Hawks Plan to Be Active at 2022 NBA Trade Deadline

[D21]

Both CBS and BR writing their stories without mentioning that the record of ATL comes from them being one of the few teams in the league with the most injuries/COVID is just enough to not taking care of what they said.
I can't believe some people are paid to be so subjective or ignorant.

[D21]

I'm not taking sides in this surprisingly impassioned debate, but my takeaway from all these trade rumors:

Travis re-signed a number of players to long term value extensions last summer. Yet 6 months later, he seems more than willing to part with anyone not named Trae and restructuring the team altogether.

This tells me that these guys weren't necessarily retained to be long term pieces here, but were kept under team control as assets to be played or traded whenever it became necessary.

This is actually pretty brilliant.

JC definitely fits this narrative imo. He was never a 25+ million dollar player, but yet Schlenk threw it at him anyway in the end. Sabonis was a better player, and John got way more money than him a year later.

Hopefully it pans out this way, but man it was risky doing so.

But I will consider it Schlenk's problem, he was responsible for this. Not that his first offer of 90M/'years was not good, I thought it was right, but it was not accepted because John's agent just look at his stats in the previous season, and the stats were good... but in a empty and loosing team where John and Trae were able to do what they wanted.
It was the way to build a better team for the following season, yes, but if Schlenk had some better veteran this season around them, like Sabonis did in the same year3, it would have been easier to agree on the lower contract.

[raleigh]

I'd really prefer the Hawks wait until the summer before making a consolidation trade. There are some positive trades to be made, but they just got their chemistry back.

Re: JC --- I was playing with the LEBRON stat tool the other day. His archetype is "versatile big." If you add in "stretch big," this is what you get:

Player	Season	Archetype	Def	Off
Jaren Jackson Jr.	2021-22	Stretch Big	2.19	0.20
Kristaps Porzingis	2021-22	Versatile Big	1.93	2.14
Lauri Markkanen	2021-22	Stretch Big	0.68	1.13
John Collins	2021-22	Versatile Big	0.62	0.62
Julius Randle	2020-21	Versatile Big	0.54	0.62
Obi Toppin	2021-22	Stretch Big	0.46	0.30
John Collins	2020-21	Versatile Big	0.08	1.68

Solid starter whose court value is close to his contract value. He's no Porzingis or JJJ, but he's at least as valuable as last-year Randle.

[Years90Suns]

I'm not taking sides in this surprisingly impassioned debate, but my takeaway from all these trade rumors:

Travis re-signed a number of players to long term value extensions last summer. Yet 6 months later, he seems more than willing to part with anyone not named Trae and restructuring the team altogether.

This tells me that these guys weren't necessarily retained to be long term pieces here, but were kept under team control as assets to be played or traded whenever it became necessary.

This is actually pretty brilliant.

Well, in both cases it was not a bad decision, although I believe it is much better to sign players because of their sport value and not because of their league value, which always will be linked to their sport value.

I thought Bogdanovic, Collins, Hunter and Huerter were all good transactions. A different thing is that the team is not playing as we all supposed it would play. Then every piece losses value.

I just cannot see how Collins does not fit here and he is expecting to get a pick and a starter in his place. A starter at the PF position or what?

[BrianInPhilly]

Posted this in the trade forum, what do you all think?

With each of these teams rumored to be interested in dealing specific guys, I thought of a trade that seems to benefit each team or at the very least from each team's perspective will benefit them. Let me know what you think *** Side Note I originally came up with the idea of this - Kings get Capela/Harris, 2 1st rounders, Hawks get Barnes/Simmons, Sixers get Hield/Collins but then found out Capela can't be traded .

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=y6um9jvh

Hawks get: Simmons & Korkmaz ... Give up Collins, Bogi, 2 1st rounders
Sixers get: Collins, Bogi, Barnes, Thompson ... GIve up Simmons, Harris, Korkmaz
Kings get: Harris, 2 1st rounders ... Give up Barnes, Thompson

Why the Kings to this: They essentially take on Harris' contract in place of Barnes for 2 1st round picks from Atlanta (or 1, and a 2nd). Atlanta can avoid getting Harris in this scenario.

