The Atlanta Hawks, looking to keep Trae Young happy, will likely be seeing roster changes very soon.
To say the Atlanta Hawks have been struggling would be an understatement — the club has started the season with a 6-18 record, tied for fourth worst in the NBA.
When a team is in this much of a rough-stretch, they must cover their bases and ensure that their stars aren’t wanting to leave for greener pastures.
On December 9, RealGM announced on twitter, that after last week’s loss to the Brooklyn Nets, “a high ranking official of the Atlanta Hawks was seen telling Trae Young that they would be getting him some help on the roster soon.”
Hawks Tell Trae Young Roster Changes Coming Soon https://t.co/QIonQ3ehPI
— RealGM (@RealGM) December 9, 2019
This has to be reassuring to Trae Young and Hawks fans alike. Young has been dragging the Hawks as much as he can, averaging an absurd 28.4 points, 8.4 assists, and 4.1 rebounds, including eight 35-or-more point outings. If his team had a better record, Young’s name would be among the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James in the MVP discussion.
So, what could roster moves lo ok like? Well first, let’s determine who will not be moved. Trae Young and John Collins are both young stars and it should be obvious that they are untouchable. Kevin Huerter and De’Andre Hunter have been impressive in their short careers, and the Hawks would be hesitant to move on from them. Cam Reddish has struggled, but it’s difficult to see the Hawks giving up on the 10th overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft already.
Now, who could be moved?
DeAndre’ Bembry is now the longest tenured Atlanta Hawk, despite being in the just his fourth professional season. His production has been inconsistent for most of his career, going off for an unexpectedly high scoring night every few games. The Hawks have plenty of wings, and most have more potential that Bembry. Moving Bembry might be in the club’s best interests. There are contending teams that might give the Hawks someone in exchange to help their short-term issues.
Alex Len could also be moved. Len has never been great for the Hawks in his two seasons with the team. The center position is the weakest for Atlanta, but Len is not helping the team, seemingly being invisible on the court most nights. Perhaps a team would be willing to take a flyer on the still semi-young Len.
The third candidate to be moved would bring back the best return. Jabari Parker has been excellent for Atlanta in John Collins’ absence. The thing is, Collins’ suspension will be ending before December is over, and Parker’s value will decrease. Now is the time to sell on Parker. His value has only been higher when he was a rookie. Ideally, Parker could be a third option behind Young and Collins, but with his surprisingly well play, Parker will be looking to get a heavy payday this summer. He’ll likely get paid more than he should, and if the Hawks traded him soon, they could possibly turn the season around.
The Hawks are rumored to promise roster changes to Trae Young. Keeping Young happy shouldn’t be their only motivation to turn the season around. There are some candidate on the roster that could be moved and would provide returns to help the Hawks for years.