Al Horford for Superman: Should the Hawks make that offer?
Switch the jerseys. Whaddaya think? (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
Dwight Howard has said he’ll opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Otis Smith, Orlando’s general manager, has said he won’t trade Howard and believes the NBA’s best center can be persuaded to re-up with the Magic. Other NBA clubs won’t sit around and wait. They’ll make offers for Howard.
Should the Hawks make an offer?
They could make a tantalizing one: Al Horford and Kirk Hinrich for Howard and power forward Ryan Anderson. That’s an All-NBA center (third team) with a Florida background who’s under contract through 2016 for a reasonable $12 million per season and a useful guard whose contract expires in 2012. The Magic could make something of that.
Or this: Josh Smith and Marvin Williams for the same two Magic men. That’s two starters — we’ll say for the sake of argument that Williams still qualifies — who are 25 years old and who are under contract through at least 2013. That’s not bad, either.
If you’re Otis Smith and you’re facing the possibility of losing your franchise player for nothing — the Magic lost Shaquille O’Neal to the Lakers the same way, the announcement coming in the Reebok tent in downtown Atlanta the day before the 1996 Olympics opened — you’d have to listen. Even if you’d rather not trade Howard to a team in your division, wouldn’t you have to listen?
For the Hawks, the trickiest part wouldn’t be the trade but the follow-through. Even if he changed teams, Howard’s contract wouldn’t change: He’d still be eligible to exit next summer. That possibility would be even more chilling for the Hawks than for the Magic. Orlando would lose only Howard; the Hawks would lose Howard plus Horford/Smith and Hinrich/Williams.
The Hawks would be leveraging their future on this question: Could we, in one season’s time, convince Howard that his hometown is the place for him to win his championship and this is the organization that will commit all necessary resources toward the betterment of the team?
We can accuse the Magic of many things, but we can’t say they haven’t spent. Owner Rich DeVos paid nearly $90 million for his roster this past season, an outlay that, according to Zach McCann of the Orlando Sentinel, put the Magic fifth in all of sports in average salary per man. The top four clubs: Real Madrid and Barcelona of Spanish soccer, the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Magic have a new arena and played to 102.6 percent of capacity last season. The Hawks played to 83.6 percent of Philips Arena’s capacity, ranking 22nd among 30 NBA teams in average attendance. The Atlanta Spirit recently rid itself of the Thrashers, and money from the sale of the hockey club could mean that ownership might be willing to exceed the new luxury tax — it’s being debated in the NBA labor talks — to keep Howard.
Loading ...Howard is set to make $17 million next season. Whatever the new maximum number is, that’s what he’ll get. And if a team has Howard and Joe Johnson each making around $20 million — plus Horford/Smith at $12 or $13 million — you’ve put yourself in the Miami Heat class of salary imbalance. You’ve devoted three-fourths of your payroll to one-fifth of your roster.
Would Howard be worth such massive machinations? Yes. He has led the Magic to the NBA finals. He’s an offensive force, sure, and an even better defender and rebounder. But having Howard would require that the Hawks change their offense, which yielded little beyond jump shots last season, to a more post-oriented scheme. Could Is0-Joe co-exist with Superman? Would Josh Smith be given the freedom to roam on defense with an even bigger man behind him?
These are unknowns. What seems a given is that the Hawks as constituted aren’t any closer to the Eastern Conference finals, not with Derrick Rose in Chicago and Miami’s Big Three intact. (If Jamal Crawford leaves as a free agent, it might be Round 1 and done.) This trade would make the Hawks a real player in the East for the next 12 months, but it could turn into a one-year rental on the order of Mark Teixeira to the Braves with even worse ramifications.
But you out there who’ve clamored for the Hawks to be bold, to spend big (just not so big on Joe Johnson!) and to land a True Center above all … well, this would accomplish all of the above for at least a year. It would be daring, and general manager Rick Sund isn’t known for taking dares. But it would make the 2011-2012 Hawks worth watching, and it’d darn sure sell a few tickets.