Why the Sixers do this: They were already rumored to be interested in Collins for Simmons but wanted ATL to take Harris. This way they unload Harris while also picking up Barnes. The Bogi and Korkmaz swap is mainly for salary matching purposes as ATL needed to send more money out. Thompson is filler. I’m a huge Collins fan so I think adding him next to Embiid gives them elite scoring in the front court. Also eases the burden on Embiid as at times he can space the floor as Collins runs pick & rolls with the guards.

Why the Hawks do it: They were already rumored to want Simmons for Collins, but they didn’t want to take Harris back. In this deal they avoid that. I really thought it would be great if Hawks could add Capela to the deal (for Hield or Barnes) to help with spacing for Simmons but he can't be traded. So anyway they'll just have to deal with the spacing issues for now until the offseason I guess.

Side note: Though “Philly” is in my username I’m not necessarily a Sixers fan. I'm based in Philly, am a casual Hawks fan, and went to school with someone on the Kings so I follow them too. So I’m pretty knowledgeable about all 3 of these teams, so I definitely looked at things from the perspective of each team. To me this trade seems to benefit all 3 teams and gives them what they desire - a combo of the players they want and the players they want to get rid of.

Who says “No” to this trade ? And for that team is there just minor tweaks that would make it work?

[VCfor3]

Hawks are reportedly asking for a starter and first for Collins

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/265579/Hawks-Looking-For-First-Round-Pick-And-Starter-for-John-Collins

So Adams (our starter)+Culver (salary filler) and the lesser of MEM/UTA 22 1st (1st round pick) and we have a deal yes?

But seriously I saw someone maybe suggest Grant+ for Collins though I don't know if a 1st gets added to that. Detroit has their pick locked up with the goofy protections on it to Houston. Personally I like Collins a good bit more than Grant but if Collins is wanting out behind closed doors then maybe Grant can come in and help the defense at least.

[Geaux_Hawks]

I'm not taking sides in this surprisingly impassioned debate, but my takeaway from all these trade rumors:

Travis re-signed a number of players to long term value extensions last summer. Yet 6 months later, he seems more than willing to part with anyone not named Trae and restructuring the team altogether.

This tells me that these guys weren't necessarily retained to be long term pieces here, but were kept under team control as assets to be played or traded whenever it became necessary.

This is actually pretty brilliant.

JC definitely fits this narrative imo. He was never a 25+ million dollar player, but yet Schlenk threw it at him anyway in the end. Sabonis was a better player, and John got way more money than him a year later.

Hopefully it pans out this way, but man it was risky doing so.

But I will consider it Schlenk's problem, he was responsible for this. Not that his first offer of 90M/'years was not good, I thought it was right, but it was not accepted because John's agent just look at his stats in the previous season, and the stats were good... but in a empty and loosing team where John and Trae were able to do what they wanted.
It was the way to build a better team for the following season, yes, but if Schlenk had some better veteran this season around them, like Sabonis did in the same year3, it would have been easier to agree on the lower contract.

Yes and no. So it's his problem for sure, but ultimately he didn't want to lose Collins for nothing. I can't fault him much here because the market probably views him properly compared to Hawks fans. No one will give up a star without other pieces going out.

I think the recent rumor of "Starter and valued 1st" lines up with about where John's real value lies. So yes, the 90M offer was about right in terms of his value. A team looks at his low usage rate of 21.3 for his career, and see 74% of his FG's are assisted, plus so-so defense, and they realize that Collins star isn't so bright.

Sabonis at least had the skills to thrive on his own even after having quality vets added. Collins just seems to be invisible if we're not running heavy PnR.

Unfortunately, Collins, and his agent don't realize that teams build around Trae Young's and not John Collins' of the world. So unlike Sabonis, Collins was never going to sign a deal worth his real value, and was going to always be overpaid.

P.S: Since we got on the Sabonis talk, he really wouldn't be a bad #2 for this team, and he's available. If Indy was interested in Collins, i'd make that trade. Maybe add in some picks for McConnell as well.

