The Atlanta Hawks are in the midst of a resurgent campaign with a 6-4 record to start the 2023-24 NBA season. This comes after a pair of disappointing first round playoff exits following an Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 2021.
The Hawks have looked good so far under the tutelage of Quin Snyder, whom the organization hired in February earlier this year. Atlanta is playing a much faster brand of basketball and it has translated into one of the best offenses in the NBA. This is happening even though Trae Young is in the midst of the worst shooting season of his career so far. Nonetheless, Young is still contributing in a huge way with his playmaking and ability to get to the foul line.
But despite their early season success, trade rumors continue to linger around the Hawks. This team still needs an upgrade if it wants to compete against the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. Hawks GM should continue to monitor the market for a potential trade down the lane. With that said, here are a couple of trade targets for the Atlanta Hawks this 2023-24 NBA season.
Pascal Siakam
Atlanta's desire for Pascal Siakam is not a secret at all. The Hawks have repeatedly expressed interest in Siakam. In fact, they have actually already offered a trade package to the Toronto Raptors to acquire the Cameroonian. The deal reportedly involved starting forward De’Andre Hunter, sophomore AJ Griffin, and draft picks. However, the Raptors shut the offer down and reportedly have a high price tag for the All-NBA forward.
Nonetheless, getting denied once doesn't mean the Hawks can't try again. They should revisit and explore negotiations with the Raptors come the February trade deadline as both teams' seasons continue to shape out.
The Hawks remain adamant that they intend to compete with Young at the helm. They've surrounded him with complementary pieces and paired him with another All-Star guard in Dejounte Murray in the backcourt.
Meanwhile, Toronto is still in the midst of an identity crisis as a team. Scottie Barnes has emerged as the team's franchise star. With Barnes' breakout campaign in full swing, where does this leave Siakam in the mix? If the Raptors realize that they want to fully embrace Barnes as the face of the franchise, perhaps they will finally pull the plug on Siakam and potentially accept a deal with the Hawks.
Hunter should remain the centerpiece of any deal. Or perhaps Toronto would like to get a hold of the Hawks' own emerging youngster, Jalen Johnson, who is also in the midst of a breakout season. Would the Hawks be willing to meet any of Masai Ujiri's steep price tag for Siakam? Atlanta was reportedly unwilling to include rookie Kobe Bufkin in any deal. Perhaps Ujiri's stance eases a bit as the trade deadline gets nearer.
Regardless, Siakam would be a massive upgrade at the power forward spot. He brings championship pedigree and an all-around two-way skillset that can help the Hawks compete in the Eastern Conference. He may not be enough to get over the top with the likes of Boston and Milwaukee, but he at least helps give them a puncher's chance against the top teams in the East.
Lauri Markkanen
Another All-Star forward the Atlanta Hawks could potentially go after is Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz. Markkanen should find himself in several trade rumors this season with the Jazz looking to land more ping pong balls in next year's draft than wins. The Finnish forward has established himself as an elite all-around scorer in the NBA and his talents are getting wasted in a losing situation.
Markkanen, 26, is just about to enter the prime of his career. His presence would give the Hawks a versatile floor-spacing big who could score in a multitude of ways. He will definitely be an upgrade over someone like Jalen Johnson and his ability to shoot from the outside should also be complementary with Atlanta's big men.
Markkanen is coming off a breakout campaign for the Jazz last season, where he averaged 25.9 points and 8.6 rebounds while shooting nearly 50 percent from the field. His strong year earned him the first All-Star nod of his career and the 2022-23 NBA Most Improved Player of the Year award. This year, Markkanen is putting up similar numbers of 23.9 points and 8.6 rebounds while shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 42.6 percent from beyond the arc.
With a price of $17.2 million this season, the Hawks shouldn't have trouble getting to that salary point. But they will need to get creative in putting together a package consisting of young players and draft capital to entice the Jazz to part ways with their All-Star forward.
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