How the Atlanta Hawks Can Win the 2021 Finals in 3 Easy Steps

A 3-step plan for the Atlanta Hawks to follow to win the 2021 championship.

Yes, you read the title right. This is a 3-step guide that the Atlanta Hawks can follow to win the 2021 NBA championship. Why are you laughing?

Even with All-Star point guard Trae Young and a roster full of young talent, the Hawks aren’t title contenders on paper. They might not even be playoff contenders just yet.

But they can get better – Much better. Perhaps take the biggest leap the league has seen in recent years.

That could all be done through the 2020 off-season, something the Hawks are very well prepared for. They have the most cap space in the league, a top-ten draft pick and they can use that aforementioned young talent to make a deal on the trade market.

Let’s get into the plan.

Step one: Acquire a superstar

This is by far the most important step and by far the hardest step. Even if Trae Young, John Collins, and Clint Capela all play like All-Stars, the Hawks would still be missing that one big piece to put them over the edge.

It’s also an incredibly tough year in free agency. With Anthony Davis reportedly re-upping in L.A (shocker) and Brandon Ingram likely to stay in New Orleans, there is no top-tier free agent. There are, however, several candidates who could be acquired via a blockbuster trade.

Veteran point guard Chris Paul is perhaps the biggest star likely to be traded, although pairing him with fellow undersized guard Trae Young in the backcourt doesn’t make a ton of sense.

Victor Oladipo and Bradley Beal continue to be in trade discussions, as does dominant big man Joel Embiid. If the T-Wolves got off to another slow start, would they make Karl-Anthony Towns available?

All four would significantly help the Atlanta Hawks’ championship aspirations, and as mentioned, they have the assets needed to pull off a big trade.

Step two: Acquire depth. Lots of it.

No matter how many superstars a team has, NBA championships are almost won by the strength of the bench.

In the last couple of seasons, the Hawks have been among the least deep teams in the league, something that really showed early on when the team went 4-21 in John Collins’ 25-game suspension.

This upcoming free agency market is a lot more friendly when it comes to help off the pine, and there are multiple targets at each position the Hawks could look at.

Evan Fournier, Davis Bertans and Joe Harris would all help in a big way but cost a pretty penny. Veterans like Rajon Rondo, E’Twaun Moore, Brad Wannamaker, Reggie Jackson and John Henson would all help as well, without breaking the bank.

They could also try to flip their first-round pick into a more established role player.

Step three: See improvement from young core

While step one is the hardest for the Atlanta Hawks’ front office, at least they have control over it. But if the Hawks are going to be truly elite next season, they’re going to need big seasons from the young core they put together in recent years.

What if Trae Young goes from All-Star to MVP candidate? What if John Collins plays at an All-NBA level? How high would their ceiling be?

Kevin Huerter, Cam Reddish, De’Andre Hunter and Bruno Fernando could all have breakout seasons as well, and the Hawks are going need at least one to make the jump to be considered a contender, no matter how many stars they land in the off-season.

In the end, the Atlanta Hawks need a lot of work to be considered championship contenders, but it’s not impossible.

More likely, however, is the team making a solid leap into the back half of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, using that momentum to snag another star in 2021.

What do you think the Atlanta Hawks should do this off-season?