By Mark Bradley
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190 comments Add your comment
GABred
June 21st, 2011
1:58 pm
Brother Booker, you nailed it, Dwight is a homer and he truly does love ATL. Fortunately, he is marketable and endorsers love him, so he is quite capable of supplementing his basketball salary. Not that I would put much faith in our ownership group, but because this would be something Dwight wanted, I think that a scenario ending up with him here before or after this contract ends is very very possible.
jimh
June 21st, 2011
2:01 pm
You’re silly for even offering this trade. Dwight is worth both Horford and Josh without Ryan Anderson (who given the playing time can out rebound and shoot most bigs in this league). I agree with common sense person who said getting rid of one of their bad contracts and then maybeeee. Do they really need a fourth point guard while giving up 80-85% of their formidable front line? Is this REALLY Mark Bradley or did you turnover today’s column to your high school kid?
Stoop
June 21st, 2011
2:03 pm
Oh please make the trade. I’d love to see the Atlanta Spirit group get screwed by having Howard sign somewhere else and losing 80 games per season.
CThomas
June 21st, 2011
2:04 pm
Whatever the deal, please throw Marvin Williams in for free.
GMCK
June 21st, 2011
2:05 pm
i would love this
Cornell
June 21st, 2011
2:13 pm
There is another way you could look at this. Even if Dwight Howard doesn’t resign with us. We are no longer in the financial bind that we would have been for the next 2-3 years. We have flexibility to make our team better because we have the funds to do so. Getting rid of 3-4 big tme contracts for one man I think would be a good move. I would take dwight howard regardless of who we trade. He makes that big of a difference on the court on both sides.
Justin
June 21st, 2011
2:15 pm
This article is bogus! Why would the Hawks even consider Howard if they knows he going to jump ship!
Mike
June 21st, 2011
2:15 pm
it would definitely give the hawks more technical fouls. also, it would give us the whiniest center of all time.
JJ
June 21st, 2011
2:17 pm
Of course they SHOULD do it. Which of course means they WON’T do it. We are still talking about the most incompetent ownership in all of sports.
BulldogBen
June 21st, 2011
2:28 pm
LOL. Smart teams are constantly tweaking and playing with the pieces in hopes of finding the Championship formula.
We have the Atlanta Spirit.
This will never happen.
Steve
June 21st, 2011
2:29 pm
I woudl hate to lose Horford, as he is an obvious leader adn a great presence on this team .. but if we knew that we could sign Howard I would do it. However, I would only do it if we could dump Joe Johnson into the deal and get rid of his contract. We can’t sign Howard to what he would command unless we dump Joe Johnson’s contract on someone stupid enough to take it (if anyone is that stupid).
The far better option would be Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams or even a first round pick for Howard. The Hawks have to be willing to give up something of value to get rid of Joe’s contract, and my guess is our GM/Ownership isn’t that smart .. especially since we just signed him last year to a contract that left NBA execs everywhere shaking their heads.
I would rather watch the Hawks struggle to make the playoffs that be forced to watch Joe Johnson play another minute on a winning Hawks team. His contract will put a strangle hold on this team going beyond the 2nd round of the playoffs for at least the next decade. And yes, I realize the contract isn’t that long, but it will still take a years afterwards to recover.
SteveW
June 21st, 2011
2:30 pm
JJ and Al for Dwight. If they insist on Marvin for Hedo, put that in there also. Go for it!
Tbones
June 21st, 2011
2:31 pm
You only make a trade for Howard if he’s going to sign a 3yr extension so you can at least keep him for 4yrs. If he does agree, you trade Johnson, Horford, and Williams for Howard, Arenas, and Anderson. Orlando would definitely bite, because they get a replacement for Howard with an All-Star Horford, and they get another All-Star in Johnson, while getting a good role player in Williams and getting rid of Arenas contract. Atlanta, finally gets a franchise player in Howard, which is something they haven’t had since Dominique. He’s a home town guy and with Smith and Howard in the front court, you have the #1 and #2 shot blockers in the league. The Hawks interior defense would be one of the best in the NBA. Getting Arenas, means you go from paying Johnson max money for 5 more years to paying Arenas max money for 3 more years, so you cut 2yrs and saved about 40 mil, also, you already have a replacement for Johnson with Crawford, so you would have to resign him, and Anderson is a very underrated PF that is a very good shooter. The Hawks team would look like the following:
STARTES
PG: Hinrich
SG: Crawford
SF: Smith
PF: Anderson
C: Howard
KEY RESERVES:
PG: Teague
Combo Guard: Arenas
C: Zaza
CJ
June 21st, 2011
2:34 pm
Al Horsford is a keeper. Get rid of Josh Smith. This guy should have attended college. He doesn’t know if he’s a guard or forward. And why keep Marvin Williams? He was truly overated in college. He doesn’t rebound, block rebound, or score. What is his purpose?
