The Atlanta Hawks had high expectations after their surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021. Unfortunately, the Hawks started out slow and never totally recovered. While they made the play-in tournament and won both games to reach the first round of the playoffs, the result was a five-game smackdown at the hands of the Miami Heat in which Trae Young got shut down. Now, Atlanta is apparently ready to make some big moves when free agency gets underway.
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report says āleague insiders consistently mention Atlanta as a team willing to make wholesale changes.ā Fischer also notes that executives from around the NBA believe everybody but Young is a trade candidate for the franchise. There were already trade conversations involving John Collins, Kevin Huerter and Danilo Gallinari ahead of the 2022 trade deadline.
Getting even more specific on possible upgrades, Fischer notes two star free agents on the Hawks' radar: Deandre Ayton and Zach LaVine.
Would a package surrounding Clint Capela help facilitate a sign-and-trade to bring DeAndre Ayton to Atlanta? Ayton has been a popular rumored target for Schlenk's front office, but multiple league sources with knowledge of the Hawks' thinking have also pointed to various wing scorers as Atlanta's prioritized endgame.
Fischer also brings up Bradley Beal and Donovan Mitchell, but the current expectation is that those two stars won't be going anywhere this offseason. Atlanta would be prepared to strike if there's a trade request, though.
While the Hawks boasted one of the best offenses in the NBA in the regular season, they were no match for the Heat's stifling defense in the playoffs as they shut off Young's water. Atlanta could use a better No. 2 option next to Young for those situations when he's corralled, and LaVine is one of the best scorers in the NBA. There have been some rumblings that LaVine is no longer a slam dunk to return to Chicago.
Of course, the Hawks also need help on the defensive end as well, and Ayton would help on that front. Ayton might be on the outs with the Phoenix Suns and could wind up elsewhere this summer.
With Atlanta needing help on both ends, expect a shakeup.
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