Atlanta Hawks: 4 Players Most Likely to Be Traded This Season

Kent Bazemore

The single most likely trade piece on the Atlanta Hawks roster is 6-year veteran Kent Bazemore. Losing Baze would be extremely bittersweet, as the Hawks will likely nab some sort of first-rounder from whatever team they trade with for Kent.

We have previously outlined three early Bazemore trade scenarios, but one thing must be stated right at the top: Baze is awesome. As the beating heart of this Atlanta Hawks’ team and the lone holdover from the team’s magical run with Coach Bud, Al Horford, Kyle Korver, Paul Millsap and Jeff Teague (in which the squad won 60 games and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals).

Baze has been one of the most likable Hawks in recent memory, and his willingness to mix it up on defense, get in referees’ ears, shoot from long distance and create off the dribble would be sorely missed.

However, all those qualities also make Baze an extremely attractive trade target for teams looking to improve heading into the playoffs as well. Many contenders in both conferences would love to bolster their wing rotation and shore up their perimeter defense and Baze would likely start for almost every team in the NBA should he be traded away from the Atlanta Hawks.

Sure, his signature “Baze gaze” would be missed, but we haven’t seen much of that this season anyway what with the Hawks winning only 6 of their first 27 games, and he is also serving as more of a “professional veteran presence” than he ever has in his career.

Baze is the absolute best, but if the Atlanta Hawks can accrue a young player and/or a future asset in any deal to a contending team, the proactive and pragmatic Schlenk will certainly not hesitate to trade away the longest-tenured player on this Atlanta Hawks team.

Who do you think will get traded first?