[D21]

JC definitely fits this narrative imo. He was never a 25+ million dollar player, but yet Schlenk threw it at him anyway in the end. Sabonis was a better player, and John got way more money than him a year later.

Hopefully it pans out this way, but man it was risky doing so.

But I will consider it Schlenk's problem, he was responsible for this. Not that his first offer of 90M/'years was not good, I thought it was right, but it was not accepted because John's agent just look at his stats in the previous season, and the stats were good... but in a empty and loosing team where John and Trae were able to do what they wanted.
It was the way to build a better team for the following season, yes, but if Schlenk had some better veteran this season around them, like Sabonis did in the same year3, it would have been easier to agree on the lower contract.

Yes and no. So it's his problem for sure, but ultimately he didn't want to lose Collins for nothing. I can't fault him much here because the market probably views him properly compared to Hawks fans. No one will give up a star without other pieces going out.

I think the recent rumor of "Starter and valued 1st" lines up with about where John's real value lies. So yes, the 90M offer was about right in terms of his value. A team looks at his low usage rate of 21.3 for his career, and see 74% of his FG's are assisted, plus so-so defense, and they realize that Collins star isn't so bright.

Sabonis at least had the skills to thrive on his own even after having quality vets added. Collins just seems to be invisible if we're not running heavy PnR.

Unfortunately, Collins, and his agent don't realize that teams build around Trae Young's and not John Collins' of the world. So unlike Sabonis, Collins was never going to sign a deal worth his real value, and was going to always be overpaid.

P.S: Since we got on the Sabonis talk, he really wouldn't be a bad #2 for this team, and he's available. If Indy was interested in Collins, i'd make that trade. Maybe add in some picks for McConnell as well.

Sure he had to sign him, even at this money, to still have the player and trading him later if needed. I was all for that. I thought his fault was really the price. Actually, to avoid any problem, I would have offer 100M/4yrs last winter instead of 90M, with a decreasing contract.
For Sabonis, I'm not sure that he's available. IND may want Collins/Turner trade, but they won't trade Sabonis easily.

Now, I don't think it's a good idea to trade any players of this team.
No more Reddish was enough to make the bench unit performing like they never did, and they are dominating the bench opponents by more pts than what the starters are doing against opponent starters.
Just need now to get the starters back on their level of last season, and they are ready for the playoffs.

Making trades this summer if needed, yes, but now, IMHO, it's just totally stupid. There's nothing to win by doing that, I'm even not sure if there was a team that reach the Finals after replacing a starter via a trade in the middle of the season.

[Geaux_Hawks]

But I will consider it Schlenk's problem, he was responsible for this. Not that his first offer of 90M/'years was not good, I thought it was right, but it was not accepted because John's agent just look at his stats in the previous season, and the stats were good... but in a empty and loosing team where John and Trae were able to do what they wanted.
It was the way to build a better team for the following season, yes, but if Schlenk had some better veteran this season around them, like Sabonis did in the same year3, it would have been easier to agree on the lower contract.

Yes and no. So it's his problem for sure, but ultimately he didn't want to lose Collins for nothing. I can't fault him much here because the market probably views him properly compared to Hawks fans. No one will give up a star without other pieces going out.

I think the recent rumor of "Starter and valued 1st" lines up with about where John's real value lies. So yes, the 90M offer was about right in terms of his value. A team looks at his low usage rate of 21.3 for his career, and see 74% of his FG's are assisted, plus so-so defense, and they realize that Collins star isn't so bright.

Sabonis at least had the skills to thrive on his own even after having quality vets added. Collins just seems to be invisible if we're not running heavy PnR.

Unfortunately, Collins, and his agent don't realize that teams build around Trae Young's and not John Collins' of the world. So unlike Sabonis, Collins was never going to sign a deal worth his real value, and was going to always be overpaid.

P.S: Since we got on the Sabonis talk, he really wouldn't be a bad #2 for this team, and he's available. If Indy was interested in Collins, i'd make that trade. Maybe add in some picks for McConnell as well.

Sure he had to sign him, even at this money, to still have the player and trading him later if needed. I was all for that. I thought his fault was really the price. Actually, to avoid any problem, I would have offer 100M/4yrs last winter instead of 90M, with a decreasing contract.
For Sabonis, I'm not sure that he's available. IND may want Collins/Turner trade, but they won't trade Sabonis easily.

