According to multiple NBA sources, the Orlando Magic and the Brooklyn Nets aren’t in business anymore, the business of Dwight Howard. Although who knows what the future may bring, it seems that the biggest trade waiting to happen won’t involve the Nets, who have given up on trying to work out something with Rob Hennigan.

The Magic, meanwhile, are very much looking into moving Dwight Howard, just not necessarily to Brooklyn. Both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets are considered as possible destinations, whether Howard wants to go there or not (we’re pretty sure he’ll love LA. Everybody does), although both aren’t ideal options for the Magic.

The Lakers biggest barganing chip is Andrew Bynum, who’s regarded as the second best center in the NBA, behind Howard. Just like Howard, his contract expires in 2013, and he’s already expressed he has no intention of renewing it with the Orlando Magic if he’ll get traded there. The Rockets just might not have the pieces the Magic are hoping for, which no one seems to be sure what exactly they want.

We do know they really didn’t want Marshon Brooks or Kris Humphries, while trying to offload Quentin Richardson. The Nets tried to make a 3-team and a 4-team deal work, but even with all the sign-and-trade scenarios in the world, the Magic just didn’t feel they were becoming a team with a better future by letting go of Howard for a lot of draft picks and other players. The Nets weren’t having an easy time convincing Lopez and Humphries go for the sign-and-trade as well.

We’ve moved on. It just got to a point where we couldn’t keep going back and forth with Orlando. They had about 14 days to do something and didn’t. We just had to move on, and we felt that way this morning.

So what do the Nets do? Sign Brook Lopez, who played in only five games last year due to an injury, on a maximum four year contract, paying him $60 million. Knowing that Lopez, an unrestricted free agent, had offers from both the Blazers and the Bobcats forced the Nets to make a move and keep their big man, who has a career average of 17.4 points per game since joining the NBA in 2008.

Image: Howard