The Atlanta Hawks are struggling. They’re by no means out of the playoff race just yet, but expectations were a lot higher after their strong campaign last season. It’s been rumored that all players, outside of Trae Young and Clint Capela, are available for trade. With a talent such as Young, the Hawks must make moves to get back into the thick of things.
Atlanta Hawks: Three Trade Ideas
Ending the Drama in Philadelphia
The trade: the Hawks send John Collins, Delon Wright, Kevin Knox, and Jalen Johnson, and a first-round pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons, Paul Reed, and Jaden Springer.
At some point, Simmons has to be traded because his relationship with the 76ers is clearly broken. Young handles all of Atlanta’s primary ball-handling tasks, but a talent like Simmons is hard to pass up. He can handle the ball too, find teammates with ease, possibly even play as a big man, and shut down the opposing team’s top scorers. His talent is the infusion this Atlanta team needs. Reed puts in solid play in limited minutes, while Springer was selected in the 2021 NBA Draft first-round.
Collins can come into Philadelphia and form an extremely menacing frontcourt with Joel Embiid. Throw in Tobias Harris too, and Philadelphia is a nightmare. Collins holds All-Star capabilities. Wright is an expiring contract, but a veteran who can play solid defense. Knox was once a lottery pick, but he hasn’t panned out. His contract is expiring as well. Johnson was a potential steal of a pick out of Duke this past first-round but needs time to develop.
Taking Advantage of a Bad Situation
The trade: the Hawks send Collins, De’Andre Hunter, Gorgui Dieng, and a first-round pick to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis and Kendrick Nunn.
It’s almost unfathomable to see the Lakers trading Davis. They do, however, have a ton of problems. Russell Westbrook may be the biggest, although his contract is virtually untradeable. Davis has been underperforming. A change of scenery may be best, and he forms a very strong duo with Young. It’s at least worth exploring for Atlanta. In addition, Nunn is a solid backup option, especially with Atlanta having the aging Lou Williams.
The Lakers still have a great power forward in Collins should this trade go through. He’ll bring a fresh injection of athleticism. Hunter is very appealing too. He still has plenty of room to improve, although he’s already good, and can develop into being one of the top three-and-d players in the entire league. Dieng is a good option off the bench with the Lakers’ older center core, and they also get another draft pick for the future.
Time for the Atlanta Hawks to Send Out Assets
The trade: the Hawks send Knox, Johnson, a first-round pick, and a second-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Luguentz Dort and Kenrich Williams.
Everyone knows the Thunder love compiling assets. They also, however, look to have a different backcourt with Josh Giddey around. This, perhaps, makes Dort expendable. He’s an elite defender and can knock down the three. This is perfect for the current Hawks team. Williams is also a great hustler and team-first player. He can come in for stretches and play tough defense while also capable of being a weapon on the offensive end.
The Thunder can give Knox another opportunity to play, although his contract comes off the books too. As previously mentioned, Johnson looks to have a ton of potential. He’ll get minutes in Oklahoma City. Of course, the Thunder get their beloved draft picks here too.
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