Dwight Howard and Al Horford (Photo : Getty Images)
There are rumors around the league that big names could be involved in a last minute blockbuster deal attempt before the Feb. 18 deadline ends.
Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard has been in the center of trade talks in recent weeks and there is a chance that D12 could end up elsewhere on Thursday.
According to Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report, the Rockets are willing do everything to trade away Howard before the deadline, sparking possible transactions with other NBA rivals.
"You have to look at the teams when he was last a free agent and he was looking at L.A. and then Houston, teams like Brooklyn and Dallas, Atlanta," Bucher said as noted by Nets Daily. "Because this isn't just about making a deal. It's a place he might stay beyond the remainder of this season and he can opt out of his deal."
If the rumor is true, one possible landing spot that would fit in Howard's future plans is the Atlanta Hawks, with the Miami Heat serving as the third party to complete a blockbuster transaction this season.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald mentioned in his story about the Heat looking for bigger deals, including a proposed deal from a radio report of Howard in a three-way trade with the Hawks and Miami.
"The Heat has been exploring bigger deals, including New York Daily News-reported discussions about Dwight Howard (the Rockets reportedly want at least one first-round pick in the deal and Miami has none to offer) and a day-old radio report of discussions with Atlanta that would send away Whiteside and Dragic to Houston but potentially net Al Horford and Jeff Teague," Jackson wrote.
The more realistic deal that works in ESPN's trade machine is Howard and Amare Stoudemire to the Hawks, while the Rockets get the pair of Whiteside and Dragic, and Heat gets Horford-Teague tandem.
The trade makes sense in a number of levels for all the pieces involved.
Howard playing for his hometown Atlanta could be a factor for the Hawks to acquire the three-time Defensive Player of the Year. According to ESPN's Chris Broussard, Howard is keen on playing for Atlanta, where he could receive "love" from fans. Moreover, Howard would not need to play second fiddle in a team that has an offense patterned for all of their players.
If a deal is available the Hawks would probably want a big man return, with Tiago Splitter out for the rest of the season after undergoing a hip surgery. Howard and Stoudemire would provide the Hawks the needed bodies in Atlanta's thin frontcourt lineup.
On the other hand, the Heat could elect for a deep playoff run by getting Horford and Teague. Jackson added in his story that Horford and Teague would be intriguing for the Heat, who has a clear advantage in signing the former as a free agent in July for a max contract.
Bringing in Horford provides the Heat a legitimate offensive-type center and an athletic point guard in Teague, who both could fit well in Erik Spoelstra's playbook.
Meanwhile, the Rockets is the team mostly to benefit from this trades scenario. Taking in Whiteside boosts the Rockets' interior defense, as well as inside scoring, while Dragic would suit well in Houston's up-tempo style of basketball, solving the team's point guard issues.
The trade deadline could get wild as NBA fans know, making this type of proposed deal likely to happen if the right pieces fall into the right teams.
