With the NBA’s trade deadline looming on Thursday, February 8 at 3:00 p.m. EST, trade rumors and gossip are flitting about like so many pieces of confetti after an NBA championship. Speaking of an NBA championship, that is something the Hawks would desperately like to deliver to the city of Atlanta — though there is no chance of that occurring this year.
With GM Travis Schlenk putting the Hawks on a steady road to redemption through the NBA draft and smart-money signings of young players, reports are stating that almost everyone on the Hawks’ roster is available – for the right price.
It would be safe to assume that the right price for Atlanta in terms of trades would be receiving dead salary from teams looking to dump superfluous players and, more importantly, as many draft picks as possible.
Atlanta already owns the rights to Houston and Minnesota’s first-round draft picks in the 2018 draft, but you can never have too many chances, right?
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the chances that every Hawks player on the roster has of getting traded, starting with players that will certainly be staying in Atlanta.
John Collins: 0% Chance – JC is the only untouchable on the entire Hawks roster. After selecting him with the 19th overall pick in the 2017 draft, Collins has made numerous posters with highlight-reel dunks and has the highest Player Efficiency Rating among all rookies. Schlenk is trying to build a young, athletic team through the draft and he hit a home run with his first swing this past offseason with Collins. John the Baptist is going nowhere, and he will hopefully be a Hawk for a long, long time.
DeAndre’ Bembry: 0% Chance – Bembry will not be traded this season, mostly because he has been injured almost all year. When he has played, he has looked completely out-of-sorts on offense, which torpedoes his value to a huge degree. In a lost season for the Hawks’ second-year wing, let’s hope he returns to action soon and can rehabilitate his image around the league.
Tyler Dorsey: 0% Chance – Though Dorsey has not received the minutes load that fellow rookie John Collins has, he has shown enough flashes in his early career to merit a few more season in Hawks university. With a strong shooting stroke and playmaking and shotmaking abilities off the dribble, Dorsey will not be traded in his first season in the league.
Tyler Cavanaugh: 1% Chance – Similar to Dorsey, Cavanaugh has more than proven his worth to the Hawks organization. Cavanaugh was pressed into emergency duty when almost the entirety of Atlanta’s frontcourt rotation was injured, and he proceeded to outplay both his undrafted rookie status and shed his two-way contract in favor of a fully guaranteed, remainder-of-the-season NBA contract. It is doubtful that the Hawks would trade Cavanaugh in any package, though you never know (hence the 1% hedge).
Taurean Prince: 2% Chance – Taurean Prince is almost as untouchable as John Collins, as the second-year player has improved in some areas and regressed in others. His upside is still too enticing to gift to another team, however, especially after he dropped 31 points against a strong Celtics defense – right after he was named to the Rising Stars game during All-Star weekend.
Miles Plumlee: 5% Chance – That 5 percent clip is done purely in the name of hope, as there is no way any team would want to touch Plumlee’s titanic 4 year/$50 million contract signed in the fateful summer of 2016. Though he has maybe rekindled a tiny sliver of his value, Plumlee still has little feel for the game and his image around the league is that of dead salary.
Isaiah Taylor: 15% Chance – Taylor has practically fallen out of the rotation after receiving heavy minutes early in the season, and though he is a steady presence as the third-string point guard, Malcolm Delaney’s more impressive minutes have shunted Taylor to the side.
Dennis Schröder: 20% Chance – Though it might be best to move Schröder sooner rather than later if the right deal comes along (like this doozy we floated earlier this month), the Hawks’ starting point guard will be made thoroughly available in the offseason when more teams might be willing to take on Schröd’s large contract for a guaranteed long-term NBA starter.
If a great deal doesn’t materialize for Atlanta before Thursday (and it seems unlikely), the Hawks should have no reason to force a bad deal to oust Dennis in what has been a career year statistically.
Mike Muscala: 25% Chance – Mike Muscala is a Hawks lifer, and he has had some great moments with the team – drilling a game-tying three against the Washington Wizards in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in the 2015 playoffs being first among them. But basketball is a business and Muscala’s expiring and cheap contract could serve a few teams well going forward.
The only thing holding this back is Muscala’s health, which was affected for almost two months by a mysterious ankle issue. It seems to be fixed now at least, and Muscala is shooting a lights-out 47.7 percent from deep – something all teams could use from a backup big man.
Dewayne Dedmon: 40% Chance – Dedmon has been terrific in his first season in Atlanta, and he might be rewarded with a trade to a playoff-bound team if the right offer is on the table. It has been reported that the Hawks are looking for a first-round pick in return for Dedmon, though that is almost certainly too rich for many teams. Either way, Dedmon is a great rebounder and finisher in the paint, and he has even proven to be a viable stretch five in today’s three-pointer-obsessed landscape.
Kent Bazemore: 40% Chance – As outline at length here, rumors surround Kent Bazemore and a possible move to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Numerous teams should be interested in Baze’s services, as he has improved in almost every facet of the game since he came into the league 6 seasons ago. Though his huge contract might be prohibitive for some teams, others would just be happy to get a two-way wing with good defensive instincts and a slick three-point stroke.
Malcolm Delaney: 45% Chance – Delaney is a steadfast basketball veteran who was undrafted out of college, played overseas and finally got his chance with the Hawks last season. Delaney has improved on almost all fronts since last season, when he just couldn’t quite find his role.
This season, he has excelled as Dennis Schröder’s backup – propelling the team with his pass-first ways, intelligent offensive decision-making and stout defense. Many teams could employ Delaney’s palatable skill set and expiring, inexpensive contract. Don’t be surprised if Delaney is gone by this deadline.
Luke Babbitt: 90% Chance – This is where the trades begin to be almost certainties. Luke Babbitt is having a terrific year as a long-range sniper from three, and almost any team in the playoff hunt could employ his services. Though he has played precious little over the past two months, Babbitt is still shooting 43.9 percent from downtown on 3 attempts a game.
Ersan Ilyasova: 95% Chance – It must be noted that Ilyasova has the right to veto any trade the Hawks could make for him, so there’s that. Still though, he could provide value for almost any playoff-bound team, as he can rebound, shoot threes, defend a bit and is crafty around the rim. He is also a notorious flopper and charge-drawer, niche skills that can sometimes turn the tide of a quarter – or even a game in the right circumstances.
It would be surprising if Ersan remained on the team after the trade deadline, as he has an expiring, cost-effective deal that would be enticing for almost any possible playoff team.
Marco Belinelli: 98% Chance – Belinelli is a seasoned vet who knows his way around the three-point line. He is 4th on the Hawks in points per game with 11.4, and he is hitting 37.2 percent of his 4.8 three-point attempts per game – solid averages, off the bench no less, that should have playoff contenders salivating. Sure, his defense is frankly deplorable, but that’s not really what bench scorers are supposed to provide.
There is almost no chance that Belinelli remains a Hawk after the trade deadline, as he can slot into any team’s rotation and be the exact same thing he is for the Hawks: a shooter’s shooter with no conscious when it comes to getting up his own shot. Sometimes that’s all you need.
Next: Atlanta Hawks Youth Movement Part 1: The Rookies
Stay tuned as more news (and even more unfounded rumors) about the Atlanta Hawks’ plans at the trade deadline becomes available.