As we’ve discussed at length over the first half of the 2016-17 NBA season, the upcoming trade deadline will be clouded with a lot of BS rumors, but hopefully plenty of action. After all, the Cavaliers sent a memo to the rest of the league that they mean serious business when they added Kyle Korver, and the Warriors replied-all with a hearty “Cool story!” when they beat the ever-loving pride out of Cleveland.
But while the odds may favor Golden State and Cleveland, the Spurs still loom large, with the Rockets and Clippers stating their cases in the West, and the Raptors and Celtics desperately trying to prove they can take down the East. And then there are the Hawks, surrounded by a cloud of self-imposed mystery. They’ve won eight of their last 10, and are currently sitting in the No. 4 spot, 1.5 games up on the Wizards, and yet they’re somehow selling ahead of the trade deadline?
First, there was the report that they were dangling Paul Millsap, before they pulled him back. Now, it’s Dwight Howard. From ESPN’s Zach Lowe, on the struggling New Orleans Pelicans and their efforts to not send Anthony Davis into an early retirement:
But they haven’t committed to staying small, and sticking Davis at center. They worry about the physical toll it would take, and fretted after Davis picked up two quick fouls jostling with Dwight Howard two weeks ago. In the days that followed, Atlanta and New Orleans had exploratory talks about possible Howard trades before the Hawks pulled everyone off the market, according to several league sources. It is unclear how interested New Orleans was, and there was not unanimous support within the team for acquiring Howard.
The trade would make sense for New Orleans, since Alexis Ajinca is miserable on the bench and Omer Asik has turned into a very-well-paid seat warmer. But why Atlanta would move their Homecoming King after all of the stories about his maturation and redemption is the real mystery.
Unless, of course, the Hawks have simply grown tired of Howard’s favorite pastime.
