Latest trade rumors have emerged that the Atlanta Hawks could send Dwight Howard to the New Orleans Pelicans before the Feb. 23 trade deadline.
The Hawks has been one of the most mentioned NBA clubs in the rumor mill these days as speculations emerged earlier in the month that the team has placed Paul Millsap in the trade market to potentially re-tool their roster.
Atlanta went on to pull off a significant deal by trading sharpshooter Kyle Korver to the defending champions Cleveland Cavaliers for veteran small forward Mike Dunleavy, Mo Williams, and a future first-round draft pick.
At the moment, the Hawks has been getting headlines once again as there are reports that the team almost traded All-Star center Howard to the Pelicans recently.
CBS Sports reported that Atlanta recently "considered sending" Howard to New Orleans as the two teams had "exploratory talks" for a potential deal, but no official agreements are reached yet. However, both sides are said to be expected to continue on with the discussion and could still push through with a trade in or before the February deadline.
The Pelicans has a big need to upgrade at the center spot currently occupied by Omer Asik and Howard seems to fit the bill. With Howard in the middle, Anthony Davis can slide back to his natural power forward position. Having another big man in Howard's caliber will also allow Davis to stay fresh when the postseason comes.
SB Nation reported that New Orleans is looking to "make a postseason push than tank for a higher draft pick", which is said to be the reason why they are inquiring about Howard.
The Pelicans are in the 10th spot in the West at the moment, only one-and-a-half games behind current eighth-seeded team Denver Nuggets with still half a season remaining so there is still a chance to qualify for the playoffs.
Still, it is unclear how much interest does New Orleans have for the eight-time All-Star and three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year winner. Also, it is not yet clear what assets are the Pelicans willing to give up to get Howard.