Gwinnett Fred
June 21st, 2011
2:35 pm
Mark,
This article is like playing poker with someone elses money. You can do all the stupid crap you want and suffer no consequences.
Orlando needs to lower their salary, not increase it. So why would they ever want Williams? If the Hawks paid his salary and somehow would not count against the Magic salary cap would be the only way. So why even go there?
The reason you say Orlando might do the Horford deal (reasonalby priced and a 3rd team all NBA center) is the reason Atlanta would be stupid to do it.
With a new CBA on the horizon (and all this may be moot – there may not even be NBA ball next year) – and the one thing that Stern is saying loud and clear is there has to be a hard cap – Atlanta can’t squeeze Howard in their payroll with JJ’s fat contract there.
So again, if you can come up with some REASONABLE options – by all means – throw them out there. But please don’t waste your time (or the fans time) with this insane garbage.
You are sounding more like a damn Fantasy Sports GM with every passing column and all you need to do that is a “I am a know it all” attitude, and those don’t belong in the sports reporting business.
What ever happened to basic, sound reporting? AJC hasn’t had much in the sports pages since Furman retired.
Homer
June 21st, 2011
2:35 pm
I don’t think the Dwight to LA rumors are going to be as strong as they once were. You have an aging Lakers team and Phil Jackson has retired. The Lakers are not the team they once were. I’m not sure that the Lakers are a lock for a title if Dwight ends up there. We say that the Heat tried the big free agent moves and couldn’t get it done. Don’t forget, the Magic are only one season removed from an NBA Finals appearance. Yes, they have some bad contracts, but they have been good in shedding those in the past (Steve Francis). The Magic aren’t that far away from being a contender again. Re-signing Dwight Howard would help.
Jay
June 21st, 2011
2:39 pm
I can’t believe some of you would rather give up Al horton then Josh Smith. Did you not watch the playoffs. J.smith will continue to throw long range jumper as long as he’s a hawk. Trade him and get a coach-able player that can get the hawks to the next level. Josh is all about Josh. Get rid of him.
Too Much $$$
June 21st, 2011
2:39 pm
I think Emeka Okafor is a much better option via trade.
Howard will walk/we’ll run out of $ for the rest of the roster. Okafor provides roughly the same defensive presence we need, rebounds, makes easy 2’s, and sets good screens. Isn’t that what we need from a center in exchange for Smoove?
Jay
June 21st, 2011
2:42 pm
The smartest thing ATL can do is try to get Dwight Howard….Can we afford him, yes we can. Will the hawks try to sign him. Well ?????
Brother Booker
June 21st, 2011
2:44 pm
Thank you GABred. Here is another little known fact. The great Dr.J was once an AtlantaHawk. Only for 4 months before going Milwaki Lakers. He actually asked to come to Atlanta because he loved this city so much. We had quite a squad in those days. He even currently lives here now. Dwight is student of basketball and knows the Hawks history like the rest of us. He wanted to add to that history and approve upon it. Something he and all Atlantan could be proud of. He knew the that even though he was going to Orlando. He would be coming back Atlanta twice a year and that seem to have the move easier. But He also knew he could back home someday. To play in front of his hometown crowd. Just as he wished when he was young……
mullets
June 21st, 2011
2:46 pm
no way this happens. dream on. Starve ASG–right on!!! Hawks ARE the thrashers of the nba.
Jay
June 21st, 2011
2:47 pm
Trade Josh Smith and Hinrick for Dwight Howard not Al Horford….
The Realist
June 21st, 2011
2:49 pm
For those of you on here saying “trade Josh Smith for Dwight Howard,” do you actually think Orlando would make any kind of trade with ATL that didn’t involve Horford?
Glenn
June 21st, 2011
2:51 pm
Don’t make the trade unless you get a contract extension in place first. If you can do that, then I say go for it, if not, absolutely not.
Jay
June 21st, 2011
2:51 pm
I also heard Dwight might be going to Miami….
