The Atlanta Hawks are reportedly trading veteran Dwight Howard to the Charlotte Hornets, according to Marc Spears of ESPN on Tuesday. Howard will be playing for his third team in as many seasons. He had consistent stretches with both the Magic and Rockets, but his tenures with the Lakers and Hawks prove that a bad fit can be detrimental.
The Atlanta Hawks have agreed to trade center Dwight Howard to the Charlotte Bobcats, source tell ESPN's The Undefeated.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) June 21, 2017
The deal will send Howard and the 31st pick in Thursday's NBA Draft to Charlotte in exchange for Miles Plumlee, Marco Belinelli and 41st pick, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. This is a decent gamble by the Hornets as Belinelli and Plumlee were both contracts that made future decisions difficult for Charlotte.
Sources: Charlotte is sending Miles Plumlee, Marco Belenelli and 41st pick to Atlanta for Dwight Howard and 31st pick.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) June 21, 2017
Howard has struggled to find a place that could bring out the best in him. He's battled with systems and coaches while gaining a reputation as a headache. He's even talked about developing a 3-point shot this offseason. However, Steve Clifford is a coach that he has played with in both Orlando and Los Angeles. Clifford was an assistant under Stan Van Gundy with Orlando and Mike D'Antoni in Los Angeles. If anybody knows how to bring out the best in Howard it's him.
The Hornets on the other hand are taking a gamble. Considering how much they struggled last season due to lack of depth at center this could pay off big for them, but if Howard doesn't find a good fit then it could be another year of headaches for him.
