Atlanta Hawks Hinting at a Rebuild
By Austin Bende
The sudden but not so surprising Dwight Howard trade seems like a sign of more to come for the Atlanta Hawks.
The franchise, the fans, and Dwight Howard himself
were excited to put together a homecoming for the former All-star center. Unfortunately, reality was bound to set in eventually. And that it did. While the rebounding improvement was nice, the team’s offensive spacing was flat-out compromised. Not to mention the playoff drama that crept up when Dwight didn’t get his minutes. Perhaps what was most telling about the center’s time here was that some of the team’s best moments came when he was on the bench. Case in point: the 26 point comeback against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
However, Howard did fill the Al Horford void and the team still made the playoffs while being the number four defensive team in the league. He also became the face of the franchise (not to be confused with its best player) and a marketing boon. It could be argued that the new general manager simply wanted a change in identity. Still, trading a player who still has name recognition and value seems to spell even more change.
Right after the Howard trade, the rumors began to surface on what the team plans to do with impending free agent Paul Millsap. There’s been talks of sign-and-trades, talks of not matching outside offers. There is one thing missing is mention of keeping Millsap on the Hawks. If the team doesn’t retain its four-time All-star, it is likely that Tim Hardaway Jr is on his way out too. That means a rebuild.
In hindsight however, all of this could be seen coming. Atlanta had already let Horford walk, traded Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver, and previously shopped Millsap several times. The team still has Dennis Schroder, Taurean Prince, and this year’s first round pick to build around, which only makes a rebuild more attractive. It goes without saying that nothing is written in stone. Millsap and Hardaway could be resigned. Atlanta could sign some savvy veterans. But, if the Dwight Howard trade says anything, the Atlanta Hawks could look extremely different next season and for the next several seasons.