This week, the Atlanta Hawks were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time in four years.
A season fraught with challenges and controversy, the Hawks navigated their obstacles better than many teams have. Nonetheless, Atlanta enters the offseason with several questions in their effort to build a championship contender.
3 Burning Questions for Hawks After Playoff Elimination
Trae or Dejounte?
The biggest question for the Hawks this season by far is what they’re going to do about their backcourt conundrum.
To be clear, on a sentimental level, nobody wants either Trae Young or Dejounte Murray to be traded. While he hasn’t always been successful, Young has routinely put the Hawks on his back. In many ways, Young has exceed expectations, both from an individual and team standpoint. Furthermore, his ‘coach-killer’ label —earned or not —doesn’t erase the fondness that his teammates have for him.
One of those players is Murray himself, who has been maligned for not being a player that he never was.
With the San Antonio Spurs, Murray was a two-way playmaker who used his length and athleticism to excel at both ends. At no point was he considered an off-guard, let alone a key catch-and-shoot threat. Defensively, Murray was always seen as a player that caused chaos in passing lanes rather than a guard that constantly prevented perimeter penetration.
However, for whatever reason, the Hawks expected him to master a 3-and-D-like role beside Young.
This offseason, Atlanta has the ability to rectify their problem.
Trading one of Young or Murray will bring the Hawks the 3-and-D wing that they need beside the star guard they keep. With that said, while Young seems like the player Atlanta should hold onto, there’s a legitimate question of whether that’s truly the case.
The Case for Trading Trae Young
Aside from the questions about his coachability, Young has flaws at both ends of the court.
On offense, his shot-selection and willingness to let his teammates make a scoring impact are concerning, especially for a point guard. At the defensive end, Young is more determined to stop the ball at the point-of-attack than years past. However, he’s still unreliable as an on-ball defender and at a position where players have become excellent scorers. When guarding other positions, his size (6-foot-1, 164 pounds) will always put him at a disadvantage.
On top of all of that, Young is likely to fetch more in a trade than Murray. He has more All-Star selections, is younger, the better passer, and the better shot-creator. Though he’s streakier and doesn’t intimidate anyone defensively, he’s proven more as a go-to player.
Fixing the Defense
The Hawks’ defensive issues extend beyond their backcourt.
Wing Defenders, Anyone?
Throughout the Trae Young Era, Atlanta has lacked enough wing defenders.
While De’Andre Hunter has often performed admirably in this area, gone are the days when top-tier teams relied on one or volume-scoring wing. That said, Hunter found comfort with a sixth man role in the back half of the season. If the Hawks retain him, and they may not given their determination to trade him last season, they could still need a primary wing defender in the first unit.
A trade of one of Young or Murray should only take place if it improves their backcourt defense. However, when looking at their team needs, rather than looking for another combo guard they should acquire a backcourt player with more size.
Considering the teams linked to the Hawks ahead of the 2023-24 trade deadline, San Antonio Spurs wing Devin Vassell and New Orleans Pelicans wing Herb Jones fit that requirement. To that point, while Young is the player that’s been tied to the Spurs, there have been rumors that San Antonio is willing to reunite with Murray.
A Faulty Frontline
This season, it also became apparent they need to improve their frontcourt defense. With impending free agent Saddiq Bey starting at power forward, the Hawks lacked enough size. They ran into the same issue when Onyeka Okongwu started at center. Yet, when veteran Clint Capela took his customary spot in the starting lineup, his limited mobility often stood out.
Nonetheless, rookie big man Mouhamed Gueye could figure into the Hawks’ plans moving forward. Throughout the 2023-24 season, Gueye flashed his potential at all levels. 6-foot-11 and over 220 pounds, he averaged 8.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 21.6 minutes per game in the final three games of the season. A three-level scorer, he shot a stellar 50.0 percent from 3 in that stretch.
Among the teams tied to the Hawks in the trade market, Spurs forward Keldon Johnson, Utah Jazz forwards Lauri Markkanen and Taylor Hendricks, Jazz center Walker Kessler, Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, and New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson could all enhance the Hawks’ frontcourt defense.
The Best Trade?
A trade sending Young to San Antonio for Vassell and Johnson makes some sense on paper. A trade sending Murray to Utah for a package centered around Hendricks or Kessler is still feasible but less likely. As is a trade sending Murray or Young to L.A. for a package centered around Hachimura and Austin Reaves.
The best trade for the Hawks should see them sending Young (or Murray) to the Los Angeles Clippers in a sign-and-trade for Paul George. A move that brings Atlanta an All-Star swingman who fits perfectly in the starting lineup, the Hawks should be salivating at the idea of adding George. However, this is only possible if George fails to reach a contract extension with the Clippers.
With that said, the most feasible trade is sending Murray back to the Spurs in exchange for Vassell. In 2023-24, Vassell averaged 19.5 points and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 37.2 percent from the field. Though he doesn’t produce as much as Murray offensively, he’s an aggressive on-ball defender with an eye for his opponent’s tendencies. Nonetheless, because of the difference in offensive execution, the Hawks should also get draft compensation.
The Spurs have eight first-round picks over the next three drafts. Adding one or two of those picks could be very valuable for the Hawks. Projected to land the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Atlanta can either try to move up in the draft or add another young prospect.
With that said, if they can move into the top-7, they could draft a potential game-changer. A prospect such as G League Ignite forward Ron Holland has tremendous two-way upside along with a high defensive floor. Highly touted Colorado swingman Colorado is in the 3-and-D mold. Depending on their plans for Hunter, he could be an ideal replacement.
