Dwight Howard and Al Horford (Photo : Getty Images)
Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard is once again at the center of trade talks, and the All-Star big man is one of the players likeliest to find a new team before the Feb. 18 trade deadline.
Howard has been linked to several this season as the three-time Defensive Player of the Year is expected to decline his player option to pursue more lucrative deals in the summer when the NBA's new TV deal kicks in.
Howard is not playing the best season of his career, but his outputs are still valuable for a contending team. The 30-year-old is averaging 14.6 points and 12.0 rebounds per game for the Rockets despite only getting 8.8 shot attempts per contest, Howard's lowest since his rookie season with the Orlando Magic.
There are plenty of teams trying their luck to add Howard in their roster, but recent reports have the Atlanta Hawks as one of the possible landing spot for Howard.
According to Chris Broussard of ESPN, Howard is open to the possibility of playing to his hometown Atlanta, where the Rockets big man could receive "love" from fans.
"I'm told he would like to get to Atlanta," Broussard disclosed.
"Even last last year his representation talked to the Hawks about 'Hey, it may be not working out in Houston... What do you guys think?' He's from Atlanta. He needs some love."
The idea of Howard going to Atlanta is possible, considering that the Hawks are shopping away their own big man Al Horford.
One trade scenario that could work is sending Howard and Ty Lawson to the Hawks for Horford, Tiago Splitter, and Jeff Teague.
The Hawks have been gauging interests for Horford and Teague, although Chris Mannix of CSNNE noted that the Atlanta's asking price is "borderline ridiculous."
However, Howard and Lawson seem like a deal conducive for the Hawks. They have a great chance of retaining Howard in the summer, since Atlanta is his hometown. Moreover, the Hawks are a contending team, which suit well for Howard if he wishes to join a team that has a legitimate chance for a championship.
Lawson, on the other hand, could put the failed experiment with the Rockets behind him and start anew with the Hawks behind Dennis Shcroeder.
Meanwhile, Horford offers the Rockets a scoring big man, and the likes of him does not seem to have any problem playing second fiddle to James Harden.
As for Teague, his athleticism would solve Rockets' point guard woes and his average of 15.1 points per game would surely boost Houston's chances of securing a playoff spot.
While this trade scenario is pure speculative, it is not impossible to see Horford and Howard exchange camps, with both superstars expected to walk away in the summer.