Now, I don't think it's a good idea to trade any players of this team.
No more Reddish was enough to make the bench unit performing like they never did, and they are dominating the bench opponents by more pts than what the starters are doing against opponent starters.
Just need now to get the starters back on their level of last season, and they are ready for the playoffs.

Making trades this summer if needed, yes, but now, IMHO, it's just totally stupid. There's nothing to win by doing that, I'm even not sure if there was a team that reach the Finals after replacing a starter via a trade in the middle of the season.

I mean I would agree price is and was the main concern. That's where it became not his fault because Collins and crew already had it in their minds that they wanted near max money. So if Schlenks offer becomes 4/100, then any other team probably throws out a similar number or more, and we still end up where we are today. But we do agree for the most part here.

As far as Sabonis, i've seen rumors that they are at least shopping him. To what extent, i'm not sure since Turner and his injury. Could go both ways honestly. I'd do a Collins+ deal to get a guy like Sabonis if Simmons is a no go. Was just something interesting nonetheless.

Which brings me to the mid-season trade idea. I think the fan base is to content on what the team did last year. The front office fell into that same lull. Last year was more of an anomaly than anything. We needed to many things to go right for us, and it did for the most part. If we make a move this year, it doesn't have to guarantee us a championship this year. If it's something that we can build upon into next year, then go for it. Get the chemistry flowing. Establish the pecking order. Build the relations up now. Oppose to waiting until the summer, when there's no real guarantee of when that would happen. Trade deadline isn't always meant to be used to win in the same year.

[Jamaaliver]

There's a number of Spurs wings I'd love to get on this squad.

Read on Twitter

My guess for trade targets:

Defensive players under contract from bottom feeder teams -- and a backup PG.

• Pascal Siakam
• Jerami Grant
• Ben Simmons
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
• Derrick White
• Thaddeus Young
• Keldon Johnson
• Marcus Smart
• Jaylen Brown

[Jamaaliver]

More Hawks Shakeups Coming?



Under lead executive Travis Schlenk, Atlanta hasn’t shied away from bold roster moves recently. From the in-season acquisition of Clint Capela to the offseason splurges for Bogdan Bogdanovic and Danilo Gallinari, the Hawks have regularly tried to maximize their playoff chances around Trae Young.

All those pieces now comprise an expensive puzzle. Finances and interpersonal dynamics already led Cam Reddish out the door, ahead of extension discussions this summer. John Collins and Gallinari would seem to be the most likely players integral to their 2021 Eastern Conference Finals run who could see a change of scenery next. Bogdan Bogdanovic's name has appeared in conversations with several rival teams as well, sources said. All three have been involved in Atlanta's negotiations to acquire Ben Simmons.

One team contacted by Atlanta regarding Collins told Bleacher Report the Hawks were only seeking a valuable first-round pick and a starting-caliber player in exchange for the talented young forward.

Other teams believe the Hawks could draw an even higher return. Jerami Grant has been frequently mentioned as a primary trade target for the Hawks this deadline, and Atlanta placed a call to San Antonio about Derrick White, sources said. The Spurs and Mavericks have been considered Collins suitors dating back to the 2020 offseason.

Another interesting Hawks tidbit: Before Atlanta sent Reddish to New York, the Hawks and Celtics discussed a framework that would have swapped Marcus Smart for Kevin Heurter and Reddish, sources said. It's unclear how far that dialogue progressed.

Bleacher Report

[Jamaaliver]

I'm not getting all this John Collins disdain this year. JC has been good.

Whether he stays or goes, he's been really good this year.

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[jayu70]

I'm not getting all this John Collins disdain this year. JC has been good.

Whether he stays or goes, he's been really good this year.

