lopez because he plays a different position. Maybe Orlando’s young new GM from OKC could envision him as his new Westbrook. The Magic get a lottery pick at #10 (or maybe try to move up packaged with their own #19). An extra future pick from the Nets to sweeten the deal.

Could there be a more perfect frontline pairing in Davis’s defense/rebounding and Lopez’s offense? The sales pitch to Brook is he’ll stop being trade fodder and gets to play alongside the most hyped young prospect in years. The Hornets trade small for big and so they give up #10, but they also get a nice scoring guard in Marshon and an extra pick from the Nets.

With their supposed trade deadline low-ball offer of Lopez, Brooks, a couple of picks and no incoming bad contracts, the Nets finally get Howard.