8x NBA All-Star center Dwight Howard has agreed to a 3-year deal with the Atlanta Hawks set to pay $70.5 million with no options or incentives. This agreement comes shortly after Howard met with Hawks representatives just hours ago on the first full day of free agency.

While the Boston Celtics, Portland Trail Blazers, and Charlotte Hornets expressed serious interest as well, Howard’s camp was extremely impressed with Atlanta. This is a move that has been linked to the franchise for several years now, with Howard being from Atlanta and still living in the area. This is far from the end of decision-making for the Hawks front office, however, as the team will now have to make decisions on their own free agents Al Horford and Kent Bazemore.

Source: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Howard led the Magic to the 2009 NBA Finals, putting up monster numbers along the way. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Dwight Howard anomaly

It’s no secret that the 30-year-old big man deals with his fair share of criticism, from not being a positive locker room presence to not showcasing the drive and motivation required to win a championship. While in Orlando, Howard was a perennial all-star and even MVP candidate as he exhibited leadership on a team that lacked the depth of other contending teams. Things started to fall apart when Howard was dealt to the Lakers and butted heads with several teammates including Kobe Bryant. Additionally, his last four years in Houston have been some sort of a roller coaster, again finding himself clashing with a teammate in James Harden. Along the way, he has still put up respectable numbers, but nothing like he saw in Orlando.

Atlanta the place to rekindle old ways?

Hawks GM Wes Wilcox and head coach Mike Budenholzer did extensive research and believe that now is the time that Dwight Howard can once again become a force in the league. There are still a lot of questions, however, because the organization is still interested in bringing back current center Al Horford. Power forward Paul Millsap is also one of the most versatile and talented bigs in the league and is under contract for another year.

Will the Hawks elect to keep all three and boast the most talented trio of bigs in the league? Or will one of Al Horford (through free agency departure) and Paul Millsap (through a trade) find himself in a different uniform next season? Either way, Howard should find plenty of touches on a contending team, which should do a lot of good for his game.

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About the author
Austin  McConnell
Sport Management/Economics student at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill who writes primarily on the Atlanta Hawks