Sometimes it's just easier to discuss what players can't do at the expense of what they can do and are great at. He doesn't get enough credit for improving his offensive versatility.
From last night's game:
https://www.nba.com/stats/events/?ContextMeasure=FGM&EndPeriod=0&EndRange=28800&GameID=0022100737&PlayerID=1628381&RangeType=0&Season=2021-22&SeasonType=Regular%20Season&StartPeriod=0&StartRange=0&TeamID=1610612737&flag=3&sct=plot&section=game

[Jamaaliver]

I really like the wings for SAS. Most notably Devin Vassell, and Derrick White.

NBA trade deadline: Here are the right moves all 30 teams should make

Not every team is going to make a major shake-up, but as always, there are several who may look fairly different once the deadline passes. With that in mind, allow me to walk you through some of the possible transactions that we may see. In the process, I’ll also offer some unsolicited advice for what each team should do.

Atlanta Hawks: Trade for a scrappy guard like Derrick White



After trading Cam Reddish to the Knicks, the Hawks have played a lot better. But they still have very significant limitations on defense, which is something that they have to address before the postseason.

Even though Atlanta is a potential suitor for Ben Simmons, who would solve a lot of those problems, it feels unlikely that Simmons is traded if Philadelphia isn’t receiving a star player in return and the Hawks have no such player available.

More realistically, according to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, the Hawks could make a move for San Antonio Spurs guard Derrick White. I don’t think Atlanta would (or should) offer John Collins to land White. But it would be a wise move to use sizable draft capital to land him.

The Hawks should also consolidate some of their role players (e.g. Danillo Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Lou Williams, Delon Wright) to avoid further congestion within their rotation.

USA Today

[HMFFL]

Could Justin Tillman spark a Gorgui Dieng trade for the Atlanta Hawks?


The Atlanta Hawks have unearthed a talent with Justin Tillman announcing himself for the College Park Skyhawks in the G League this season. He has been playing so well that the Hawks signed him to a 10-day hardship contract during the Covid-19 crisis but did not use him.

This does not change the fact that what he is doing for the Skyhawks is close to the best in the G League. His 300 field goals attempted and 183 2-point field goals made are good enough for first in the League. He is hitting 60.1 percent from the floor, which is good enough for fifth in the league.

He is third in total offensive rebounds with 88, also third in player efficiency rating with 26.1. He has the same rank with win shares at 2.6 and offensive rating with 126.3. These numbers have him second in the league for offensive win shares at 2.0. His 427 total points see him ninth in the league



https://soaringdownsouth.com/2022/02/02/justin-tillman-gorgui-dieng-atlanta-hawks/?a_aid=40179

Sent from my SM-N975U using RealGM mobile app

[CP War Hawks]

Could Justin Tillman spark a Gorgui Dieng trade for the Atlanta Hawks?


The Atlanta Hawks have unearthed a talent with Justin Tillman announcing himself for the College Park Skyhawks in the G League this season. He has been playing so well that the Hawks signed him to a 10-day hardship contract during the Covid-19 crisis but did not use him.

This does not change the fact that what he is doing for the Skyhawks is close to the best in the G League. His 300 field goals attempted and 183 2-point field goals made are good enough for first in the League. He is hitting 60.1 percent from the floor, which is good enough for fifth in the league.

He is third in total offensive rebounds with 88, also third in player efficiency rating with 26.1. He has the same rank with win shares at 2.6 and offensive rating with 126.3. These numbers have him second in the league for offensive win shares at 2.0. His 427 total points see him ninth in the league



https://soaringdownsouth.com/2022/02/02/justin-tillman-gorgui-dieng-atlanta-hawks/?a_aid=40179

Sent from my SM-N975U using RealGM mobile app

Maybe Dieng could extract a 2nd rounder from the Char or something. Tillman should have been called up considering Hill had been injured and traded including the Covid infections.

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[Jamaaliver]

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What Should the Hawks Do at the Trade Deadline?

Teams will be calling Atlanta at the deadline, but it might not have to search far to save its season.



At 24–26, and only one game out of 12th place, the Hawks are a massive disappointment seemingly in desperate need of a shake up beyond the mid-January move that sent Cam Reddish to the Knicks for a protected first-round pick and Kevin Knox.

Frustrations that include having the fourth-worst defense in the NBA are why they’re perceived as a logical suitor for Ben Simmons, and why John Collins—who recently confirmed his desire for more touches—is rumored to be on the move even though he just signed a five-year, $125 million contract and is their second-most consistent player.

