Dwight Howard Rumors: Star Free Agent to Meet with Hawks and Celtics

All-Star center Dwight Howard is reportedly set to meet with the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics as part of his latest foray into free agency.

According to ESPN.com's Chris Broussard and Marc Stein, Atlanta and Boston are two of as many as five teams likely to sit down with Howard to discuss a potential contract.

The 30-year-old veteran opted out of his contract with the Houston Rockets after a season that saw him average just 13.7 points to go along with 11.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.

Atlanta is Howard's hometown team, and although it already has its own free-agent center to deal with in Al Horford, the Hawks could be looking at Howard as a replacement or perhaps a complement to Horford should they be able to re-sign him.

The Celtics have some depth up front with Amir Johnson and Kelly Olynyk, as well as restricted free agents Tyler Zeller and Jared Sullinger, but Howard would give them the star power they have been missing up front.

Although 2015-16 was far from ideal for Howard, he is an eight-time All-Star, three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and a former NBA MVP finalist, which makes him among the most accomplished players on the open market.

Howard's career averages are 17.8 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per contest with a 58.2 percent field-goal percentage.

He is a legitimate game-changer at both ends of the floor when healthy and utilized to the best of his abilities.

Neither the Hawks nor the Celtics have a player who controls the basketball to the same degree as James Harden does in Houston, so Howard has a chance at a bounce-back season statistically should he sign with one of them.

Signing Howard to what is likely to be a max deal comes with risk since he has faltered during his last two stops with the Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers, but he was perennially heralded as one of the league's best players as a member of the Orlando Magic, and that type of production could still be within him in the right situation.  

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