Picking three realistic trade targets for the Atlanta Hawks.
The Atlanta Hawks made it clear when they traded for Clint Capela that they were ready to start winning. With young stars Trae Young and John Collins on the team and a supporting cast made up of Capela, Cam Reddish, De’Andre Hunter, and Kevin Huerter, they’re on the right track.
They just need that one missing piece to become a real threat in the Eastern Conference, and unfortunately, both the draft and free agency classes are looking weaker than usual.
If the Hawks want to add that missing piece this fall, they’ll need to do it via trade. They have the assets to swing a big name on the trade block if they want, and that might not be such a bad idea.
Here I’ve found three stars that the Hawks might be able to land via a trade.
Player Three: Buddy Hield
Buddy Hield is just one year into a four-year extension but has been a darkhorse to be traded ever since he joined the Kings. Hield has always had a touchy relationship with the Kings’ front office, and with De’Aaron Fox emerging as the face of the franchise, it might be time for Hield to find a new team.
The Hawks can swoop in and make him Trae’s backcourt companion, and the two Oklahoma products already share a solid off-court relationship. That chemistry should work together on the court as well, as Buddy can work as a secondary playmaker to help take the pressure off Young.
Hield is a true three-point sniper, taking nearly ten per game in Sacramento last season, making 39 percent of them. While Kev Huerter and Cam Reddish can be good solid catch-and-shoot guys, Hield can create shots for himself, something no one else on the Hawks can do consistently besides Young.
The Kings get another outside shooting specialist and pick up a first next summer, and they can now sign another player instead of paying Hield. The Hawks protect the pick to ensure they wouldn’t be giving up something too valuable if they drastically underperform next season.
Hield and Young could create the NBA’s next great backcourt.
Player Two: CJ McCollum
While Trae and Buddy would create a dynamic backcourt, Young and CJ McCollum would be even better together. That also means they would have to give up more, however.
The Blazers have continually tried and failed to get over the hump with Damian Lillard and McCollum running the show, and it might be time for Portland to try something else before Dame gets too old.
The trade would give the Blazers a young forward and Clint Capela, who can be a better version of what Hassan Whiteside was for them this year. They can pick up another young stud with the pick (which is guaranteed to be in the top eight) or use it as a piece to flip it into another player.
It puts the Hawks back in the market for a center but they should be able to find at least an average center in free agency or in another trade.
The offensive firepower McCollum would bring would be worth it, and the 28-year-old who averaged 22.5 points per game last year is still in his prime. In the weaker Eastern Conference, it’s easy to imagine CJ making an All-Star game or two with the Hawks.
Player One: Joel Embiid
The Philadelphia 76ers are heading towards a “trouble in paradise” situation, as while they have two of the brightest young stars in the league with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, it looks like they may need to make one their centerpiece and trade the other.
If it’s Simmons, the Hawks shouldn’t be calling (unless they can convince him to play forward), but if Embiid gets shopped, the Atlanta hawks should offer a great deal for his services. It’s not often that a player of Embiid’s caliber becomes a realistic trade option, and the Hawks would be dumb not to throw their hat in the ring.
Embiid is easily a top-ten player in terms of trade value, and the Hawks would have to give up a lot. perhaps even more than the above trade. As mentioned, however, he would be worth it if he stays healthy. He’s one of the most dominant big men in the NBA, and at 26 years old, he’s only going to get better.
It does create a bit of jam at the center position, and they’ll likely have to look to trade Clint Capela unless they want to pay their backup center $18 million per year.
Losing John Collins does suck, but Embiid can form a duo with Trae Young that would be the best in Atlanta Hawks history. The trade would make them instant championship contenders.
Who should the Atlanta Hawks target via trade?