Soaring Down South
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Soaring Down South Atlanta Hawks Roundtable: Dwight Howard, NBA Draft, More

By Justin Hodges

Feb 3, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Then Atlanta Hawks logo on a pant during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. The Atlanta Hawks won 124-86.Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 3, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Then Atlanta Hawks logo on a pant during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. The Atlanta Hawks won 124-86.Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Atlanta Hawks
Mar 26, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard (8) in action against the Brooklyn Nets in the second quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

What were your initial thoughts on the Dwight Howard trade? What did you think the purpose of it was and how does it effect the Hawks’ future?

Phil Veasley: Hated it. Absolutely hated it at first glance. His market was marginal at best but we could’ve gotten a little more if we waited until draft night or July. The worst part is moving back in the 2nd round. It doesn’t really help the Hawks that much because Plumlee’s contract is even worse. It was rumored that a deal involving Brooklyn was first discussed which would have likely landed the Hawks Brook Lopez. Before the All Star Break, New Orleans reportedly offered two first rounders for Dwight. One has to feel that Travis pulled the trigger a bit too early on this deal.

Nile Goodwyn: Howard’s trade shows a complete change in the Hawks’ front office’s perception of the team’s future. Without Howard, the Hawks lack a true starting center, and shows that the front office is willing to have a less successful 2017-18 season, possibly even missing the playoffs. In trading Howard, the Hawks made next season a much less likely situation for success. 

Austin Bende: Initially I thought the Dwight Howard trade was jumping the gun. While this first season with Howard was definitely hit-and-miss, his rebounding and dunks were giving the team a new identity. However, this team is either signaling a rebuild or a new team direction.

Xavier Cooper: When I found out Dwight Howard was traded I felt disappointed, and excited for the Hawks at the same time. I was disappointed because his homecoming ended on a sour note with him not being able to play in clutch moments of the playoffs. I was excited because Travis Schlenk showed he could care less about a Dwight Howard homecoming. He’s focused on turning Atlanta into an elite ball club, not an NBA drama series. The purpose of the trade was to create some financial flexibility but, also show that Schlenk has balls to make major moves if need be.

Tyler Sellers: That the Hawks had given up on the experiment with Howard and just wanted it to be over. I am disappointed they moved on from him this quickly because statistically he was a very impactful player. The trade itself was not impressive either. Then moving backwards in terms of the draft picks obviously made it worse. They achieved what they set out to do though, which is dump salary and rid themselves of the square peg for the round hole that is Budenholzer’s system. I see the Hawks losing a lot of games in the immediate future due to this trade. There is a chance however, that’s another outcome they were aiming for as well.

Toby Bean: My initial reaction to the trade was that I was sort of just stunned. Stunned to see Dwight Howard’s name in a trade report, stunned to see that he was heading to Charlotte. The return was less than stellar, and it only freed up about $4 million in cap space. So to label it a salary dump is just false to be quite honest. This trade I believe was the first move into maneuvering towards a complete retool of the roster. The Hawks did not need a 31 year-old Center if this retool is the plan. Not to mention a 31 year-old who complained about his role in the exit interview, whether he was rightful to do so or not it’s a bad look for somebody who should be one of the leaders on the team.

Da’Vonte Hughes: I feel like the Dwight Howard trade might have been the worst trade I have seen since I have been a fan. Regardless of what people might think this guy had a lot of value. To receive players such as Marco Belenelli and Miles Plumlee for a former all-star and swapping picks is just completely insane. Unless a corresponding move is made I am going to personally grade this trade an F. It will benefit the hawks in the long run as it gives the hawks a minimal amount of cap heading into free agency. The question is rather who wants to play for Atlanta?

Jack O’Donnell: It’s a bit of a stunner but I was relatively happy with the trade. Howard had been a nuisance, playing almost zero 4th quarter minutes during the postseason. What we got in return didn’t really matter to me as it freed up cap space and showed us that Travis Schlenk is not messing around.