In the spring of 2011, one Hawks owners at the time insisted that the team was on the verge of announcing a trade for Dwight Howard. The deal fell apart.
In the summer of 2012, with Howard sending signals (again) that he wanted out of Orlando, the Hawks made another run at him. He ended up with the Lakers.
Pretty much every other NBA team was after Howard back then, too. He was a defensive force and a pick-and-roll terror. He was the kind of superstar player that’s pretty much necessary to be a true championship contender.