In a bit of a surprising move prior to the 2017 NBA Draft, former All-Star center Dwight Howard was dealt to the Charlotte Hornets after just one season with the Atlanta Hawks.
It has immediately created a new opportunity for Howard to get a fresh start to his NBA career, again. During his introductory press conference on Monday morning, he made it clear what his long-term plans with the organization are.
From Chris Kroeger of Primetime WFNZ:
Dwight Howard says he can "hopefully finish his career here" in Charlotte with the #Hornets.
— Chris Kroeger (@Kroeger) June 26, 2017
This will mark the third different team in three seasons for Howard, raising questions about whether he is still a player an NBA franchise can build around at this point of his career. He's coming off another season where he saw his offensive production dip again, down to 13.5 points per game. That's the lowest total since his rookie season.
Despite his decline, the 31-year-old is still a highly productive player that remains a huge factor on the defensive end of the floor and on the glass. Howard joins a team where he could be a secondary star behind Kemba Walker, who is coming off his best individual season, averaging a career-high 23.2 points on the way to his first All-Star selection. They also have a few other solid supplementary players, such as Nicolas Batum, Marvin Williams, and incoming promising talent Malik Monk.
With the addition of Howard, the Hornets should vie for a playoff spot next season while being one of the more interesting teams in the Eastern Conference. If Charlotte makes significant strides this upcoming campaign, there is a realistic chance that he can ink a new deal with the team once his current contract ends in two seasons.
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