The Atlanta Hawks are nowhere near where they envisioned they would be heading into the 2025-26 campaign. This past offseason, they were very aggressive, bringing in Kristaps Porzingis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker via trade and free agency, respectively, to try and make the leap in the wide-open Eastern Conference. But instead of taking the leap, they've stayed very much mediocre as they head into Christmas Day with a 15-16 record amid their current four-game losing skid.
There is plenty of talent on the Hawks' roster, but somehow, they haven't put it together quite yet this season. Their offseason additions, which were supposed to elevate Atlanta defensively, haven't made the impact they were expected to.
On the season, they rank 18th in defensive rating, allowing 115.6 points per 100 possessions, and since Trae Young returned from injury on the 18th of December, they've allowed 125.8 points per 100 — good for third-worst in the NBA during that span.
Suffice to say, the Hawks may be feeling a sense of urgency to be aggressive on the trade market considering their present circumstances. Porzingis is dealing with further complications brought forth by his Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), leaving Atlanta with just Onyeka Okongwu at center.
If Atlanta is indeed feeling the heat, desperation could very well push them to trade Porzingis away to acquire another center. The uncertainty surrounding the Latvian big man may become untenable for a Hawks side that wants to be one of the best teams in the East, and with his contract set to expire at the end of this current campaign, he will be an piece to take on for teams looking to free up salary.
With that said, here are three trade options the Hawks could pursue amid Porzingis' bout with injury.
Bucks call Myles Turner a sunk cost, trade him to the Hawks
Hawks acquire: Myles Turner, Andre Jackson Jr.
Bucks acquire: Kristaps Porzingis, 2026 SAS first-round pick
The Hawks' vision was clear when they acquired Porzingis in the trade that saw them give up Terance Mann, Georges Niang, and a 2025 first-round pick (Drake Powell). With Clint Capela departing in free agency, a spot opened up in their center rotation. Porzingis emerged as a perfect fit alongside Jalen Johnson in the frontcourt; Johnson is a slasher who can finish well on the interior, while Porzingis loves letting it fly from beyond the arc. And with Young handling the offense, Atlanta was sure to feast.
Porzingis also provides more rim protection than Okongwu thanks to his length (he stands at 7'2″ with a 7'6″ wingspan), and Atlanta needed a tone-setter on the defensive end considering how average they've been on that end of the floor over the past few seasons.
Alas, rolling the dice on Porzingis was always going to be a risk. He's already been injury-prone enough over his entire career, but a mystery illness kept him out of the Boston Celtics' lineup way too often for their liking during last season's playoffs and sapped him of productivity whenever he was on the court.
That mystery illness was diagnosed later on as POTS, and now, Porzingis is dealing with its effects and is unable to suit up on the basketball court. As much as he would want to produce for the Hawks (and he's been very productive when healthy), his body is not allowing him to — forcing Atlanta into making some very tough decisions.
The player archetype the Hawks want at center is very clear. They want a floor-spacer who can block shots consistently. And as luck would have it, a player of that ilk may become available on the trade market in Myles Turner.
Turner, who signed a four-year, $108.9 million contract with the Milwaukee Bucks this past offseason, has struggled in his first season away from Indianapolis. His numbers are down across the board, and considering the total cost the Bucks paid to sign him (waiving and stretching Damian Lillard's contract), he has played at a level way below expectations, not at all coming close to being the piece Milwaukee needed to make a convincing case for Giannis Antetokounmpo to pledge his future to the city.
It's going to be a tough pill for the Bucks to swallow that their signing of Turner was a mistake, but they can rectify that by trading him away for Porzingis' expiring contract while getting a first-round pick for their troubles.
Now, the Hawks owe the San Antonio Spurs a pick swap next year courtesy of the Dejounte Murray trade. That pick of theirs will most likely land in the late first round. To that end, Atlanta should be very comfortable trading away a late-first round pick for a 3-and-D center with plenty of experience doing damage alongside a talented playmaker.
The Bucks, meanwhile, get a chance to clean the books and try again in free agency next year. They have a 12-18 record on the season, and with Antetokounmpo still not on the comeback trail, it could make sense for them to do this and get a first-round pick in return.
Wholesale changes coming for the Clippers?
Hawks acquire: Ivica Zubac, Bogdan Bogdanovic
Clippers acquire: Kristaps Porzingis, 2026 ATL first-round pick (SAS own swap rights with ATL), 2027 ATL first-round pick swap (LAC receives more favorable of less favorable pick between ATL and NOP and less favorable of LAC/DEN/OKC picks), 2028 ATL first-round pick, 2029 ATL first-round pick swap
Trading away two first-round picks and two pick swaps for Ivica Zubac doesn't seem very smart for the Hawks to do. For starters, Zubac is currently out with an ankle sprain and is going to be on the mend for multiple weeks. Moreover, it's not like Atlanta is a piece away from winning a title; they're 15-16 at the moment and are very much struggling.
But Zubac solves a lot of the Hawks' problems. For starters, Zubac has been known to anchor an elite defense in the past for the Clippers. Sure, LA's defense has been very bad this year, but that can be attributed as much to their woeful perimeter defense as it can be to any form of decline from the 28-year-old center.
Zubac is also a more traditional pick-and-roll dance partner for Young, someone who can feast off of dimes from the Hawks' star point guard. Capela was a lob threat who can protect the rim; Zubac is similar in that respect, but he's different in that he has better touch from the interior and can even be given the ball in the post — his hook shot is near-automatic from point-blank range.
The Hawks, for giving the Clippers pick swap options and unprotected first-round picks for Zubac, will also be getting a familiar face back in Bogdan Bogdanovic. Bogdanovic adds another ballhandler and shooter for Atlanta off the bench, and his contract will be expiring in 2026 so he won't be on the books for long.
The Clippers will then be getting an opportunity to begin their process of starting over, arming themselves with more future draft picks. They have been also playing noticeably better as of late; perhaps having a stretch five would be the way to go for them moving forward. To that end, if Porzingis were ever to be healthy, he could be a huge help for LA in their quest to at least rescue a play-in tournament spot after a ghastly start to the 2025-26 campaign.
This, however, is an unlikely swing for the Hawks to make. Young is presumably going to be entering free agency at season's end (he has a player option for the 2026-27 campaign worth $48.97 million), which clouds Atlanta's future with so much uncertainty. But this could be a worthwhile swing if they were truly hellbent on making it work with Young at the controls.