Bill
June 21st, 2011
2:56 pm
Mark Atlanta Spirit will screw this up somehow. I don’t know what is worse,them or Liberty Media.
Darrett Sterling
June 21st, 2011
2:57 pm
It would be great to see the Hawks take such a bold step & grab Dwight, but I don’t think it would happen. I feel if they could get a true center, I see the offence really opening up & the team could make it to the NBA Finals, but I am really dreaming. The team owns don’t have the balls to pull it off. They’re not that aggressive, they love to play safe, sit back & watch other team in the conference improve every year.
Jay
June 21st, 2011
3:00 pm
The Hawks would do it in a heartbeat, but Orlando would NEVER do either of those trades. Look at what Denver got for Carmelo…Dwight Howard is probably worth more. Plus you think Orlando would trade him to a division rival? Come on Mark, be realistic.
Jay
June 21st, 2011
3:05 pm
Tbones, I’m glad you’re not the hawks GM..you say” trade J Johnson, Al Horford,and williams for Howard. That’s a bad deal.. You trade J.Smith, marvin williams,jason collins,and damien wilkins. We need Joe outside shooting, and he need Al horford presence in the middle to replace Dwight when in foul trouble.
East Point Bob
June 21st, 2011
3:05 pm
Move this WORTHLESS franchise where it BELONGS, Seattle, Atlanta does NOT need pro Thug & Felon ball for a second, Glad I never waste a dime on this CRAP TEAM !
MOVE THEM NOW !!!!!
EW
June 21st, 2011
3:09 pm
MB you know as well as I do the Hawks don’t make blockbuster deals. End of story. This won’t happen. Good fodder for debate but that’s it. Howard will be in L.A. next year.
JimmyT
June 21st, 2011
3:12 pm
Al and Hinrich for Dwight and Ryan Anderson? Are you that bored that you need to make up this stuff? Love Al and I know Hinrich is a nice player, but come on, Dwight is a franchise player. Give Larry Crew some credit, his game plan worked and the Hawks stopped Dwight, but this didn’t happen often. Would love to see Dwight in a Hawks uni, but just don’t think we have enough to give back to Orlando.
ryan
June 21st, 2011
3:15 pm
Okafor or Marc Gasol would be good fit and cheap i would not mind that at all Brandon Heywood also would be nice .
jmor
June 21st, 2011
3:20 pm
Joe Johnson at 18mil per year will retire an old man in Atlanta…There is nobody that is going to take on that contract, especially since Joe appears to have peaked and is nearing 30.
Terry
June 21st, 2011
3:27 pm
Joe Johnson and Josh Smith for Howard straight up. If Howard walks after a year we are free of two max contracts and can start over. If he can be resigned we have the money to do so. JJ has not bought into the motion offense, and I don’t think we’ll have to worry about Howard jacking 3’s.
TheAntiMe
June 21st, 2011
3:33 pm
As far as D. Howard goes – I don’t see the ASG being inclined to pay the long term money in free agency that would be required to keep him here even IF they could land him in a trade. A nice thought but Lindsay Lohan has a better chance of becoming the Archbishop of Canterbury, in my opinion, Mr. Bradley. Mr. Bradley… you didn’t get abducted by the pirates of Somalia, did you?
jbee
June 21st, 2011
3:38 pm
You are out of you cotton-pickin’ minds if you think for one second that Howard and Anderson for Horford and Heinrich is anywahre near a fair trade ROFL You would have to throw in Crawford and some cash to avoid being laughed at.
Also, I have news for you all…hear my words…ready???
NO WAY D12 is leaving Orlando…Sorry guys… I know the press needs a story now that the Heat story has cooled off (forgive the pun). He will be in Orl this year and beyond. He is a leader that will have others join him. Not the other way around….
Dan was my favorite Thrasher
June 21st, 2011
3:40 pm
I will care about this when ASG sells the Hawks and gets the hell out of town. Until then, not one penny.