In early January, Hawks GM Travis Schlenk went on the radio and gave a blistering assessment of his roster, saying, among other things, “Maybe I should lower my expectations for this team.”

But on the same day Schlenk gave that interview, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton revealed the Hawks were one of four teams that had lost at least 1,000 minutes to health and safety protocols this season. Compounded by several lengthy injuries to key contributors, the Hawks were anything but easy to evaluate.

De’Andre Hunter has missed more than half the season. Bogdan Bogdanović has missed 18 games. Clint Capela has missed eight. Onyeka Okongwu—who’s shooting 72.9% and is a brick wall on defense—has appeared in only 18.

Over the past couple of weeks, they showed what they can be when healthy. After losing six of seven, the Hawks reeled off seven straight wins, a streak that ended sans Trae Young on Monday night against the Raptors.

The stretch came against some pretty good teams—though it included some injury luck against a Heat team that didn’t have Kyle Lowry or Tyler Herro and a LeBron-less Lakers—and had the Hawks looking like the group many thought they’d be before this season began: a well-balanced, deep, high-octane monster that has enough juice for a playoff run.

How the Hawks have improved

Spoiler:

There are several reasons to believe this current stretch is more indicative of who they are going forward than the perilous weeks that preceded it, be it Young’s evolving offensive brilliance (after a slow start he’s living at the free throw line again), Hunter’s incremental journey toward two-way stardom or the way dealing Reddish has clarified Atlanta’s rotation.

The Hawks were always going to have to sacrifice if they wanted to be successful. It took nearly 45 games, but Nate McMillan has seemingly settled into a starting five that, for the most part, satisfies everyone’s individual needs. There is a small-sample-sized caveat in play, but Atlanta’s new starting five of Young, Kevin Huerter, Hunter, Collins and Capela has been amazing in front of an experienced, savvy, explosive all-bench unit that features Bogdan Bogdanović, Danilo Gallinari, Delon Wright, Lou Williams and Okongwu. (They’re +27.3 per 100 possessions in 43 minutes.)

McMillan has done a good job blending those two groups together. The Hawks have started taking (and making) more threes, playing better defense and riding myriad lineup combinations, as was evident when Okongwu closed over Capela in their last two games. And at the heart of all bullishness is Young, a masterly pick-and-roll tactician with limitless range, flair, confidence and vision who doesn’t wreck defenses so much as turn his own team’s pick-and-roll attack into a melodious thrum. Most opposing schemes are useless when he’s surrounded by a lob threat, three-point snipers and a couple of other ballhandlers who broaden what the opposition needs to prepare for. He ranks first in at-rim assists and second in corner-three assists.

Drop, and fall victim to a floater or alley-oop. Blitz, and Young will either scamper around two bodies and score on his own or get off it and let a teammate go 4-on-3. A well-connected switch-everything game plan tends to short-circuit the Hawks from time to time, but it doesn’t take long for Young to solve any puzzle, either by having his big slip the screen (and even diving into the paint without actually setting one), finding the right mismatch or hunting a more vulnerable defender on his own.

Huerter, meanwhile, is better as a starter than a reserve. His shooting splits go from 40.5/23.6/64.3 off the bench to 49.3/42.2/90.5, credibly spacing the floor, driving closeouts, stretching defenses as a real threat on the second side. He’s a cleaner fit in that role than Bogdanović, who’s a natural going unconscious as the second unit’s first option. Huerter is also long and peppery on defense, built to match up against starters. He moves his feet laterally, is stronger than he looks and makes consistent plays on the ball.

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Much like Collins, Okongwu, Capela, Hunter and several other plus defenders on Atlanta’s roster, Huerter is also aware of his responsibilities when it comes time to cover for Young.

Young’s defense will never be ideal, but the Hawks are doing as good a job as they can living with it, especially when teams go out of their way to prey on him with a ball screen, where stress is very real; dealing with it requires focus, prerotations, double teams, quick thinking, a whole lot of length and Young making an effort to either show and recover or battle on a switch. Here's the best scenario:

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And here’s what happens when everyone isn’t locked in. If the offense is spaced out and the Hawks refuse to switch, offenses usually carve up their two defenders.

