The Atlanta Hawks have closed the door on any potential Al Horford return, they turned their efforts to a different center and have signed free agent Dwight Howard to a three-year, $70.5 million contract. The deal was first reported by The Vertical's Shams Charania broke the news.
Howard joins the Hawks after a failed three-year stint with the Houston Rockets, where he meshed poorly with James Harden, couldn't stay healthy and his performances left plenty to be desired. But the 30-year-old still cashed in at free agency and will make $23.5 million per season, in addition to playing for his hometown team. After reports earlier today that Howard's talks with Atlanta went well, things came together quickly for a deal.
Last season Howard averaged 13.7 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game last season. Now he'll arrive in Atlanta, where some change is underway. Jeff Teague and Al Horford are gone, while Dennis Schroder has emerged as the new starting point guard. The new-look Hawks still have plenty to offer as a playoff contender but the team certainly isn't any better situated for a deeper playoff run than they were a few months ago.