Now that James Harden is no longer dominating the trade market talk, Bradley Beal is now the most talked-about trade target.
The Atlanta Hawks are in a position to make a big splash in the trade market. Now that James Harden has gone to the Brooklyn Nets, the next big potential fish is Bradley Beal. The Washington Wizards star is having a tremendous scoring season and could make the Hawks one of the top teams in the East.
Beal is leading the NBA with 34.9 points per game but his impact on the Wizards does not end with his scoring. He is averaging 5.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.7 blocks in 35.9 minutes per game.
He is being very efficient, shooting at 49.4 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from deep, and 87.4 percent from the line. These numbers, with the exception of his 3-point percentage, are all up on his career numbers. His career 3-point percentage is just higher than his season number at 38.0 percent.
The Atlanta Hawks could use some of Bradley Beal’s big nights.
Beal has put up some really big numbers in games this season. He had a 60 point night in the five-point loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, which he followed up with a 41 point effort in the nine-point loss to the Boston Celtics.
Beal has had four 30 point plus nights and four nights where he put up more than 20 points. In fact, the worst scoring night Beal has had this season was a 27 point effort in the one-point victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
The Hawks would love to get him to their franchise, as would most teams who are looking to move up the standings. Here are three trades the Atlanta Hawks could propose to get Bradley Beal.
Atlanta Hawks trade No. 1
In order to land a player like Beal, it is going to cost multiple pieces. Some of those pieces would be hard to see go but in order to make an omelet, you have to break a few eggs. Let’s take a look at the first proposed trade.
This trade looks a little rough for the Hawks. While they would be getting one of the best two-guards in the NBA they would be giving up a lot. To summarize the trade, the Hawks would get Bradley Beal and the Wizards 2021 first-round pick.
They would have to give up John Collins, Cam Reddish, Kevin Huerter, and Tony Snell just to match the salary of Beal. This trade would not work for the Hawks until after they get Danilo Gallinari and Bogdan Bogdanovic back from injury.
While giving up John Collins is something that Hawks fans have been able to get their heads around, the potential of losing both Reddish and Huerter may be too much to take. It may be better to wait until the contract protections from the offseason signings have gone.
Verdict – Pass
Atlanta Hawks trade No. 2
The second proposed trade is a little different from the first. It would still involve giving up four players. However, as stated earlier, it is not going to be a painless task to get a player the caliber of Beal. Let’s take a look at the second proposed trade.
To summarize this trade, the Hawks would get Beal and the Wizards first round pick again. In return, they would give up Collins, Snell, and Huerter as they would have in the first trade. However, this time they would also give up rookie Onyeka Okongwu as well.
This trade is more palatable as the Hawks are not giving up their starting two-guard and the backup in Huerter. Again it would be preferable to wait until Bogdanovic returns from injury so that the Hawks don’t leave themselves too thin in the backcourt.
This would push Reddish to the bench where he could put in really solid minutes behind Beal and De’Andre Hunter. This would strengthen the second unit as Reddish would be able to continue to defend the opposition’s best wing and provide floor spacing.
Verdict – Pursue
Atlanta Hawks trade No. 3
The final trade that the Hawks could propose to the Wizards is still giving up quality players. Let’s take a look at the third proposed trade which could land Bradley Beal for the Hawks.
The Hawks would again land Beal and the Wizards’ 2021 1st round pick. This time they would be giving up Collins, Snell, and De’Andre Hunter. Considering how great the leap Hunter has taken this season, this trade is could feel the hardest to take.
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However, the Hawks have the players to cover this loss already on their roster. Obviously, Gallinari would step into the starting power forward role. Reddish would move from the two-guard spot to become a specialist 3-and-D player.
With Beal and Young as the starting backcourt, there would not be many teams in the East who could compete. The Brooklyn Nets are the only backcourt that comes to mind with Kyrie Irving and Harden.
When the injured players for the Hawks return, this team would be contenders to make it out of the East. Beal has also got two years left on his deal so this would give the Hawks some security moving forward.