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The free agency period has begun and the Atlanta Hawks are heavily involved with the action early. Al Horford is receiving calls from around the league, the price tag for Kent Bazemore seems to be going through the roof, and Atlanta will sit down at some point on Friday with hometown product Dwight Howard.
The Hawks and Celtics are two teams that are known to have meetings scheduled with Howard in Atlanta on Monday but there are two other unknown teams that have also secured face-to-face meetings according to a report by ESPN.com’s Chris Broussard.
Dwight Howard meeting w/4 teams, 2 being Atl & Boston. He will hold meetings in Atl July 1, then in Las Vegas July 2, says a league source
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) July 1, 2016
Those expecting Howard to consider Atlanta on a discount are going to be disappointed. The asking price for Howard reportedly starts at $24 million according to a report by ESPN.com’s Calvin Brooks:
When Dwight Howard starts having his free agent meetings on Friday he'll be seeking a contract starting at $24 million a season according to a source. Howard is expected to conduct his meetings in his hometown of Atlanta. Boston and Atlanta have secured the first meetings with the center. Portland and Charlotte have also expressed interest in Howard, who declined a player option with the Rockets at $23.2 million.