Tue, Jun 20, 2017 at 12:17am

HORNETS HOPE HOWARD CAN HELP

The Atlanta Hawks acquired swingman Marco Belinelli, center / power forward Miles Plumlee, and a 2nd-round draft pick in 2017 (No. 41 overall) from the Charlotte Hornets for center Dwight Howard and a 2nd-round draft pick in 2017 (No. 31 overall).

What does it give the Atlanta Hawks
This is a nice maneuver by Hawks GM Travis Schlenk to kick off the off-season. Not only does he give Atlanta a lot more financial flexibility moving forward (since Howard would have cost well over $20 per season the next two years), but he lets the Hawks move on with a younger roster. Howard is aging and in decline, and Schlenk looks determined to start a rebuild around promising young point guard Dennis Schroder. This deal will also probably make it easier optics-wise if the team decides not to re-sign veteran star forward Paul Millsap this off-season. Belinelli and Plumlee don't project as key players for Atlanta.

What does it give the Charlotte Hornets
It's not easy to love this trade by the Hornets, but it's an understandable deal in terms of their team identity and current situation. General Manager Rich Cho has tried to build a team that wins with defense, and Howard can definitely help with that; he's still one of the NBA's top rebounders and best defensive centers, and he might be able to push Charlotte into the playoffs. The second-round pick upgrade is a nice add too, and Cho solidly dumps Plumlee's hefty contract (which has three years left). All that said though, ultimately it's hard to see this Hornets team being a major contender for the duration of Howard's contract over the next two seasons.

Fantasy impact
Belinelli and Plumlee both get a minor boost in sleeper appeal with this deal, since they're joining a team that might not have any proven stars on it (with Scroder the possible exception). As for Howard, it's tough to imagine this move helping his fantasy value; at age 31 he's no longer a top-tier scorer or shot-blocker, and the Hornets have two very capable and improving centers behind him (Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky) who should steal some minutes. That said, Zeller and Kaminsky both get fantasy downgrades as a result of this swap.