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The Atlanta Hawks are treading water right now in the 2022-23 NBA season. At 18-20, they don't have a winning record as of this writing, but they're still among the top ten teams in the Eastern Conference. Right now, the Hawks find themselves 1.5 games behind the Miami Heat and a game ahead of the Chicago Bulls. They have also just arrested a four-game skid after they beat the Sacramento Kings, 120-117, on the road. Not surprisingly, there are some holes to plug into Atlanta's roster. That means coach Nate McMillan and GM Landry Fields need to make some interesting decisions by the time the trade deadline comes along. Here we will look at the two best trades the Atlanta Hawks must make before the 2023 NBA trade deadline.
Keep in mind that Atlanta signed De'Andre Hunter to a four-year, $95 million extension in the offseason. That's one reason why other NBA executives think the Atlanta Hawks may have to trade John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, or even Clint Capela. They could do this to avoid luxury tax issues next season.
Remember also that Collins is not exactly having his best season. Right now, he has his lowest scoring average since his rookie year and a career-low 23.7 percent three-point shooting percentage. Collins is also more likely to be traded than Capela.
Meanwhile, among the players mentioned above, rival executives believe Bogdanovic is the most likely to be traded. Take note that he has an $18 million player option for the 2023-24 season.
The Atlanta Hawks are engaged in trade talks on John Collins, per @wojespn pic.twitter.com/h7CQcrHphe
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 21, 2022
Now, let's discuss the two best trades the Hawks must make before the 2023 NBA trade deadline.
1. Hawks trade Bogdan Bogdanovic
Any deal revolving around Bogdan Bogdanovic revolves around his contract. Additionally, to a lesser extent, it also relates to John Collins. It seems as each day passes, Collins' time with the Hawks may end soon.
It's also looking quite clear that Collins and Trae Young were not a good fit on the court. Looking ahead, the Hawks may be looking for a different type of player, like a 3-and-D wing, to play the power forward position. Someone like, say, the Mavs' Dorian Finney-Smith could be a viable target. This kind of deal (even if it's not for Finney-Smith) allows the Hawks to potentially make another move and improve their team. That's because they would now have a replacement for Collins.
2. Hawks trade John Collins for more perimeter depth
Speaking of Collins, he has frequently been mentioned in trade rumors for the past few years. This year, the Hawks, while they are still in the play-in range of the Eastern Conference, should really consider pulling the trigger on a Collins deal.
Again, he is having his worst season (statistically speaking) with the worst box plus/minus of his career. We believe there is surely more urgency to make a deal now than ever. Trading Collins would also allow more playing time for Onyeka Okongwu and could improve the Hawks' defense, which was ranked 26th last season.
Right now, the Hawks' three-point shooting is also among the bottom five in the league. Collins is a big contributor to that with his career-worst shooting from beyond the arc.
Yes, the Hawks made a trade for Dejounte Murray in the hopes of improving their defense, but it has not been enough. They obviously still need to make more improvements around the Young-Murray pairing.
To wit, the Hawks are still having trouble stopping dribble penetration and pick-and-rolls. As such, the Hawks should continue to look into deals for defensively-minded guards and wings.
One interesting deal is maybe packaging Collins in a deal. They could do this with a team like the Los Angeles Lakers for some guards and more importantly, a first-round pick.
Sure, the trade may not immediately improve the Hawks' team. Remember that they would be giving up the best player involved in the deal (Collins). Also, recall that Trae Young was once seriously considering requesting a trade. If that's still the case, it could cause even more problems for the Hawks. However, any potential first-round pick is a valuable asset. The Hawks could use that to make another big trade in the future.
If the Hawks do pick the Lakers for a trading partner, someone like Patrick Beverley may be able to help the Hawks on defense. Recall that he was effective defensively the previous season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. If he can return to that form, Pat Bev would fit well alongside Young and Murray to improve the perimeter D.
However, on a lesser scale, the Hawks still require more playmaking to support Young. As such, they may also think about selecting players like Kyle Anderson or Delon Wright from the Wizards (Timberwolves).
Wright provides an opportunity to be a good playmaker and defender. Anderson does those, too, even if he serves more as an offensive hub than a primary playmaker. Atlanta may decide that matters most as its offensive becomes practically important whenever Young sits.
