Atlanta Hawks: 4 Positives and Negatives of Potential Draymond Green Trade

Conclusion

In the end, a Draymond Green trade to the Atlanta Hawks is rather unlikely to happen. Though Warriors General Manager Bob Myers is one of the cagiest in the business – as they planned well in advance in order to acquire Kevin Durant in free agency – trading a franchise icon seems like an improbability.

However… stranger things have happened in the NBA. Also, Atlanta Hawks GM Travis Schlenk was a longtime assistant to Myers in Golden State who helped the team recognize the talent that Draymond had – seeing him as a steal in the second round.

The Hawks, under the team’s previous administration, have previously been linked to Draymond in the summer of 2015 when he was a free agent. The Warriors re-upped Green on a five-year/$82 million pact, but with numerous factors in play, the team might be willing to let go of a franchise legend to a team that’s looking to take the next step with a proven playoff contributor.

Are the Atlanta Hawks even in a position to want to “win-now” with Green? With a promising young core that will only get better over the course of the next few years as well as a glut of draft picks, a lengthy, organic rebuild seems like a palatable choice.

However, look at how teams such as the Celtics, Pacers and Nets have rebuilt recently. They’ve stayed in the thick of the playoff hunt despite not bottoming out (or at least not benefiting from bottoming out in the Nets case). Could the Atlanta Hawks supercharge their rebuild by trading for Green for the relatively low price of Prince and a protected first round pick?

It’s an interesting question, and one that will be answered soon by Atlanta Hawks GM Travis Schlenk and his administration. The offseason awaits!