The Atlanta Hawks have already traded Kyle Korver to the Cleveland Cavaliers this season. They also put Paul Millsap on the trading block before taking him out again. This time around, the Hawks are reportedly considering sending Dwight Howard to the New Orleans Pelicans.

According to Zach Lowe of ESPN, the Hawks and Pelicans have discussed a possible deal that could have sent Howard to New Orleans. However, the two teams did not have any serious negotiations but it shows that Atlanta is unsure about their future.

"Atlanta and New Orleans had exploratory talks about possible Howard trades before the Hawks pulled everyone off the market, according to several league sources. It is unclear how interested New Orleans was, and there was not unanimous support within the team for acquiring Howard," Lowe wrote.

The Hawks have had a very up and down season so far. They started the season great but then they cooled off and lost a bunch of games. But now, they are playing great basketball again after winning eight out of their last ten games.

Atlanta currently has a record of 24-18 and they are fourth in the Eastern Conference standings. They are just 6.5 games behind the Cavaliers but realistically, they can even finish as the second seed if they keep everything up.

On the other hand, the Pelicans are 17-26 and they sit tenth in the Western Conference standings. However, they are just a game behind the final playoff spot that is why their front office is looking for ways to improve the team, per CBS Sports.

Howard, who is currently enjoying his first season in Atlanta, is averaging 13.7 points, 13.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.4 blocks per game. He signed a three-year, $70.5 million contract with the Hawks last summer.

The Pelicans are relying too much on Anthony Davis and it will surely take a toll on his body. Adding a player like Howard certainly helps ease the pressure on Davis but the Hawks are not selling. New Orleans is better off acquiring a much younger player like Jahlil Okafor rather than the 31-year-old Howard.

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