Dwight Howard gets the headlines as the big man propelling toward unrestricted free agency in July, but observers might want to keep an eye on Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks ahead of the Feb. 18 NBA trade deadline. What’s that? The Hawks are third in the Eastern Conference at 27-19? While impressive, the Atlanta front office has the long-term outlook to think about and this version of the Hawks clearly pales in comparison to the squad that dominated the regular season last year. It’s why Horford’s name has started to pop up in trade rumors as of late. Steve Kyler of BasketballInsiders.com not only provided the inside look at how the Hawks view these rumors, but hinted at what might be in store if the Hawks continue to struggle: Hawks sources found the notion of trading Horford laughable, pointing to how important he was to the team dynamic in Atlanta and that he’s a core guy in Mike Budenholzer’s system. There is a sense among NBA insiders that a hefty offer could steal Horford away from the Hawks, especially if the team continues to regress from their record setting form from last season. Look, this isn’t the first time Horford’s name has come up as of late. Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press also wondered if Horford might be available because some would point to an issue with leadership being the reason behind Atlanta’s struggles - See more at: http://thesportsdaily.com/will-hawk...ks-trade-al-horford-before-nba-trade-deadline
