Are the Atlanta Hawks done making moves in the 2024 offseason? If they are, that only leaves them with plenty of midseason moves to make.
The Hawks reshuffled the deck by trading away Dejounte Murray and AJ Griffin and drafting Zaccharie Risacher and Nikola Djurisic. It may make them a less talented team for the time being but moving off of a co-star that didn’t fit with Trae Young and restocking their draft assets should allow them to try again. They could keep wheeling and dealing before the season starts to shore up their rotation, too.
One of the Hawks's big men is drawing trade interest, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, but it’s neither veteran starter Clint Capela nor youngster Onyeka Okongwu.
Stein writes the following: “The Hawks have been trying to trade Clint Capela for more than a year, but league sources say that the Atlanta big man drawing the most external interest is newly acquired Larry Nance Jr. Word is Nance, who came to the Hawks in the recent Dejounte Murray trade, is being chased by multiple teams in need of proven size.”
Nance landed in Atlanta in the trade that sent Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans. In 61 games last season, Nance averaged just 5.7 points and 5.0 rebounds in 19.9 minutes per game, though he did shoot 57.3 percent from the field and 41.5 percent from deep on limited volume. His $11 million contract expires after the 2024-25 season.
A team looking to acquire Nance is surely interested in his playmaking, which is really solid for a big, as well as his shooting efficiency from deep and at the rim. Although he's losing a step or two as an athlete, he's talented and by all accounts a good presence in the locker room.
Hawks looking to rebuild through youthful athleticism around Trae Young
As it stands now, the Hawks are no more dangerous of a playoff team. The Eastern Conference has far too many teams with multiple stars and deep rotations, so a band of misfits around Young will only amount to a playoff appearance at the very best. Even then, they’re almost certainly going to have to make it through the play-in again.
But for as much as it’s worth, the Hawks could be a pretty enjoyable team to watch. Even if Risacher is uninspiring as a first-overall pick, he's an athletic wing with the potential to be a strong three-point shooter. Dyson Daniels is a really good and smart defender on the wing, too. With Jalen Johnson ready to break out even further, Bogdan Bogdanovic still around and Kobe Bufkin and E.J. Liddell as upside swings, Atlanta is bound to be more interesting this season than last.
Capela and Okongwu still provide a solid 1-2 punch at center. The former may be on the move at some point, though, unless he and the Hawks can agree on a contract extension. For the time being, it makes sense to keep them and try to get something for Nance, whether it's a future pick or a younger player.
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