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Dwight Howard is officially off the free-agency board. He’s heading to his hometown, joining the Atlanta Hawks for a 3 year contract reportedly worth $70.5 million, according to Shams Charania at The Vertical.
Dwight Howard has reached agreement on a three-year, $70.5 million with the Atlanta Hawks, league sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2016
Howard, once linked to the Blazers before free agency opened, seem to focus on Atlanta and the Boston Celtics as free agency got underway. He declined a player option of $23.2 million to chase a longer-term lucrative contract.
The Hawks are also trying to retain free agent big man Al Horford, who is being courted by a number of teams, including Boston and Oklahoma City. There are no recent reports linking him to Portland. The Blazers agreed to terms with Evan Turner earlier today, for a very similar total salary as Howard's reported amount.