More NBA Free agency rumors emerge as another team bites the dust.
The Atlanta Hawks have one of the top free agents of the summer in Al Horford. Their hastier-than-expected exit may convince him to jump ship. But the Hawks will not just let him walk away. The purpose for change is always to improve the team.
The Hawks will attempt to make some moves to improve their interior defense and there are two centers on the market to help them out. ESPN Insider has named Dwight Howard and Hassan Whiteside as possible targets.
Bradford Doolittle named the two defensive centers on the Hawks' eye: "Losing Horford wouldn't be the worst thing, though, because you could then pursue somebody such as Dwight Howard or Hassan Whiteside to keep the defense elite while improving the rebounding."
Howard has already been linked to Atlanta because of the hometown factor. Also, they need a defensive center. Despite the criticism against D12 for his stint in Houston, the Hawks may need to try something different as the Dominican native can also leave for greener pastures.
Hassan Whiteside is also a possible target because he is a young and athletic shot blocker. However, it is projected that he will get max salary offers and at this stage in his career, Whiteside is unlikely to refuse. The only way for the Hawks to contend for Whiteside is to go all in, but they would not be the only team to do that.
In a Basketball Insiders feature on Whiteside, he named that his possible destination would be "a team that's about winning, that has a good understanding of what it takes to win and a good city with a good fan base."
The Hawks have the edge over the Heat in the post-LeBron James even though they got swept this season. This team is only a season removed from garnering the best record in the East and having four All-Stars (even though two of them are leaving). Whiteside could take Horford's place and the Hawks have a bright coach.
There are other options for the Hawks if Horford leaves. Steve Ilardi of ESPN used the Portland Trail Blazers model for a team reboot. "That would mean letting Horford and Bazemore walk, trading Teague, and sniffing out value contracts."
That could mean a pursuit for names like Bismack Biyombo of the Toronto Raptors or Ian Mahinmi of the Indiana Pacers at center. It is certainly a step down from Horford but it gives them flexibility to sign other free agents or absorb higher salaries in their possible trade for Jeff Teague.