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

These examples don’t even include the wide pindowns Young has to defend when hiding off the ball, or what happens when he decides to take a play off and watch his man back cut along the baseline for an easy layup. Stops are exhausting. For the season, the Hawks allow a whopping 9.3 fewer points per 100 possessions with Young on the bench, far and away the team’s worst margin. But over the last eight games Young’s defensive rating is 108.8, which is almost a top-10 effort. As last year showed, the Hawks have the personnel to live with Young’s shortcomings on one end and enjoy the fruits of his labor on the other.

But, this recent surge aside, they’re far from perfect and shouldn’t close the door on more moves, or even close off the thought of tinkering with what they already have.


Should the Hawks make a move?

Spoiler:

Before they look outside Georgia for help, the Hawks should consider expanding duties held by Okongwu and Hunter, two integral cornerstones who are simultaneously perfect fits in their respective roles and in need of more things to do.

Hunter logs pretty much all of his minutes with Young for defensive purposes, but McMillan may want to find a way to stagger them some, if for no better reason than to give Hunter a chance to spread his wings with the ball. There are flashes of a confident in-between game, supplemented by solid handle, a pretty jump shot that’s unbothered by a contesting hand and a body type that was born to create and then take advantage of a mismatch. The Hawks are a different team if he can maintain all that while making plays for others with Young on the bench. (These changes would disrupt a workable rotation, but may be worth exploring sometime after the All-Star break.)

Okongwu would start for most teams and it’ll be fascinating to see how McMillan handles the more delicate balance between his minutes with Capela, who’s valuable in his own right as a persistent lob threat and one of the league’s best defenders. (Capela also can’t be traded until the offseason.) It wouldn’t be a complete shock to see him come off the bench before the playoffs begin. Changings of the guard happen quickly in the NBA, especially when there’s pressure to win.

Okongwu’s need for more minutes also affects Collins, who enjoys a higher usage at the five beside Gallinari than he does in the starting lineup next to Capela. Scrapping those minutes would be good for the Hawks, but not so great for Collins’s individual production, exacerbating the source of his alleged unhappiness. That’s a shame. Collins is awesome in his role, rebounding, stretching the floor, hitting the occasional face-up jumper and unleashing his athleticism in moments that cry for it.

Assuming Collins wants a larger role, there may not even be one out there. He speaks of wanting to make All-Star teams, cracking the Hall of Fame and being placed in situations where he can process the floor like Nikola Jokić. But where are his strengths better leveraged than Atlanta, next to a generational playmaker who does all the heavy lifting? Collins with a much higher usage might not be the most attractive commodity, but his ambition makes hypothetical trades feel more realistic than they should be—even if the Venn diagram of teams eager to find out how good Collins can be away from Young while also having the pieces to make a deal worth Atlanta’s while isn’t very spacious. (There aren’t a lot of forwards who can space the floor vertically and behind the three-point line.)

The most fascinating exchange would be something like John Collins and Bogdan Bogdanović for Ben Simmons and Danny Green. Simmons is a fantastic fit beside Young, even if adding him would probably require some more redecorating, including another move to ship Capela out of town during the offseason. Simmons and Capela aren’t a wretched fit—especially when Simmons has the ball in his hands—and they can be staggered enough to make it work in the short term. Starting Simmons at the four and then playing half his minutes as a backup point guard/center would improve the Hawks’ defense and give them the clear second star they don’t currently have. (A transaction like this requires a decent amount of faith in Okongwu developing a reliable jump shot, which isn’t far-fetched.)

But after Simmons, none of these deals are terrific for the Hawks, and they shouldn’t make them unless they feel like moving on from Collins absolutely needs to happen. And if not, then they should chill out, keep Collins (who complements Trae and is—once again—a very talented and valuable player!) and roll down the stretch with a roster that, when healthy, can go toe-to-toe with pretty much any team in basketball.


