The Atlanta Hawks’ recent skid has everybody expecting them to be among the most active teams at next month’s NBA trade deadline, with two names headlining the conversation: Trae Young and Anthony Davis.
While the conversations surrounding Young have not exactly been nuanced in the media, it is difficult to ignore that the Hawks are 14-11 without him this season compared to 2-8 with him. Jalen Johnson appears ready to lead the team moving forward, and Atlanta invited controversy when it opted not to extend Young during the offseason, signaling that the organization has been at least considering life beyond its All-Star point guard. However, as several NBA insiders have pointed out — including Sam Amick of The Athletic — the list of potential suitors for Young is not exactly robust.
“League sources say the Hawks, who saw so many promising signs during that Young-less stretch, are more open to discussing deals for him than ever,” Amick reports. “Yet in the absence of clarity regarding legitimate suitors, and with league sources indicating that Young’s market is widely considered minimal, it remains entirely possible that the Hawks will have to handle his situation in the summertime.”
As far as Anthony Davis goes, Chris Haynes is reporting that the expectation around the league is that the 10-time All-Star will be traded before the deadline, and several insiders have pegged the Hawks as one of the most interested parties. However, it is not expected that Trae Young would be part of that deal, and there has also been pushback from Atlanta regarding their willingness to include former first-round pick Zaccharie Risacher in the trade package.
“Yet while the Mavericks are known to be pushing for young prospects (and expiring contracts) in talks relating to Davis, Hawks sources pushed back hard on reports that they’d be willing to include 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher,” Amick continues. “While the second-year small forward has struggled in his second season, team officials are quick to point out the highlights from the tail-end of his rookie season that inspired such optimism about his development internally.”
The Hawks have never been known for their lavish spending, so constructing a roster that features both Trae Young and Anthony Davis — who would combine to make roughly $110 million per season — would be a bit surprising. But their interest in Davis makes sense when you consider the ongoing health situation with Kristaps Porzingis, who has appeared in just 14 games this year. When Porzingis has been healthy, that is when the Hawks have been at their best, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to project how often that will be the case moving forward given the nature of his illness.
Davis would be a massive upgrade on the interior. The real question is whether the Hawks truly want to commit long-term to an aging player who is moving out of his prime and has his own lengthy history of struggling to stay on the floor.
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Photo: Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire
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