The Atlanta Hawks are not where they want to be in 2023-24 nor where some prognosticators thought they would be. The Hawks were a popular pick to make a jump in the Eastern Conference this season, but they've only hovered around the middle of the standings, currently at 9-13 and holding the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference.
Atlanta is already a whopping three games behind the Brooklyn Nets for ninth-place, and four games behind the sixth-seeded New York Knicks. The team's -0.6 net rating ranks 21st in the NBA as well.
The biggest reason the Hawks are lagging behind the majority of the league is their defense. Atlanta's defensive rating is 118.8, good for 27th in the NBA behind only the Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards and Indiana Pacers. They need help in that department badly. Luckily for them, reinforcements might be on the way.
The Hawks, along with the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers, are believed to be potential suitors for Toronto Raptors wings Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby leading up to the trade deadline, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Siakam is reportedly the most likely of the two to be dealt, but Anunoby will have one year left on his current contract after this season. If ever there were a time for the Raptors to get as much value back as possible for Anunoby in a potential trade, now would be the time to do it.
The Hawks certainly could use a defensive wing of Anunoby's caliber. But what is the trade that could allow them to pull it off?
Hawks get: OG Anunoby, Otto Porter Jr., and Malachi Flynn
Raptors get: AJ Griffin, Kobe Bufkin, Patty Mills and two first-round picks
Why the Hawks do it
As mentioned earlier, the Hawks badly need help on the defensive end of the floor. What better way to help with that than getting one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA? Anunoby was named Second Team All-Defense last season and has continued to flourish on that end of the floor in 2023-24. He and Dejounte Murray would instantly create one of the best defensive perimeter pairings in the entire NBA and fix a lot of what ails the Hawks on that side of the ball.
Anunoby would do that without compromising Atlanta's offense, which ranks fifth in the NBA in efficiency. He is shooting 39.4% on a career-high 6.7 three point attempts per game this season. For his career, Anunoby shoots 37.7% from deep. Playing alongside shot creators like Trae Young and Dejounte Murray means players have to be able to be threats without the ball in their hands. Anunoby is just that and has shot creation chops to boot. He'd fit like a glove in Atlanta.
Why the Raptors do it
If the Raptors do end up trading Anunoby and Siakam, that would likely signal an imminent rebuild. The best way to kick start a rebuild is by getting as many young players and draft picks as possible. Luckily, Toronto already has a franchise building block in Scottie Barnes, but this trade would give them a couple of players who would fit around the do-it-all forward.
That distinction applies to rookie guard Kobe Bufkin, a late riser during the pre-draft process who wound up going 15th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. Sophomore wing AJ Griffin would be a great fit next to Barnes, too. Bufkin reportedly worked out for the Raptors before the draft and was mocked there up until the draft actually was underway. It's not hard to connect the dots with the Raptors and Bufkin. That should be a feather in the Hawks' cap in trade negotiations.
Atlanta has the Sacramento Kings' first round pick in the deal that sent Kevin Huerter to California's capital a couple of summers ago, but are down a first-round pick after sending it to San Antonio for Murray a couple years ago. But they still have one pick they can trade along with that Kings pick. Getting two picks and those two young players back in return should be enough for the Raptors to send Anunoby to Atlanta.
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