Report: Hawks, Dwight Howard agree to $70.5M deal
By Hunter Cooke
Dwight Howard is reportedly heading to Atlanta to continue his career.
Dwight Howard is one of the more controversial members of the current NBA. His verbal and nonverbal spats with the Rockets in general and James Harden in specific are well-known throughout the NBA. Today, the prolific center has reportedly signed a 3-year, 70.5 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks.
Dwight Howard has reached agreement on a three-year, $70.5 million with the Atlanta Hawks, league sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2016
Despite his off the court issues, the Hawks are getting a consistent defensive star. Howard is an eight time All-Star, three time Defensive Player of the Year, and five time All-Defense performer.
This will be the fourth team that Howard will play for over his twelve year career. He spent eight years with the Orlando Magic, one year with the Los Angeles Lakers, and three years with the Houston Rockets before landing in Atlanta’s back pocket.
Howard will bolster an already sturdy defense in Atlanta. The Hawks were 6th in the NBA in average points allowed in the 2015-2016 season, giving up just 99.2 points per game. The Hawks were swept by the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Hawks have the heart, but they need the talent to put them over the top, and they’re apparently banking on Dwight Howard to be that talent.
I’m not sure if signing Howard is the right move here. He’ll be a historically prolific defender on a team that needs offense more than anything. With the free agent options available, Howard might be their best bet, but it might have been wiser to wait another year for free agency to open up again.
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