Mitun
June 21st, 2011
3:51 pm
you know something, Mark. the city of Atlanta has been lacking a big time superstar such as Howard since Dominique Wilkins as a player but as of whole, the only big time superstar in my opinion was Michael Vick before the world heard about his dogfighting incident.
here is my need list for the Hawks
1. Better Ownership
2. Better GM maybe Charles Barkley or Steve Smith
3. Better Coaching staff in which I would choose Brian Shaw but I am going give LD one more year before I judge.
4. Big superstar like Howard
5. good playmaker
4. Sell seats
Tbones
June 21st, 2011
3:55 pm
Jay, if you have Crawford, Arenas, Teague, and Anderson, you have shooters. Johnson will be making over 20mil a year for the last 3 years of his contract and he’s already showing he’s declining. You forget it was Smith dominating against The Bulls, while Horford performed a disappearing act, in fact, Smith numbers improve in the playoffs versus the regular season and he affects the game both defensive and offensive. Your trade suggestion lack being realistic, vision, and understanding of savings. My trade upgrades the team in every way and creates cap space 2yrs earlier.
Boycott ASG
June 21st, 2011
4:01 pm
Really don’t care what the Hawks do or don’t do with this criminally negligent, incompetent ownership group running things. They are dead to me. Never setting foot in ASG Arena again!
Tron5000
June 21st, 2011
4:12 pm
As long as ASG owns the Hawks, it will be impossible for me to have any concern whatsoever for the team. Those fools shall not get a dollar of my money in ticket, concessions or merchandise sales. Neither shall I watch a Hawks game on TV, because I would like their viewership numbers to be as low as possible, thus scaring off potential advertisers.
These clowns deserve absolutely nothing from the city of Atlanta after the way they’ve mismanaged the Hawks and run the Thrashers out of town. We should be discussing the best ways possible to boycott ASG and make their lives as miserable as possible, not arguing over who to trade for Dwight Howard.
feudfinder
June 21st, 2011
4:40 pm
First, why will you want to trade your best player (Hoford) ?
Second, unless the ASG is drinking a pink koolade, it will overstretch itself financially to get Howard. It will be nice, but at least,it’s not in the history book.
Third, don’t be surprised if the hawks is moved out of the state like the thrashers in the next few months. ASG loves its pocket more than a man loves his wife.
yodaddy
June 21st, 2011
4:45 pm
Dwight Howard is worth the entire Hawks team
in your dreams
June 21st, 2011
4:55 pm
LOL, Dwight will not leave for ATL.
Re: Feudfinder
June 21st, 2011
4:56 pm
Al Horford is not the Atlanta Hawks best player. He averages 10 points in 39 playoff games.
7 points and 4 rebounds at power forward. Sorry but if Orlando were dumb enough to do this…
also on Marvin and Josh Smith for Howard who plays center? Josh? lol Atlanta is the only franchise dumb enough to try that for long periods of time.
in your dreams
June 21st, 2011
4:56 pm
And the Magic certainly wouldn’t entertain any offers from the Hawks. If anything, they’re going to try and get Smith to play with Dwight there… so the question is do they want any of the magic players not named Dwight for Smith.
yodaddy
June 21st, 2011
5:03 pm
I’m serious. Whoever the Magic want they can have.
Horford, Teague, Hinrich, Zaza Pachulia, future first round picks, cash and Joe Johnson as a freebie
for Dwight Howard…just Dwight Howard….hell I’d even take Hedo’s contract back too..
If the Hawks had Dwight and Josh Smith I promise you they’d be the favorites for the title because everyone will be scared to come in the lane and these guys are real friends and homers.
The Hawks would really only realistically need a few sharpshooters and a halfway decent point guard.
This is all wishful thinking though because we know that Dwight Howard won’t be traded to the Atlanta Hawks.
yodaddy
June 21st, 2011
5:20 pm
Trading for Dwight Howard might erase the memory of trading Dominique Wilkins and Dikembe Mutombo.
It doesn’t have to be just the Hawks trading it could involve multiple teams.
IDK maybe Nene, Horford to Orlando
Dwight Howard and some scrubs to Atlanta
Hinrich and Brandon Bass, and 2 1st round picks to Denver
Marvin Williams injures self on a motorcycle and voids his contract…sending him to Free Agency
(IDK bout salaries but you kinda get what I’m talking about)
Buddy Grizzard
June 21st, 2011
5:28 pm
One and done if we lose Jamal… just wow…
A more realistic trade scenario would be Joe and Al for Dwight and Arenas. They might choose an in-division trade partner if it meant getting out of Arenas’ albatross.