The Atlanta Hawks reportedly have agreed to contracts with center Dwight Howard and swingman Kent Bazemore totaling more than $100 million.
Despite these deals, the Hawks still wanted to bring back free-agent forward Al Horford, but he decided to join the Boston Celtics on a reported four-year contract worth $113 million Saturday.
Did the Howard signing prevent Horford from returning to Atlanta?
Horford and Howard really don’t fit together from an X’s-and-O’s perspective in Atlanta’s offense. Both players are excellent defensively, but would there have been enough low-post touches for these two guys and All-Star forward Paul Millsap? Probably not.
Howard’s reputation also has taken a hit since his ugly exit from Orlando, his inability to make much of an impact for the Los Angeles Lakers and his reported issues with James Harden of the Houston Rockets.
The next question is whether superstar free agent Kevin Durant wants to play with Horford. Durant met with the Celtics on Saturday for a presentation that included New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, and he reportedly will pick his team by Monday.
Thumbnail photo via Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports Images
