For months now in NBA circles, the constant talk has been that New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams and Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard plan on playing on the same team next season.

Both players become free agents this summer, with Howard listing the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Nets as the places he would like to play next season. Meanwhile, it’s no secret that Williams — a Dallas-area native — wouldn’t mind returning home to play for the Mavs.

But is there a good chance the Mavs can land both Howard and Williams?

“If it happens, then it’ll be real, if it doesn’t, I guess it’s our imagination,” Williams, a native of The Colony, said Friday.

Asked where he thinks he’ll be playing next season, Williams said: “I don’t know. I’m not thinking anything right now.”

Howard also was side-stepping questions about his future. Instead, he chose to focus on the possibility — no matter how small — of the Magic winning an NBA title this season, instead of discussing the possibility of he and Williams teamming up with Dirk Nowitzki next season in Dallas

“I think we’ve got an opportunity, just like every other team in the NBA, to win a championship,” Howard said of the Magic. “We just have to stay together, stay focused and go to work for the rest of the season.”

(Source: sportsblogs.star-telegram.com)