The Hawks should feel optimistic about where they are and what they can still accomplish in a playoff setting. That doesn’t mean they’re flawless (upgrading at backup point guard would be nice), but several key ingredients that complement one another so well are starting to do just that. There’s good reason to believe they can turn their season around. Just like they did one year ago.

Sports Illustrated

[Jamaaliver]

Hawks' Complete Trade Deadline Preview



The Atlanta Hawks are hard to figure out.

They ranked among last season's biggest surprises but find themselves among this season's biggest disappointments. They can look overpowering at times, and at others they seem like they can't get out of their own way. They have had two losing streaks of five-plus games; each was immediately followed by a seven-game winning streak.

Let's dig into Atlanta's potential deadline dealings, then, with this comprehensive preview.

Assets

If Atlanta considers itself a buyer, it has as much spending power as just about anyone.

Spoiler:

The Hawks own all of their own first-round picks, plus the Charlotte Hornets' 2022 first-rounder with top-18 protection (technically, they have the Oklahoma City Thunder's first-rounder too, but it has lottery protection that's sure to kick in, which would transform it into two future seconds). Their roster offers everything from plug-and-play contributors to up-and-comers to financial relief, and they might be ready to use all of it.

"Everyone but Trae Young and Clint Capela are available," an assistant general manager told B/R's Jake Fischer.

John Collins might be the most fascinating trade chip, if only because he's in the first season of a five-year, $125 million deal. He has posted near-All-Star-quality numbers in the past, but his decreasing offensive role has hurt his volume stats and left him less than thrilled about his role. If the Hawks can add an impact player, Collins is probably their ticket to him.

Needs

Barring something dramatic, the Hawks could use an extra playmaker, a point-of-attack defender and (like most teams) more shooting.

Spoiler:

Are the Hawks willing to put Collins on the table? Would they consider packaging him with a draft pick and an extra player like De'Andre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanovic or Danilo Gallinari?

If those answers land in the affirmative, then Atlanta can dream impossibly big.

That's enough to fetch a second star, which could take this club next level. Young is a soul-snatcher on the offensive end, but he too often has the spotlight all to himself. Landing a second impact player—a 20-something point-scoring wing who plays both ends—might be the move that gets this group back on track.

Prediction

If the stars align for a major move, I think the Hawks make it happen.

This roster is begging for a consolidation deal. While they only have one true star, they have a ton of players in the above-average tier. Those are helpful, but it gets tricky to find the best way to play all of them, and paying everyone is probably impossible.

The question is whether that impact player is out there for the taking. They are a fascinating fit for Ben Simmons but far less so if they would have to take back Tobias Harris. Kicking the tires on Jerami Grant or Harrison Barnes might be worth it, but are those definite (and significant) upgrades? It would be great to forecast an internet-breaking blockbuster for Jaylen Brown or Pascal Siakam, but that almost certainly isn't happening.

A Simmons swap seems unlikely, though not impossible. Grant or Barnes could work for the right price. Players who should have Atlanta's full attention, though, are Marcus Smart and Derrick White. They feel relatively obtainable, would instantly upgrade the perimeter defense and work both alongside and in relief of Young. Getting either one feels like a 50-50 proposition at best, but if Atlanta can pry either one loose, it should.

Bleacher Report

[Bornstellar]

Do you guys see any realistic Hawks/Spurs trade for Collins that doesn't include either DJM, Vassell, or Primo? Spurs have a gaping hole at PF and Collins is a very solid player but I really don't see a path to a deal that doesn't at least include Vassell and I would hate to part with him.

White is a good player. He is great defensively. He just lacks confidence and he's kinda injury prone. He used to be a solid shooter but hes been in an extended three point slump this year. Be warned

[Jamaaliver]

Do you guys see any realistic Hawks/Spurs trade for Collins that doesn't include either DJM, Vassell, or Primo? Spurs have a gaping hole at PF and Collins is a very solid player but I really don't see a path to a deal that doesn't at least include Vassell and I would hate to part with him.

Considering how productive John Collins has been for years and how many other teams have shown interest in him, it is difficult to see a Spurs deal getting done without one of Primo, Vassell or the SAS first round pick this year.

It simply wouldn't make sense to send our top trade chip to you and not get one of yours back.