PG-13 could have been a Hawk at the Trade Deadline. Why couldn’t Atlanta successfully pull off a trade for Paul George?
The Atlanta Hawks are one of the most consistent teams in the NBA.
However, one of their main detractors is the fact that they’ve missed that star presence to lead the franchise to heights we haven’t seen before.
At the trade deadline earlier in the season, Marc Stein reported that the Hawks were aggressive in their pursuit of All-Star Indiana Pacer, Paul George.
The Atlanta Hawks made aggressive draft pick-centric trade offers for Paul George and Jimmy Butler today, league sources tell ESPN.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 23, 2017
George has been the center of trade talks this season for many different teams, from the Lakers to the Boston Celtics, but seeing the Hawks pursue such a flashy player is surprising to say the least.
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Yesterday, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst revealed that the Hawks were more aggressive than previously thought, offering up four(!) first round picks for George.
I’m much happier knowing they didn’t make the trade, due to the fact that Paul George is probably gone to the Lakers after the 2017-18 season and a one and a half year rental would definitely not have been worth it.
But oh man, oh man, is it fun to wonder.
Imagine the Hawks trotting out a lineup of Dennis Schroder at the 1, THJ at the 2, PG13 at SF, Paul Millsap and Dwight Howard at the 4 and 5 respectively, with Baze and Prince coming off the bench.
If that doesn’t fill you with a little bit of excitement then you’re not an Atlanta fan.
Now yes, four first rounders is an extremely steep price for a small forward that hasn’t cracked 24 PPG, but creating a Mini Death Lineup here in Atlanta would’ve been such a show.
Also, none of the Hawks’ picks are extremely important (which is why Indiana didn’t accept) so losing them for such a fun test run wouldn’t have been too bad.
I’m being extremely shortsighted here, I know, but am I the only one that believes this team with George would put up a better fight than Boston has and will against LeBron?
I’m not going to lie, seeing the Hawks management pursue such a trade makes me very curious, partly excited, to see them willing to make such a game changing move.
Next: Atlanta Hawks 2016-17 Season Review: Moose
But coming back down to Earth, Paul George is still in Indiana, the Atlanta Hawks are still out of the playoffs, and we’re all still waiting for a Warriors-Cavs Part III. So why not dream?